Tuesday, May 5, 2009
At about this time three years ago, Felix Zacharias, Wichita junior and Marine Corps sergeant, was preparing to take final exams. For him, the tests fell between spending two weeks in California for basic training and being deployed to Iraq.
At the time of his deployment, the only option for students who were serving in the military during the semester was to drop out of school.
“At the time, it didn’t really matter if you had orders in your hand or not, you had to drop out,” Zacharias said.
He said his e-mail account was deactivated and he was removed from the University’s system. He said he didn’t understand why students in the military were treated differently than students who studied abroad.
“The way the policy was being implemented was a little unfair to veterans,” Zacharias said. “It wasn’t intended to be, but it was. Within some part of the administration there was some misunderstanding.”
Betty Childers, the Veterans Affairs Certifying Official for the Office of the Registrar, places a binder containing guidelines for dealing with student veterans on a shelf in her Strong Hall office. Childers assists veterans with many aspects of student life at the University, including easing the transition when active duty and reserve personnel are called up to deploy with military units while enrolled in classes. Childers said she would like students to be more aware of the servies her office provides.
Because he had to miss two weeks of classes for training, Zacharias said he was unable to turn in projects. He said most of his teachers were understanding, but he received poor grades in some classes as a result.
Zacharias wasn’t the only student who was frustrated with the way the system worked, which is why the University created a “one-stop withdrawal” policy a few years ago that allows students in the military to remain enrolled while still deployed.
Betty Childers, the Veterans Affairs certifying official, works with students in the military to help ease the transition. The number of students she works with is relatively small, but she said the role was an important one for the University and for its students.
“This was started so students would have more time to spend with their family,” Childers said. “You have to have a bit of compassion and know that they need that time and we need to do whatever we can do to make it easier, because not only are they students at the University who need some help, but they’re also serving our country.”
When students receive deployment orders they can speak with Childers. Childers then works with various departments, including the Bursar’s Office and the Computing Center, so that all areas of campus will be informed about the student. She said being a communications liaison for students was one of the major ways she could help students.
Childers said the University was working to make students more aware of the services it provided to students in the military.
William Hardy, who has been deployed twice since 2006, said he wished he had made better use of the services the University provided.
“At the time I was aware of a policy that would withdraw me from all of my classes,” Hardy said. “In the end it worked out well for me, but I am sure if I had followed the policy I may have had fewer headaches.”
Now, with the help of Childers, Zacharias is back in classes, preparing for finals.
— — Edited by Casey Miles
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Comments
Policy serves those who serve
I have just one point of clarification in this story regarding the 'basic training' I received. It was a prelude to Intermediate Location (ILOC) training, not to be mistaken with boot camp, recruit training, whatever you wish to call it. Brianne didn't make a mistake, as I could have been more specific in the first place, and this post is merely to clarify the matter in case someone in the military sees this and is concerned about the same thing. And this I believe completely removes all pretense that I am anybody but Felix Zacharias, oh well. Great story, Brianne!
Policy serves those who serve
I was going to say 2 weeks of basic training and then off to Iraq? That's a little bit worrying!
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