Baker College’s Gold Status award for being a Veteran-Friendly School
Baker College has been awarded Gold Status as a Veteran-Friendly School by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA). This marks a step up from the Silver Status held for several years, demonstrating a commitment to excel and maintain a high standard in providing comprehensive support and resources for veterans and military-connected students.
The elevation to Gold Status is attributed to the college’s enhanced efforts in tracking the progress and success of its veteran student population. By implementing a system to monitor the retention, progress, and graduation rates of veteran students, Baker has strengthened its commitment to serving military-connected individuals, continuously enforcing a student-first philosophy.
Currently, Baker enrolls more than 100 veteran students, and this achievement reinforces the college’s pledge to continue supporting them in their educational journey.
The criteria for achieving Gold Status as a Veteran-Friendly School in Michigan includes:
- An established process for identifying current student veterans
- A veteran-specific website
- An active student veteran organization or club
- Veteran-specific career services, resources, advising, and outcome monitoring
- An on-campus veterans’ coordinator or designated staff point of contact
- A system to evaluate and award academic credit based on prior military training and experience
- Monitoring and evaluation of student veteran academic retention, progress, and graduation rates
Baker College has met six of these criteria, with plans underway to launch a student veteran organization or club to round out achieving all criteria.
“Earning the Gold Medal from the MVAA reaffirms the commitment that Baker College has made to our military-connected students. Our military-connected students are all over the world on military bases, and we are committed to serve those who served our country. We will continue to innovate ways to engage these Baker students virtually and work towards becoming one of the Most Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities in the country” said Jamie Zamjahn, Vice President, Student Success and Engagement.
The MVAA has recognized a total of 62 Veteran-Friendly Schools for the 2023-2024 academic year. The Veteran-Friendly Schools program, established in 2015-16, acknowledges academic institutions committed to providing robust support for veterans and military-connected students. These institutions are awarded Gold, Silver, or Bronze status based on the depth of their veteran-centric services and programs. In 2023, 47 schools achieved Gold status, with seven institutions upgrading from Silver to Gold compared to the previous year. Baker College’s achievement of Gold Status as a Veteran-Friendly School exemplifies its unwavering commitment to serving veterans and military-connected students, further solidifying its place as a leader in higher education.
About the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency:
Established by Executive Order in 2013, MVAA’s mission is to serve as the central coordinating agency, offering support, care, advocacy, and services to veterans and their families. MVAA collaborates with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, state departments, county agencies, and community and veterans service organizations across Michigan. The agency operates the Michigan Veteran Resource Service Center, a 24/7/365 call center in partnership with Michigan 211. Veterans, family members, and service providers can access a comprehensive network of resources and services by calling 1-800-MICH-VET (1-800-642-4838). Learn more at Michigan.gov/MVAA.
Baker College is an independent, private, non-profit institution that grants associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees on campuses across Michigan and online. Founded in 1911, the institution’s mission is to provide an inclusive, innovative, and transformative educational experience, driven by a student-first philosophy. Learn more at baker.edu and follow on X, Meta, and Instagram.