Veterans will soon have one place to go for all of their needs.
An unfunded state mandate, put into action in August, requires all universities in Illinois to create a position to help coordinate the veterans on campuses.
Interim Provost Don Rice said the only thing the state has really required out of the position is that it exists.
“I think the first person in this position is going to help create what that position is going to do,” Rice said. “The state wants a veteran to fill that roll, but they haven’t detailed what that person should do. I think it’s going to vary from university to university depending what you already have in place.”
Rice said the position would initially be an extra help position, but it would eventually become a permanent position.
Larry Dietz, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the state has mandated that someone be in the position by Nov. 1, so an interim would be selected by then before a search begins for someone to fill the position permanently.
“We’re thinking about bringing in someone on an extra help assignment to be able to comply with the legislative mandate, and then do a search shortly there after,” Dietz said.
Dietz said he would meet with Rice today to discuss what they would like to do with the position.
An extra help position means someone can be appointed to the position, but they have a maximum of 900 hours they can work before they have to step down from that role. After that, someone else can be appointed as extra help, or the position can be transformed into a permanent position.
Peter Gitau, dean of students, said Chris Piha, a senior from Carol Stream studying history, has unofficially filled the position as a student worker.
“Because it’s going to be a full-time position, you can expect an enhancement of that coordinating role,” Gitau said. “There will be higher expectations. There will be a role in which this person is coordinating different offices that are serving vets.”
Gitau said a search committee would be formed in the coming weeks, and he hopes for the position to be filled by January.
Rice said Piha could be one of the potential candidates to fill the position because of the work he has already done.
“He knows that there are some things they need to know how to get to,” Rice said. “They need to deal with housing, they need to know how to deal with financial aid.”
But in Gitau’s talks with Piha, he said Piha does not feel as though he is entitled to the position.
“He said that he would want to make sure that the best person for this position gets it,” Gitau said. “It’s great to know that we have at least one viable candidate, because once you cut the net you don’t know who’s going to come here.”
Gitau said having Piha as a candidate is a relief, because while many searches yield a good number of quality candidates, others bring in almost none that are qualified.
Rice said the person who takes the position would report to Gitau, and a veteran would fill it.
Rice said, because the position is not being funded by the state, it would come out of either his or Dietz’s budget.
“He and I are flipping coins for who has to pay for it,” Rice said.
Rice said he thinks the position would be vital in helping to assist veterans making the transition to college.
“It will be nice to have somebody to coordinate for vets who are coming in, coordinate their abilities to maneuver and get where they need to go,” Rice said.
Piha said he was not allowed to comment because of his candidacy for the position.
Stile Smith can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 259 or sts34@siu.edu
