New Center for Military and Veterans Education opens at TCC with Veterans Day observance & ceremony

Tidewater Community College will open a new Center for Military and Veterans Education (CMVE) with a special ceremony and Veterans Day observance on Monday, November 12, 2012, at 1 p.m. The center is located on the Virginia Beach Campus of TCC, 1700 College Crescent, in the Kempsville Building.

The center will provide a centralized and comprehensive clearinghouse for academic and student support services for the 14,000-plus military-related students at TCC, which accounts for more than 30 percent of the student body.

The grand opening will include remarks and a formal opening of the facility, along with a special flag-folding ceremony to recognize the significance of the day for veterans.

“We are proud to observe Veterans Day and honor our military and their families,” said TCC President Edna Baehre-Kolovani. “And we are pleased to provide active duty military service members, veterans and their families a dedicated resource to serve all of their education needs.”

The CMVE will include expanded, dedicated staff and advisors specializing in the unique needs of military-related students on TCC’s campuses and around the globe. Staff members are trained to help students with admissions needs and financial concerns, and develop a roadmap for academic success and Workforce Solutions. The center also provides counselors skilled in non-academic issues of concern to veterans and even a special lounge for military-related students.

“Using research into what works in a college environment, TCC has made a significant investment into the success of military-related students,” said Bruce Brunson, executive director of the Center for Military and Veterans Education. “Our goals are to significantly increase student retention, success, employability and future economic security for service members, including active duty, reserve and National Guard members, as well as veterans and their families. The CMVE will be an outstanding model for student success among colleges and universities across the nation.”

Coordinated through the new center and located on all four campuses are Veterans Administration services and VetSuccess programs. Additional center offerings include continuing education programs, military and government contract training, the Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership and the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) program, which helps transferring students coordinate continuation of studies with schools around the country. The CMVE will also provide special faculty and staff training to help all departments better serve TCC’s military-related students.