by Kelly Rogge
Kansas City Kansas Community College has once again been named to Victory Media’s 2016 Military Friendly Schools List.
Awarded to the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country, the Military Friendly Schools designation is used to show which educational institutions are doing the most to embrace military students and to dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation. This is the sixth consecutive year that KCKCC has received the designation.
“Attaining Military Friendly School designation provides validation to KCKCC that the effort to meet the needs of MAS population is appropriate based on a nationally normed assessment instrument,” said Karalin Alsdurf, alumni relations at KCKCC and former director of KCKCC-Leavenworth. “It allows us to see that we are providing services, support and policies that align with the identified needs of our students. Furthermore, the assessment process provides feedback to the college on areas where more attention should be focused.”
The Military Friendly Schools designation and list by Victory Media is the premier, trusted resource for post-military success. Military Friendly provides service members transparent, data-driven ratings about post-military education and career opportunities. KCKCC is one of 25 schools in Kansas to receive the designation. Others include Ottawa University, Emporia State University, Johnson County Community College, the University of Saint Mary, Butler Community College, Kansas State University and the University of Kansas. Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City and Park University, both in Missouri were also included on the 2016 list.
KCKCC currently enrolls 570 military-affiliated students. This number is expected to increase as more veterans complete their service and seek higher education opportunities.
“Achieving the Military Friendly School designation signifies to our military-affiliated students the commitment KCKCC has made to serving those who have served and are serving our country. This commitment is demonstrated through the college’s policies specifically designed to provide flexibility for meeting the needs of this group of students and through the support services provided,” Alsdurf said. “The Military Friendly School designation is a “seal of approval” recognized throughout the military community that KCKCC has the systems and services in place to provide a successful learning experience.”
The methodology used for making the Military Friendly Schools list has changed the student veteran landscape to one much more transparent and has played a significant role in capturing and advancing best practices to support military students across the country. The school survey, methodology, criteria and weightings are developed with the assistance of an independent Academic Advisory Board made up of educators from schools across the country. The survey is administered for free and is open to all post-secondary schools who wish to participate. Criteria for consideration can be found on the Military Friendly Schools website www.militaryfriendly.com.
The survey captures more than 50 leading practices in supporting military students and is available free of charge to the more than 8,000 schools approved for Post-9/11 GI Bill funding.
For more information about KCKCC’s commitment to attracting and supporting military students, visit the KCKCC website at www.kckcc.edu or call 913-334-1100.
Kelly Rogge is the public information specialist for Kansas City Kansas Community College.