The Messenger 01.30.08

The University of Tennessee at Martin’s support of students, faculty and staff in military service recently was featured in the November/December 2007-January 2008 edition of Public Purpose, the magazine of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
Titled “Show Support for Servicemembers,” the article highlighted the service of military reservists and the National Guard and noted many in these ranks called to active duty are faculty, staff and students from campuses across the nation. While a number of initiatives to benefit those in the military have been carried out in recent years on the UT Martin campus, described in the article was a letter-writing campaign, academic help and symbolic events.
The article noted that some departments lead their campuses in remembering and supporting the students in military service. For instance, the UT Martin Office of Student Housing sponsored a letter-writing campaign for the troops and also for families of soldiers killed or wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan. The university also has several symbolic events to show support for the troops and families that include presenting the colors whenever possible. At UT Martin, students receive a full tuition refund if they are mobilized early in a semester. And, if the call to duty comes toward the end of the semester, university faculty members help students schedule final exams early.
“As a campus community, we are striving to support our soldiers by doing whatever we can to ensure that they can transition easier upon their return home and in small ways to help bring a touch of home when they are stationed abroad,” said Dr. Tom Rakes, UT Martin chancellor. “Their contributions to our own safety and sense of well being are something we can never fully repay.”
UT Martin is one of AASCU’s 430 public college and university members that are found throughout the United States and in Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Institutions range in size from 1,000 students to 44,000. UT Martin also serves as home for the Southern Regional Consortium for the American Democracy Project, which involves students in projects and activities that enhance their understanding of citizenship as well as builds a sense of community service.