G.I. Jobs Magazine Once Again Names SUNY Potsdam to 2015 Military-Friendly Schools List

POTSDAM, NY (10/09/2014)(readMedia)-- The State University of New York at Potsdam has been honored as a military-friendly institution once again this year. SUNY Potsdam was selected as a 2015 Military-Friendly School by Victory Media, which publishes G.I. Jobs magazine.

The 2015 Military Friendly Schools list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students and to dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom after graduation. The methodology used for making the Military Schools list has made the student veteran landscape much more transparent, and has played a significant role over the past six years in capturing and advancing best practices to support military students across the country.

"I honestly believe my experience as a student veteran here at SUNY Potsdam would be drastically different if it weren't for the folks in the Military/Veteran Student Services Office and the Student Success Center," said student veteran Mikaela Foster. "There's a sense of camaraderie there that is unique to this area. It's because of them that I decided to stay at this university after graduation to pursue a master's degree."

After forming a college-wide Veteran and Military Task Force five years ago, SUNY Potsdam has worked hard to enhance a variety of services and implement procedures to meet the specific needs of military members and their families.

Those efforts have been significantly enhanced since the College and SUNY Canton jointly hired Patrick Massaro as the shared veterans and military services coordinator. A graduate of both institutions, and a Captain in the U.S. Marine Reserves, Massaro serves students on both campuses.

More than 150 active-duty service members, veterans and their families members are currently enrolled as SUNY Potsdam students, either on the Potsdam main campus or through the College's Extension Center in Watertown, located on the campus of Jefferson Community College in close proximity to Fort Drum. Soldiers, veterans and their families are enrolled in a number of undergraduate and graduate programs at SUNY Potsdam, with one of the more popular majors being teacher education.

Programs offered in Watertown that particularly benefit military members and their families include a business administration bachelor's degree program and a graduate program in organizational leadership. For more information, please contact the SUNY Potsdam Extended Education Office at (800) 458-1142 (ext. 2) or (315) 267-2166, or email exted@potsdam.edu.

G.I. Jobs is the No. 1 choice of returning service members for advice on career and education opportunities. New veterans look to the publication for information and practical tools to find the right jobs, education programs and vocational training after leaving the military. Each month, 75,000 issues of G.I. Jobs magazine are distributed to service members through the military's Transition Assistance Program.

To learn more about veteran and military services at SUNY Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/services/military.

Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,300 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training and leadership in the performing and visual arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community recently launched Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which aims to raise $27 million by the College's bicentennial in 2016.

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