New Fall seminar series on: "Envisioning Peace: Peace-Building, Peace-Keeping and Nonviolent Citizen Action"
Beyond the Classroom is offering a new thematic seminar series (offered for credit as UNIV 399E) on "Envisioning Peace: Peace-building, Peace-Keeping and Nonviolent Citizen Action" for fall 2008 to complement campus-wide discussion of the First Year Book "War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning" written by Pulitzer Prize winning author Chris Hedges. Students will explore what are the key factors that shape the possibilities for successful citizen initiatives to foster and to sustain peace based on experiences from around the world at the community, national, and international levels through a semester-long speaker and documentary film series.
What is "peace" and how do leaders set the frame and vision for achieving peace in conflicted communities? How can citizens advance nonviolent and peaceful change at the individual and collective levels? What are the lessons for effective civic leadership to foster and to sustain peace today? The course will look at the role of United Nations peace-keepers, the peace process in Aceh, Indonesia following the Tsunami, and roles of truth and reconciliation commissions in advancing justice and fostering peace around the world. Specifically, the course will examine the lessons for effective leadership in envisioning and fostering peace by drawing directly on the perspectives of leading nonprofit and civil society activists, development professionals, and military officials through documentary films and formal presentations of successful initiatives for fostering peace at the local, national, and global levels.
Upcoming Seminars include:
- Monday, September 8: Presentation of the documentary "Why We Fight," Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival (2005)
- Monday, September 15: Seminar on "Peace-Building in Aceh, Indonesia after the Tsunami" with Michael Beer, Director of Nonviolence International, and Dr. Asna Husin, Director of the Peace Education Program in Aceh, Indonesia. Interested students may enroll for the course, UNIV399E (one credit), which will be offered Monday evenings from 7:00-9:00 pm, Fall Semester 2008 in the Seminar Room, 1102 South Campus Commons, Building 1. For information, please see: http://www.beyondtheclassroom.umd.edu/overviewbtc.html
Edward T. Conroy Scholarship application due press release
Disabled veterans and spouses can also qualify under MHEC financial aid program
(Annapolis, MD) July 1, 2008 – The deadline for the Edward T. Conroy Memorial Scholarship is July 15, 2008. This scholarship, administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, is available to the sons and daughters of members of the United States armed forces who died as a result of military service or who suffered a service-connected disability of 25 percent or greater as a result of military service and to POW/MIAs of the Vietnam War and their sons and daughters.
Those also eligible for the scholarship include sons and daughters and serving spouses (who have not remarried) of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, sons, daughters and surviving spouses (who have not remarried) of State or local public safety employees or volunteers who died in the line of duty or who sustained an injury in the line of duty that rendered the public safety employee or volunteer 100 percent disabled, and State or local public safety employees or volunteers who became 100 percent disabled in the line of duty.
The late Maryland State Senator Edward T. Conroy was a dedicated Korean War veteran who spent 20 years in Prince George's County politics. During his career in public service, Senator Conroy was devoted to veterans' issues. He served as both a state and national commander of the Disabled American Veterans and introduced numerous bills supporting veterans during his career in the General Assembly.
"I am pleased MHEC has the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of fallen soldiers' loved ones through this scholarship," Higher Education Secretary James E. Lyons, Sr., said. "It is devastating to lose a father or mother who gave the greatest sacrifice either through death or disability. The O'Malley-Brown administration has achieved an outstanding record of supporting our veterans and public safety workers during their 16 months in office, and I am sure they share my sentiments regarding the importance of the Senator Edward T. Conroy Scholarship."
To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must enroll for at least six credits each semester in a degree-seeking undergraduate or undergraduate program at a college or university, or a private career school in Maryland. More detailed program information and an application are available on the MHEC website, www.MDgo4it.org. Complete applications must be received at MHEC by July 15, 2008. Interested applicants can also contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance at (410) 260-4565 or (800) 974-1024.
The Maryland Higher Education Commission is a 12-member coordinating board responsible for establishing statewide policies for Maryland public and independent colleges and universities and private career schools. It distributes nearly $110 million in scholarships and grants to more than 58,000 students per year.
Integrity in Science Conference
Gilbert Shilts is looking for people who want to be involved in the Integrity in Science Conference. If you are interested e-mail him at gilshilts7065@htomail.com
The agenda is now available for the Center for Science in the Public Interest's fourth national Integrity in Science Conference at http://cspinet.org/integrity/conflictedscience_conf.html. Rejuvenating Public Sector Science will be held July 11, 2008, 9 am - 5:30 pm. at the Ronald Reagan International Center in Washington, DC. Join us in throwing a spotlight on the need for increased science funding, more independent regulatory science, and the need to protect public sector scientists from political meddling and corporate influence. Sessions will include focusing government research on the climate crisis, protecting and empowering scientists at federal agencies, insulating clean energy research from special interests, protecting endangered species, and reducing conflicts of interest on federal advisory committees. Registration rates are $200 before May 31 and $250 after, or $99 before May 31 and $109 after for non-profits, educational institutions, and government agencies. Special rate of $30 for students. For more information and to register, visit our website at http://cspinet.org/integrity/conflictedscience_conf.html
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Military.com Career Fair, June 11th
Top companies in health care, real estate, hospitality, banking, marketing, sales and more are looking to hire veterans and transitioning servicemembers. Increase your opportunity to land a job with great pay and benefits by attending one of the fairs. http://www.nationalcareerfairs.com/career_fairs/et-Military%20Veteran%20Career%20Fair/
Fund For Veterans Education has 3.5 million dollars available for this next year in scholarships. Even better, is that this money is available strictly for veterans. All you need to do is apply at www.veteransfund.org.
