West Chester University (WCU), West Chester, has earned the 2023-24 Military Friendly School designation, maintaining Gold status in recognition of leading practices, outcomes, and effective programs for members of the military and veterans enrolled at the university. Military Friendly is a standard that measures an organization's commitment to, efforts toward, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit for the military community.

More than 1,800 schools sought the Military Friendly designation by participating in the 2023-24 proprietary survey. Institutions were also evaluated using public data sources. Of the 530 institutions that earned the general designation, only 250 nationally were selected for Gold award status, which is reserved for schools that scored within 10% of the 10th ranking school in their category.

WCU strives to create an intentional culture of understanding, acceptance, and success for veterans, active military members, National Guard service members, and those who support them. Services and resources for members of the military and veterans at WCU are centralized through the Greg and Sandra Weisenstein Veterans Center, thanks to the endeavors of WCU leadership, the WCU Foundation, and the WCU Veterans Center team.

The Veterans Center team has facilitated communication among campus offices so that student veterans and their families enjoy a coordinated system of service and a meaningful transition from the military to the university. The Weisenstein Endowment has been established to provide annual support in scholarships and programming for WCU student veterans. Staff includes a licensed professional counselor dedicated specifically to the specialized needs of WCU's student veteran population. In addition, faculty and staff across the university demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting and engaging student veterans. The Veterans Center is part of WCU's Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The Veterans Center also offers student veterans spaces to meet formally, study, relax, recharge, and socialize, plus resources and events that connect veterans at WCU with those in the local community. To learn more, visit http://www.wcupa.edu/veteranscenter.

The complete 2023-2024 Military Friendly Schools list will be published in the May issue of "G.I. Jobs" magazine and can be found at http://www.militaryfriendly.com.