As a university defined by the Volunteer spirit, our dedication to veterans and military-connected students has never been stronger. And while enrollment numbers for this special group continue to grow, so does our steadfast commitment to ensuring their success.
The program’s rapid growth these past four years demonstrates the university’s high-level of commitment to our student veterans and military-connected students (dependents or spouses). Enrollment in the Veterans Success Center has increased from around 500 to nearly 700 veteran scholars and from around 700 to nearly 1,000 for our military-connected students. To better serve this growing population, the Division of Student Success has restructured our veteran support services to ensure we continue to provide top-tier support and resources tailored specifically to the needs of our veterans and military-connected students. The reorganization also highlights our commitment to work toward a VETS Bravo Designation from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission by prioritizing peer mentoring, support programs, and development.
Office of Veterans Benefits Administration
Jayetta Rogers, former Director of Student Veteran Strategic Initiatives, has been promoted to Chief Veteran Benefits Officer and will now lead the Office of Veteran Benefits Administration. This newly-created department will manage and oversee all aspects of benefit management for our veterans, including ensuring state and federal compliance, coordinating financial matters with campus and external partners, and overseeing all documentation and record keeping. Creating this elevated level of dedicated support helps ensure our students receive their designated, well-earned, financial incentives in recognition of their service to our country.
“Jayetta is a tremendous leader in this field,” said Amber Williams, Vice Provost for Student Success. “Her deep understanding of the benefits process along with her strong relationships with key leaders makes her the perfect fit to lead this new initiative. She’s a true servant leader, and I know she’ll continue to be a dedicated advocate for students in helping to ensure they receive the necessary financial support while on Rocky Top.”
Veterans Success Center Reimagined
The Veterans Success Center will shift operational focus exclusively to student engagement, including academic coaching, small group sessions, and events. UT veteran and former Programming Director, Tom Cruise, has been promoted to Veterans Success Center Director. Cruise will oversee all operations of the department and continue to provide the community-building programming our veterans have grown to love, appreciate and deeply value. And with an enhanced vision on transformational support, this department will expand its existing academic offerings and develop social well-being programs for our veterans and military-connected students.
“As a distinguished Air Force Vet and former UT student, Tom is the right person to lead this department and focus on the transformational support we want to provide, especially as we enhance our support measures from a holistic standpoint,” said Vice Provost Williams. This group has made such meaningful contributions to our country and are already true leaders on campus. With dedicated service lines, streamlined operational efficiencies, and more intentional support, I’m confident we’ll be able to not only meet the needs of this growing population, but we’ll set them on a successful path to excel in both their academic and personal lives.”