The University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) has been recognized by Military Times as Best for Vets, for its exceptional service to veterans, military service members, and their families.
According to Military Times, “Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges is the largest and most comprehensive rankings of schools for military service members and veterans.” The rankings are “based on survey responses from schools as well as public data about colleges and universities obtained from the Department of Education and Department of Veterans Affairs.”
For the Military Times Best for Vets ranking, institutions were evaluated in four categories: academic and financial aid information, admissions and registration information, and military resources at the institution and tracking student success.
“UMA’s faculty and staff are dedicated to maintaining a welcoming community for all,” stated UMA Interim President Joseph Szakas. “Receiving this recognition confirms our commitment to providing educational opportunities to military service members and veterans that began in 1965 and continues to this day,” Szakas continued.
“We are very pleased to receive this recognition by Military Times again this year,” said Amy Line, UMA Director of Military and Veterans’ Services. “Our support for military service members and veterans, and their families begins when they apply and continues until they successfully complete their degree program.”
Line, a Navy veteran, UMA alum, and adjunct faculty member, was honored earlier this year at the annual Maine Military Community Network conference with a Quilt of Valor for her long service to MMCN and to Maine veterans.
“UMA’s faculty and staff are dedicated to maintaining a welcoming community for all. Receiving this recognition confirms our commitment to providing educational opportunities to military service members and veterans that began in 1965 and continues to this day.”
— UMA Interim President Joseph Szakas
Since its founding in 2003, the Quilts of Valor Foundation has awarded quilts to over 300,000 veterans nationwide. Line’s quilt was one of 2,000 awarded in Maine alone. The mission of Quilts of Valor is to make quality quilts that say, ‘Thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor in serving our nation.’ Awardees must be nominated and the quilts are made to provide comfort and healing to the nation’s veterans.
Jerry DeWitt, Aide de camp for Governor Janet Mills, presented the quilt to Line at the 10th annual MMCN conference in Lewiston, Maine earlier this year for her many years of service to veterans and her leadership of MMCN regional councils. “It was unexpected and quite an honor,” stated Line, who sits on the MMCN planning committee.
Leo Porter, retired US Navy service member, UMA BS Cybersecurity Alum and current student in the Master’s in Cybersecurity summed up his experience at UMA. “UMA is not a large campus but going back to school after military service can be overwhelming. I credit my success at UMA to the Veterans Academic Center and to the support the department provides to our military, veterans, and family members attending classes both on campus and at a distance.”
UMA’s class schedule provides flexibility for students who are employed and/or meeting family obligations and offers a variety of courses modes–in person, online, and high-flex options such as delayed viewing. Additionally, UMA provides many degree areas that military service members and veterans are seeking, including business administration, cybersecurity, computer information systems, and medical fields to name a few.
Upcoming Veterans Day Activities at UMA
- Tuesday Nov. 8, 10 am., HHRC Rotunda Klahr Center, Augusta Campus
Book reading and signing featuring Ryan Stovall, UMaine alum, former Green Beret, two-time Purple Heart recipient and author of “Black Snowflakes Smothering a Torch: How to Talk to Your Veteran.” - Wednesday, Nov. 9, 12-1 pm, Randall Student Center
Grab-n-Go free lunch for Veterans. - Thursday, Nov. 10, 11 am, Katz Library
Veterans’ cake and ice cream social with Maine Career Center - Friday, Nov. 11 – Veterans Day recognized at all UMA locations; no classes and offices closed.
About UMA
UMA transforms the lives of students of every age and background across the State of Maine and beyond through access to high-quality distance and on-site education, excellence in student support, civic engagement, and professional and liberal arts programs.
About Military Times
MilitaryTimes.com is a part of the Sightline Media Group, formerly known as the Army Times Publishing Company, which first published Army Times in 1940. Throughout its history, the company has a strong heritage and tradition of meeting the highest standards of independent journalism and has expanded with publications serving all branches of the U.S. military, the global defense community, the U.S. federal government, and several special interest, defense-oriented industry sectors.