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MILITARY FRIENDLY Continued from page 45
have been designed for adult learners whose life responsibilities often require changes in schedule. For military personnel this means that the university can accommodate transfers between duty stations and deployment. On-site students can move to the online delivery system upon deployment. Online students can work toward their degree from anywhere Internet access is available. If deployment necessitates discontinuing the program, a student can withdraw without penalty and re-enter at a later date.
Individual Attention At the University of Mary, an academic advisor is immediately assigned to each student upon enrollment. Assistance with questions and guidance concerning programs of study, planning, policies, procedures, course registration, and completion of degree requirements are available from day one. Advisors can be contacted by telephone, email and fax throughout the course of study and work closely with faculty to identify and reconcile issues specifically related to military service. Faculty, many of whom are leaders in their specialty and hold
master’s or doctoral degrees, are likewise available to monitor student progress, provide content assistance and address questions.The advisor-faculty team partners with each student to promote consistent communication, academic support and — most importantly — academic success. In addition, there is a VA certifying official that works with students to insure that the correct forms are completed and all questions are answered in a timely manner, and technical assistance is available for any issues students may encounter during online courses.
Graduate Scholarships and the Yellow Ribbon Program Participant U-Mary offers graduate studies scholarships to military personnel eligible for tuition assistance through their branch of service. And, since the Yellow Ribbon Education Enhancement Program took effect, U-Mary has provided an increased undergraduate and graduate tuition benefit to military veterans and service members that meet Veterans Administration qualifications.Through the program, U-Mary offers unlimited enrollment in both its undergraduate and graduate programs in order to serve all veterans who want to receive an education based on Christian, Catholic and
MTR-COLLEGE Benedictine values. “For many years, the University of Mary has offered graduate study scholarships to active duty military and National Guard students, but through the Yellow Ribbon Program a U-Mary education is affordable to even more military students,” notes Kaspari.“Enabling these men and women to earn their degree for free is one small way we can thank them for their service.”
A Military Friendly School All of these things combine to make the University of Mary a “military friendly” school, with recognition including ranking among the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Military Advanced Education Top Military Friendly Colleges and Universities; the 2008 North Dakota Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Above and Beyond Award; and G.I. Jobs Military Friendly School status for 2010, 2011 and 2012. For more information about the University of Mary’s military friendly programs, call 800-408-6279, ext. 8128, e-mail cade@umary.edu, or visit www.umary.edu/cade. Wendy Schweitzer is the director of marketing at the University of Mary, her alma mater. Schweitzer has been in marketing and public relations for more than 15 years, with more than five of those years in higher education.