ATHENS, Ohio (Sept. 12, 2011) – Ohio University today joined the ranks of G.I. Jobs' Military Friendly Schools. The designation annually recognizes 20 percent of post-secondary institutions for commitment to military and veteran students.  

This marks the second year that Ohio University has applied for the designation and its first year to make the cut, according to Assistant Director of the Allen Student Help Center Angela Lash, who served as the University's first coordinator of veterans' academic services from Sept. 2010 through July 2011.  

Lash said the honor recognizes many steps that the University has taken, particularly over the last two years, to better serve students who are veterans, including new services, improved communication and enhanced collaboration with off-campus groups.  

According to University College Dean David Descutner, the recognition owes to a great deal of work on the part of many individuals from many areas of the campus, including Student Affairs, University College, the Registrar’s Office, Enrollment Management, University Libraries and Student Senate, among others.  

"Being named military friendly is a meaningful acknowledgment of the work of many colleagues on this campus and the regional campuses, as well as… our student veterans,” Descutner said. “It's something we're proud of. But it really is one small step towards more comprehensively understanding and meeting veterans' needs."  

Descutner said he believes the "military friendly" designation will enhance OHIO's ability to recruit more veteran students in the future. However, striving to meet enrollment goals is not the main reason to improve services for this population, he said. 

"Doing our very best to help veterans succeed in every way at Ohio University is fundamentally the right thing to do because these men and women have served their country and deserve our best efforts," he said. 

Visit http://www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/ for more information on the ranking.