LAKE ERIE COLLEGE RANKED AMONG TOP 10 MILITARY FRIENDLY SCHOOLS IN COUNTRY
Lake Erie College has been ranked among the top 10 military-friendly schools in the country in the “private schools not offering doctorate” category for the 2020-2021 school year according to Military Friendly®.
The Military Friendly® team collects and processes vast amounts of data that encourages schools to develop and sustain strong programs for veterans on campus. The ratings are determined through the evaluation of public government data and proprietary data gathered through the annual Military Friendly® survey.
The Military Friendly® Designation is awarded by Military Friendly® to schools who are committed to being the best choices for veterans and their families who desire to begin or continue their college education. Along with this recognition, LEC also received the Gold Award for the 2019-2020 school year for the organization’s ranking in the “private, not offering doctorate category.” Gold Award winners have programs that scored within 10 percent of the 10th-ranked institution within a given category. The College earned that designation two consecutive years.
The Lake Erie College Veteran Education and Transition Support (V.E.T.S.) Program has been instrumental in creating a campus atmosphere worthy of these awards. The mission of the Lake Erie College V.E.T.S. Program is to facilitate the successful enrollment, registration, advising, retention and graduation of military student veterans by assisting them in transitioning from the military to the college and civilian world successfully. The V.E.T.S. Program provides academic support, benefit and education counseling, program information and referrals to appropriate resources through a personalized approach that emphasizes individual attention and care.
The program is put in place to ensure veterans on campus get the best education possible and to provide them with necessary resources to support their college career. According to Lake Erie College President, Dr. Brian Posler, the key to the V.E.T.S. program’s success is dedicated personnel and highly personalized support for veterans. Coupled with a dedicated suite of spaces, including the “Bunker” that serves as a meeting and gathering area for student veterans, the Veteran’s Support Team and Program Coordinator, Dr. Margaret Payerle collaborates with the campus community to ensure veterans and their dependents have the support needed to ensure academic success. Currently, LEC has 35 veteran or military affiliated enrolled students. According to Payerle, this group of students boasts a GPA well above average.
“One of the most amazing aspects of working with the Lake Erie College faculty and staff is how open and receptive they are to help and work with current veterans,” says Dr. Payerle. “They are all welcoming and open to accommodating our students.”
LEC’s educators promote the overall culture of commitment to the individual student to help him or her succeed. Whether civilian or retired veteran, LEC’s community of professors are people of good will that are dedicated to the individual’s education and making everything work at a student’s own pace.
“Having Dr. Payerle there to assist, not only with any problematic issues, but also as a guide in regards to navigating the various administrative processes regarding higher education, was pivotal to the successful completion of my studies,” says LEC alumnus and veteran Joshua Miller ‘18. “Also, having access to an area where I could interact with other veterans was very nice. There are simply some aspects of service and the experiences that we've had that only other veterans can understand, and to have a place where we could go to be amongst our own was quite nice. The way things are done in the civilian world, in particular the academic environment, will often vary greatly from that of the military. Adaptability to this different environment is key to success.”
Achieving the status of being one of the top 10 military friendly schools in the nation demonstrates Lake Erie College’s commitment toward honoring and supporting the many veterans who have served their country and are embarking on an educational journey.
For more information on the Veteran Program, please contact Dr. Payerle at mpayerle@lec.edu, or visit www.lec.edu/veterans.