Veteran’s Resource Center coming soon

Veterans face an extraordinary number of hassles on top of the usual obstacles encountered when students apply to attend community college.  But with the help of a new Veteran's Resource Center, those hassles may be a thing of the past.

"I've often been told by vets that the hardest part about getting into college is all the paperwork.  Returning vets face a lot of hurdles in trying to use their earned benefits," said Dr. Lori Waite, dean of counseling and matriculation and co-chair of the Vet Response Team on campus. "We don't want to be one of those hurdles." 

On Thursday, Feb. 18 Waite submitted the proposal for the new center and she expects to know the results in April.  If the grant comes through, the "one stop shop" will become a physical reality. The center would be built as part of the old administration building, on the west end of the campus.

The center would focus on "academics, camaraderie and wellness," with additional resources such as peer advisers, a staff made up of faculty and student veterans and even a representative from the VA. It all sounds like a dream come true, on paper. At this point, most of that dream remains on the drawing board. 

Even Dave Coon, a student vet who illuminated the problems vets encounter in a Breeze article last semester but who is determined to be part of the solution, notes the slow pace. 

"I'll let you know when I see it," Coon said. "Right now, we're still in the building process."

The effort to better organize current veteran resources began in spring 2009 though, according to Waite, it "really picked up momentum" in fall of the same year.  Though it has had only three meetings, the Vet Response Team already has approximately 30 members made up of staff, faculty and students. 

Currently, vets face a fragmented roller coaster ride of requirements when first applying at the college.  In addition to the standard application for enrollment, a veteran must also have five additional documents on file with the college that must clear specific departments. In addition a request for information on priority registration possibilities (after applying) is also part of the process.

Despite the helpful "veteran services" link on Chaffey's website, the process remains lengthy and a bit ambiguous in terms of what to do first.  From an outsider's point of view, the whole thing feels unimaginably stressful and complicated, according to Coon.

The Team is on it.  A subcommittee is dedicated solely to a user-friendly upgrade of the website.  This is just one of their many areas of focus. In addition to the website, there are subcommittees assigned to the Resource Center Project, the Veterans Club, interactions with the V.A. and other external organizations, Vet Awareness and on the creation of an informational brochure for students.

The group's goals are lofty and the dedication is unwavering. But student veterans are still waiting to see concrete results.