Bowling Green State University and Owens Community College are among the inaugural class of College Purple Heart campuses.
Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner recently made the announcement that these two campuses were among the first group of 33 Ohio colleges and universities to receive the distinction based on efforts to support students with military backgrounds.
BGSU is ranked No. 1 in the Midwest and fifth in the nation for veterans and active military students by the Military Times in its Best for Vets: Colleges 2021 rankings.
“Every step of the way, BGSU ensures veterans and military students are considered valued members of the campus community,” said Barbara Henry, assistant vice president of BGSU Nontraditional and Military Student Services. “From application to graduation and beyond, Nontraditional and Military Student Services staff routinely connect with students to ensure they succeed in and out of the classroom while building meaningful connections with others in the BGSU military community.”
“Bowling Green has always been recognized as a strong university when it comes to supporting its veteran and service member population, so it’s only fitting that BGSU is among Ohio’s first class of Collegiate Purple Star recipients,” Gardner said.
Owens’ outreach to those who serve or have served the nation dates to its opening in 1965. The Rossford Army Ordnance Depot once occupied a site that is now a short walk to the college’s Veterans Hall. An Ohio Historical Society marker commemorates the location.
Owens has continued to refine and advance its services for military-affiliated students ever since.
“Owens Community College has a long history of providing a supportive environment for military-affiliated students,” Owens President Dione Somerville said. “Being named a College Purple Star campus in the inaugural class is truly an honor and a testament to the work we’re doing with our military-affiliated students who are seeking a higher education and pathway forward in life.”
Led by Sharron Pappas, manager of Veterans Services (Navy), Owens served more than 500 military-affiliated students in the 2021-22 academic year.
Student veterans, active duty service members and dependents and spouses of veterans have access to Veterans Hall, which includes a lounge area, study room, kitchenette and computer lab. These military-affiliated students also have an opportunity to get involved in the Owens Student Veterans Organization, which is registered with the national Student Veterans of America. Student veterans have the option to apply for scholarships through the SVO.
A total of 33 colleges and universities in Ohio received the Purple Star designation. Ohio is the first state in the nation to award Purple Star designations.
These 33 first-ever Collegiate Purple Star awards advance the work already done by Ohio’s PreK-12 school system to create the Purple Star designation for those schools that worked to become military friendly. Ohio is the first state in the nation to offer these designations.
Criteria for being chosen as a Purple Star college or university include having a dedicated military/veteran point of contact and/or office on campus, establishing priority registration for veterans and service members, surveying student veterans and service members – along with spouses and dependents – about needs and challenges, and allowing for the establishment of student-led groups and organizations for veterans and service members.
