Colleges ranked as friendly to military

Five of the north country's seven colleges are in the top 15 percent of military-friendly universities in the country, according to a recently released survey by G.I. Jobs magazine.

Clarkson University, Potsdam; SUNY Canton; Paul Smith's College, Paul Smiths; Jefferson Community College, Watertown; and North Country Community College, with campuses in Saranac Lake, Malone and Ticonderoga, all made the list of about 1,000 schools across the nation. The magazine started compiling the list this spring, looking at a school's programs and policies, financial assistance for active and veteran servicemen and women, recruiting successes and academic accreditation.

This is the first year the magazine has compiled the list.

"I'm old enough to remember that the military has not always been welcome on college campuses," Clarkson University President Anthony G. Collins said. "While I think the military has always been welcome at Clarkson, it's a small step to take to repay the debt that many of us feel we owe our servicemen and women."

The G.I. Jobs list, which profiles each college individually, includes information about class flexibility, support services and social outlets for military personnel, and what kinds of degrees are offered.

Each of the north country schools is approved by the National Association of Veterans Advisors as being flexible in helping veterans and other military finish their education.

"We are in such close proximity to Fort Drum — less than 10 minutes — and serving the needs of the military community has always been a priority of Jefferson Community College," JCC President Carole A. McCoy said in a statement. "I am proud of the many ways this institution helps our soldiers, veterans and family members pursue their educational goals when they have so admirably served our nation."

More than a third of JCC's students are active soldiers, family members, veterans, retired military or reservists.

At SUNY Canton, staff have been working for years on ways to improve the college for military personnel, including setting up a veterans lounge and training sessions for counseling staff about post traumatic stress disorder.

"I think the best thing we've been able to do is identify particular people," said Robert L. Edwards, a criminal-investigation professor and part of the SUNY Canton Veterans Association. "They've been very much under the radar. They're scattered all over the curricula. Our job is to identify them and assist them in any issue that gets in the way of their education."