Veterans on Campus
For Cody Noren, signing up for the military out of high school was simple. After the Sept. 11 attacks, the call to service was undeniable. Nine years and 17 countries later, he is a PSU criminology student entering his final year.
Oregon has seen some of its largest deployments since World War II because of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, thousands of those soldiers are returning home and thanks to the new GI Bill, the number of student veterans at PSU is up 30 percent this fall to over 700.
As vice president of the Student Veterans Association on campus, Noren is part of a larger network of campus services designed to help those veterans transition successfully to college.
“PSU, which was founded in 1946 as a school for veterans, is dedicated to being a veteran-friendly campus,†says Jackie Balzer, vice provost for student affairs. “These individuals make very successful students.â€
PSU has two full-time staffers to help veterans access their education benefits, a designated academic advisor to work with veterans, houses an employee of Veterans Affairs who acts as the conduit to the federal agency, and will host a seminar for faculty to learn more about the military-to-college transition and how to support those students.
PSU Contacts for Veterans:
Allen Roberts
Veterans Certification Officer
104 Neuberger Hall
allen.roberts@pdx.edu
503.725.5523
PSU Student Veterans Association
For more info on student veteran benefits, visit The Oregon National Guard's Veterans Site.