Veterans Benefit Expiration Dates
Many of your benefits have an expiration date. Below are a few important ones to remember so you don't lose out.
Tuition Assistance: $4,500 a year that expires as soon as you transition from Active Duty.
Montgomery GI Bill for Active-Duty (MGIB): 10 years from date of last discharge or release from active duty.
Veterans Education Assistance Program (VEAP): 10 years from date of last discharge or release from active duty.
Montgomery GI Bill for Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR): 14 years from the date of eligibility for the program, or until released from the Selected Reserve or National Guard. Some extensions available if activated.
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VocRehab): Generally, 12 years of separation from service or within 12 years of being awarded service-connected VA disability compensation.
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI): Coverage ends 120 days after separation or can be extended up to 1 year for totally disabled veterans.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reaching out to America's growing population of women veterans, announced Dr. James B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs March 27, 2008. Through its Center for Women Veterans and the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Women Veterans, the VA is expanding ways it serves women veterans, which now number 1.7 million.
The Secretary announced initiatives that specifically reach out to women, including the VA's Fourth National Summit on Women Veterans Issues, June 20-22 in Washington, DC, (LINK TO EVENTS) which features sessions that address military sexual trauma and readjustment issues. Other VA initiatives include: enhancing skills of primary care providers who treat women veterans; examining other women's health issues, including cardiac care, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer; and focusing on family issues. Additionally, the VA is reaching out to those experiencing problems related to sexual trauma or harassment suffered while in the military. The VA also offers programs for homeless women veterans or women veterans who are victims of domestic violence.
The VA operates 50 Women's Health Centers, located within medical centers and served by the VA's women veterans program managers and liaisons. For more information about VA health care services, contact your local VA center or call 877-222-8387. For benefit information, call 800-827-1000 or visit the VA Web site at http://www.va.gov.
Its official, DD-214's are NOW Online.
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214's online: http://vetrecs.archives.gov/
This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his DD-214 for employment purposes. NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files. Military vetera ns and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents. Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard Form 180, which can be downloaded from the online web site. Because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized. The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records centers mailroom and processing time.
Please pass this information on to former military personnel you may know and their dependents.
Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities
Newswise — The year 2007 was the most violent for American troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The number of military personnel wounded in the war on terror is now nearly 40,000. For many of these Americans, traditional employment may represent a lifelong challenge.
Throughout American history, entrepreneurship has been a means for veterans to make a way for themselves and their families, and to re-engage the economic engine of their communities and ultimately the nation. Business ownership offers veterans the opportunity to “own their futures” while also offering the flexibility to accommodate the unique challenges associated with a service-connected disability.
Building on an innovative program created in 2007 by Syracuse University to expand the reach of educational programs in entrepreneurship available to veterans, the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University will lead a nationwide partnership with UCLA Anderson School of Management, Mays Business School at Texas A&M University and Florida State University’s College of Business to offer cutting-edge training in entrepreneurship and small business management to veterans with disabilities. This consortium represents one of the first, significant partnerships since WWII among some of the country’s most prestigious business schools focused specifically on opening the doors of America’s colleges and universities to veterans motivated by business ownership.
The consortium is an extension of SU’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) program, first offered in summer 2007 at SU, which enrolled 20 veterans with disabilities. The EBV integrates world-class faculty, entrepreneurs, disability experts and business professionals in an educational program focused on training veterans in the competencies associated with small business ownership.
“Syracuse University and the Whitman School are proud to lead this new nationwide partnership,” says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “By expanding our innovative Bootcamp program across the nation, we will provide disabled men and women who have served abroad the resources and training to help them follow and pursue their dreams as they rejoin their communities at home.”
The four-university EBV partnership will dramatically expand the ability to offer this valuable program to veterans with disabilities. At all four institutions, the EBV curriculum will be standardized, ensuring that all participants receive a consistent, high-quality experience.
“This consortium is an important and meaningful extension of the EBV program offered at the Whitman School and is the only academic partnership of its kind aimed at this unique group of American citizens,” says Melvin T. Stith, dean of the Whitman School of Management and a former U.S. Army captain. “On behalf of all of the four participating national universities, we are proud that institutes of higher education are stepping in to fill what is clearly a void for these veterans.”
The EBV program is offered in three phases. Phase I is a self-study session in which the veterans complete courses through online discussions moderated by university faculty. Phase II requires that participants travel to their participating EBV university, where they will become immersed in a nine-day residency, learning to develop their own business concepts and understanding the basic elements of small business management. Phase III involves 12 months of ongoing support and mentorship provided to the veterans from the faculty experts at the EBV universities. Throughout the EBV experience, students engage in experimental workshops to write business plans, raise capital, attract customers, and develop a marketing strategy that is most effective for their business model.
The program is entirely free to the veterans, including travel and accommodations.
“By offering veterans with disabilities the tools to create and grow their own businesses, we are helping them fight yet another battle—the battle for their own economic freedom,” says Mike Haynie, assistant professor of entrepreneurship in the Whitman School, creator of the EBV and a former U.S. Air Force major. “There is, perhaps, no better way to thank them for their extraordinary service than to demonstrate our confidence in their bright futures.”
Applications for the EBV are accepted on a rolling admissions basis, which means application for the program is always open. Early application is encouraged. To create disability-related curriculum and assist participants in understanding and leveraging programs at the intersection of disability and entrepreneurship, the EBV is offered in collaboration with SU’s Burton Blatt Institute, which seeks to advances the civic, economic and social participation of persons with disabilities.
To apply, or for more information, visit http://whitman.syr.edu/ebv or contact the Dean’s Office in the Whitman School of Management at (315) 443-8736 or EBVinfo@syr.edu.
Please direct questions and comments to www.thestamp.umd.edu/feedback