Miami, March 30, 2016 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) West Campus is opening its first center for Military and Veteran Student Success. The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Thursday, March 31, at 2 p.m.
“This space is unique, and a place dedicated to our military and veteran students at West where they can meet, study, and build friendships with others who have served this nation,” says Dr. Roger Ramsammy, President of West Campus.
The center will serve three main student success initiatives: career development, counseling and advisement services, and student success initiatives.
“Faculty will also play an important role in the success of this initiative. Veteran and military faculty will volunteer their time to tutor veteran and military students, particularly in English and Math”, said Lt. Antonio Colmenares, MDC’s Director of Military and Veteran services.
The Center is a collaboration of many individuals not only at MDC but businesses and organizations. Military/veteran students will have access to a small library where they can check out textbooks for classes while they await their book vouchers from Veterans Affairs. Pearson, McGraw-Hill, Cengage, and Norton, four major publishing houses, have already donated textbooks West Campus uses in support of this project. Americorps provides one staff member and the Department of Military and Veterans Services provides another to manage the space.
Now military and veteran students at West have an alternative to register, seek advisement, or simply meet with others who share the same experiences in the armed forces. West is the first campus to establish this space for military and veteran students, but it is not the last. Other MDC campuses are already working on a design for their space, each unique to serve the needs of their students. In fact, MDC has been serving vets since it opened its doors more than half a century ago.
The Center will open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and is located in room 1226.
For more information, please contact Lt. Colonel Antonio Colmenares USMC (ret.), Director of Military and Veteran Services at 305-237-0995 or acolmena@mdc.edu