A new council is focused on fostering a sense of community for Veterans and military members at the University of Iowa.
Veterans Week events
To honor military Veterans of the United States Armed Forces, the University of Iowa has planned events taking place Nov. 10–17.
Visit this webpage to see more details, including what will be taking place on Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 11.
The Veteran and Military Council will be a resource for faculty and staff who want to connect with others who have had similar experiences. More than 500 UI faculty and staff self-identified as Veterans and military members last year, more than 60 of whom were with the National Guard or Army Reserves.
“I work directly with Veteran and military students every day and see a need for some of the same types of support for faculty and staff who are Veterans,” says Matthew Miller, Iowa Veteran Education, Transition, and Support (IVETS) director of student support services. “Establishing this council is an excellent way to really build a community among faculty and staff.”
New SkillBridge partnership expands Veterans hiring initiative
The University of Iowa is making a concerted effort to provide military service members with potential job opportunities as they transition out of the service through its partnership with SkillBridge, a federal program helping military members gain civilian work experience in their last six months of service.
The Veteran and Military Council is modeled after other councils already established on campus, including the African American Council, Council on Disability Awareness, Council on the Status of Women, Latinx Council, LGBTQ+ Council, Native American Council, and Pan Asian Council.
Adam Potter, senior human resources specialist at Iowa, says the new council will both help attract potential employees and spur student engagement by highlighting the university’s dedication to Veterans and their families.
Potter is a retired Army Sergeant First Class. He served from 1991 to 2012.
“There is a large number of us in the military community scattered about campus,” Potter says. “Having a voice on campus can have a big impact on that community.”
Miller says the council also will serve as a place for UI student Veterans and military members to find mentors. The UI has more than 560 Veteran students, more than 160 National Guard and Reserve members, and more than 130 Air Force and Army ROTC cadets.
“We can sometimes be siloed in our buildings or in our departments,” Miller says. “This is a great opportunity for us to reach across campus to other faculty and staff who have a shared experience. We also want to support our National Guard and Reserve members who have other obligations outside of the university and show them that there’s a network to support them.”
Miller is a retired Army Command Sergeant Major. He served from 1993 to 2015, which included four deployments to the Middle East.
The Veteran and Military Council is now recruiting members to join. A website and social media accounts are in development, and Potter says he expects the group will meet monthly and host events once more people join.
Potter says that the council is open to anyone, including those who are family members of Veterans and military members or those who want to show their support.
“We’re excited to move forward,” Potter says. “We hope that people show interest and get involved. We want Iowa to be a place where Veterans, National Guard members, Army Reserve, and Army ROTC cadets can feel more at home when they’re at home.”
Those interested in joining the Veteran and Military Council can email ui-veteran-council@uiowa.edu. More information can also be found on the UI Veteran and Military Council website.