CENTRAL — Southern Wesleyan University (SWU) received another Gold ranking from Military Friendly for the ‘23-24 school year, reflecting their commitment to welcoming and supporting military and veteran students.
Military Friendly ranks schools based on six categories: academic policies and compliance, admissions and orientation, culture and commitment, financial aid and assistance, graduation and career, and military student support and retention.
Donna Pittman, SWU’s Warriors CARE Center Coordinator, said, “Student veterans and their dependents often have needs as unique as they are. That’s why Southern Wesleyan University created the Warriors CARE Center. Our goal is to make sure this population has someone to advocate for them and a space to connect and form relationships with others of similar backgrounds and experiences.
“Yes, we want them to be successful in college,” Pittman said, “but there is such a great need for so much more. That’s why our focus is C.A.R.E – Courage, Academic Success, Respect, Empowerment. As both the daughter and spouse of a veteran, I am honored to serve military-affiliated students as Coordinator of the Center. Personally, my philosophy is, ‘You’ve cared for us; now let us care for you!’”
The Military Friendly Schools survey is a comprehensive, long-standing analysis of colleges and universities, and Military Friendly assigns rankings based on survey responses and publicly-available data.
“We are honored and proud here at SWU to prioritize care for our student veterans and their families. As someone who has spent years caring for military members and their families as a chaplain, this is certainly close to my own heart. At SWU, we understand the culture, the values, and the sacrifices made by military members, military families, and military children. Because they have done so much for so many, we are honored to offer them our support, resources, and profound appreciation.” said Dr. William D. Barker, President of SWU.