OSU veteran student services thanks leaders for support

Oklahoma State University’s president and members of the governing board were recognized for their support of student veterans Friday during a meeting at OSU-Oklahoma City.

President Burns Hargis and the Board of Regents for OSU and the A&M Colleges were presented OSU “challenge coins.” Challenge coins have been carried by members of the armed services since World War I to recognize their specific unit or squadron.

“We are glad to present this challenge coin to acknowledge those who truly make a difference by supporting student veterans through their transitional period on campus, and the circumstances they may encounter on their way to graduation,” said Rick Hansen, coordinator of Veteran Student Academic Services at the Stillwater campus. Hansen, a retired Marine Corps captain, presented Hargis a plaque featuring the first OSU Challenge Coin produced.

Combat veterans face special challenges when they transition from military life to academic life, Hargis said.

“They’ve been a part of a team. They’ve had to depend on each other, in many cases to stay alive and to accomplish their mission. Then all of a sudden ... that team’s gone and all the support services are gone,” he said.

“It’s a very difficult transition period for many of them, and we want to make that transition as smooth as we possibly can.”

OSU dedicated a new campus Veteran Success Center in November and established the OSU Student Veteran Emergency Fund to help student veterans overcome financial obstacles to graduation.

“It has heightened people’s awareness of the sacrifice that these people make for our country,” Hargis said.

“I really do think veterans are honored on our campus,” he said. “We can always do more.”

One side of the OSU Challenge Coin features a bald eagle on a background of stars and stripes. An outer circle lists the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, and an inner circle recognizes Oklahoma State University veterans. The flip side bears the OSU logo and the words scholarship, instruction and service. The coin was designed by Paul Fleming with University Marketing at OSU. We asked our community of readers to show us why they live in and love Oklahoma. We received more than 112,000 responses and plan to run an image every day. Some images may have been digitally altered by the photographer. Follow us on Instagram @News_OK to see more photos.