Saint Rose still a top ‘military friendly’ school
Retired Army Col. Martin Dinan, director of veteran enrollment, and his newest assistant, retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Nick Lanier as well as other coworkers have successfully led an effort to make sure The College of Saint Rose in Albany remains among the best colleges that are friendly to military personnel and veterans.
For the 10th consecutive year, Saint Rose has been designated a “Military Friendly School” by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs and other military publications.
Based on a national survey, Victory Media also ranked Saint Rose as being No. 1 in the nation —for the fourth year ina row— among “Gold Standard” private colleges not offering a doctorate.
The 2019-2020 Military Friendly Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine. The list can also be found at http://www.militaryfriendly.com.
According to Victory Media’s ranking, “The College of Saint Rose is an excellent choice for service members and veterans based on the overlapping support to that population. Since World War II, the college has welcomed veterans and their families.
“Currently, the college has two full-time veterans who assist veterans and their family members with their applications, Veterans Affairs benefits, and health care. Additionally, the college has a 1,220-square-foot Veterans Center and separate veterans living residence.”
The “Military Friendly School” designation from Victory Media is based on surveys completed by colleges and universities as well as veterans. The surveys cover academic policies and compliance, admissions and orientation, culture and commitment, financial aid and loan repayment, graduation and career outcomes, and military student support and retention.
“Last October, we were proud to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new Veteran Residence, which houses student veterans and service members,” said Saint Rose President Carolyn J. Stefanco. “That project was made possible through the generosity of the Massry Family, who have been long-standing supporters of Saint Rose and our student veterans, a commitment also evidenced by their $100,000 gift to support scholarships for those whose education is not fully funded by their military benefits. Together, we are a community that believes in supporting those who served. We continue to seek ways to ensure that our student veterans experience a smooth transition from military life to civilian life while furthering themselves through higher education.”
Last year, Saint Rose hired a second veteran, Lanier, at its Veterans Center to double admissions and recruiting efforts. He is assistant director of veteran recruitment and enrollment.
A former U.S. history and social studies teacher, he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science, international relations, and history at Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Fla., graduating magna cum laude in 2015.
Lanier served in the Army from 1999 through 2012, when he was medically retired. He had served with Headquarters Company, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry of the 25th Infantry Division. He had served as a chaplain assistant and a chemical specialist. The combat veteran served two deployments in the Iraq war and one in South Korea.
In Fall 2019, Saint Rose will become even more “friendly.” The college will bring an Army Reserve Officers Training Corps leadership class closer to home when the course will be held on its campus in Albany so that ROTC students at Saint Rose no longer have to commute to Siena College in Loudonville to attend.
Dinan knows what veterans go through as they make the transition from military to college life.
“I am a veteran as well as a graduate of Saint Rose, so I can appreciate what that transition period for members of the military means,” said Dinan, who served three combat deployments. “It’s an honor to be a resource today to veterans, service members, and military family members, whether it’s helping them to navigate their military benefits or connecting them with a service at the VA hospital, located not far from campus.”
To find out more about the educational services Saint Rose provides to veterans and their families, visit http://www. strose.edu/veterans.