News

Indiana University South Bend is proud to announce that it has earned the 2022-2023 Military Friendly^® School designation.

Last year, IU South Bend was awarded a bronze designation in the program, marking the first time any of the Indiana University campuses received the honor. The move into the top ten in the field this year came on the strength of progress in community outreach and graduation rates. In the category of small public colleges, IU South Bend is now ranked number six.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly^® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2022-2023 survey.

“IU South Bend is committed to our veteran-affiliated community, and that encompasses veterans, service members who are active duty, reservists and National Guard. We also serve the military-dependent, especially spouses and children,” said Savanna Hebert-Annis, Assistant Director of the Office of Veteran Student Services at IU South Bend. “We have a dedicated space on campus where folks can come to as a safe place, where they can have discussions with us and with other military-affiliated individuals. They have a direct line. We are a ‘one-stop shop’ for their needs – not just reacting but also being proactive in anticipating those needs.”

Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans. Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined with input from the Military Friendly^® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community.

“Savanna has done a tremendous job of mobilizing student workers, partnering with our student veterans organization, and mentoring work-study students from the V.A.,” said Kevin Griffith, associate vice chancellor of Student Affairs and Diversity. “It all reflects on the value that her office provides to the campus.”

The Bloomington campus houses “The Golden Book,” which commemorates in fine calligraphy the contributions of IU-affiliated military members from the War of 1812 through World War II. As lovely as that book is, the Office of Veteran Student Services demonstrates that the school can honor military members even more directly by serving them in palpably helpful ways.

“Our commitment to serving veterans and their families exemplifies our broader commitment to providing the highest quality educational access with high-touch services that meet the needs of students,” said Chancellor Susan Elrod. “We are so proud of our Office of Veteran Student Services and all of our student veterans.”

To view a breakdown of how IU South Bend scored in the program’s six main categories, visit www.militaryfriendly.com/indiana-university-south-bend.

For more information about IU South Bend’s student veteran programs, visit iusb.edu/students/student-support-services/veteran-services or read about the campus’s commitment to veterans at https://foundations.iusb.edu/2021-fall/here-for-our-military-students.html.