MSU to open Veteran Support Center this fall

By MSU News Service

Montana State University will open a Veteran Support Center to serve the growing number of veterans on the MSU campus. MSU President Waded Cruzado said that the center will support veterans’ educational goals at MSU.

According to Brenda York, director of MSU’s Disability, Re-entry and Veteran Services, there were 489 veterans attending MSU in the spring semester. That number is expected to climb to more than 500 in the fall semester, she said.

Cruzado made the announcement at the beginning of a veterans’ forum held at MSU Thursday attended by U.S. Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs Eric Shinseki and U.S. Senator Jon Tester of Montana, who sits on the U.S. Committee of Veterans’ Affairs. The two listened to feedback about the VA from panel members, including MSU students and staff who are veterans. Following the panel, Tester and Shinseki took questions from the audience.

The center, to be located in room 185 of the MSU SUB, is expected to open Aug. 22, prior to fall semester.

York said that the center will provide space for many veteran-related activities. Those include a site for drop-in support groups for veterans, as well as a location for veteran-oriented seminars and guest speakers. It will house veteran resources as well as for faculty and staff interested in veteran issues, and will provide a location for tutoring sessions and computer use as well as a place for veterans to gather.

“The vet center is a place to help veterans with the transition to higher education,” she said. “Montana State University through the support of many, including President Cruzado and Vice President of Student Success Allen Yarnell, clearly demonstrate this commitment to our country’s vets.”

York said that a formal dedication and open house of the facility will be held in September.