New center opens for student veterans

Liberty University students who have served our country have a new gathering space on campus.

Liberty’s Office of Military Affairs opened a Veterans Center on the third floor of the new Montview Student Union. The space includes a lounge for student veterans to connect with one another as well as with faculty, staff, and community residents who serve as their mentors. A VetSuccess counselor with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a military student liaison from the Office of Military Affairs are on hand to offer support services throughout the students’ academic careers.

Drew Novy, a senior and president of Liberty’s Student Veterans Association, said that it is exciting for military students to have a place to call their own.

“Many veterans often face a lot of overwhelming adversity when they are getting out of the military,” said Novy, who served in the United States Marine Corps for four years. “A lot of them have struggles trying to transition from military to civilian life, especially going back to being a student. I’m thankful for Liberty University and the Office of Military Affairs for really helping us with that transition. The Veterans Center just shows the high esteem that Liberty holds for its military veterans.”

Veterans from the community and representatives from local organizations joined Liberty students, faculty, and staff at a dedication held on Thursday.

Chris Johnson, Liberty’s executive vice president for Enrollment Management, welcomed the guests, which included Keith Wilson, Department of Veteran Affairs director of the Roanoke Regional Office; David Stokes, director of the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council and public affairs chairman for the Virginia State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America; Gary Witt, commander of the Lynchburg Chapter No. 1607 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart; and Steve Bozeman, vice president of the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council.

Johnson noted that Liberty is a proud military supportive institution. Over 32,000 military students were enrolled last year. That number includes veterans, military spouses, and over 10,000 active duty service members, many of whom enjoy the flexibility of Liberty’s online programs from across the country and around the world. Currently there are 900 military students and 1,000 dependent children of military members studying on campus.

Dr. Ben Gutierrez, vice provost for academic administration, noted how proud he has been to participate in special ceremonies for military graduates, both at Liberty and on military bases.

A group of Liberty University student veterans attended the dedication. (Photo by Joel Coleman)

“(Military students) are among the finest students at Liberty University,” Gutierrez said at the dedication. “I attribute that and their success to their unparalleled discipline, their serious commitment to finish the task that is set before them, and their enviable work ethic and maturity. This center is a token of our appreciation to our student veterans, and I hope it shows how much we truly value them and how much they mean to us.”

Dr. Steven Keith (Chap. Col. USAF Ret.), director of the Liberty University Center for Chaplaincy in the Rawlings School of Divinity, offered a prayer of dedication to close the ceremony.

The recently opened Montview Student Union is a four-story, 168,000-square-foot facility designed specifically for student life, with a bowling alley, game rooms, open lounge areas, and six new eateries.