JPMorgan Chase & Co. recently awarded a gift of $165,000 to UCCS to be used to support military veterans and service members as they transition from active duty to academic life.
The gift will enable the campus to expand its services for veterans through specialized faculty and staff training, customized student orientations and the addition of staff to help guide veterans to graduation.
“We are greatly appreciative of this support for the approximately 1,600 active military, veterans and their families who use military education benefits on our campus,” Phillip Morris, director, Office of Veteran and Military Student Affairs, said.
Morris, himself a U.S. Army veteran, said military veterans can experience stress, anxiety and a host of service-connected medical and administrative issues in the transition to civilian life. Adjusting to an academic environment can be difficult.
JPMorgan Chase will fund specialized training for faculty and staff about those challenges that military veterans face as college students. These efforts include first-year orientations tailored for early intervention and increased academic support, additional counseling, career services and academic support staff. If successful, the program will become a model for other campuses with large military student population across the nation.
As part of our long-standing commitment to veterans, we are proud to partner with programs that will ease the transition for veterans from active duty to civilian life,” said Todd Munson, president of Chase’s Colorado market. “By understanding the unique needs of veterans, this program will offer them support and specialized services that can guide them to academic success.”
Part of a larger effort by the firm to help position veterans and military families for post-service success, this grant is one of several awarded as JPMorgan Chase fulfills its commitment of one million dollars in support of higher education programs aimed at improving retention and graduation rates for student veterans.
The gift will be presented at a 1 p.m. March 6 reception in the Kraemer Family Library Apse. A distinctive military-style coin presentation from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation to Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak will commemorate the partnership between the organizations.
Wonderful accomplishment Phil. Congratulations!