SIUE Adds Veterans National Honor Society
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is adding SALUTE, the only national honor society dedicated to recognizing and honoring military and veteran students for their service and outstanding academic performance: Service – Academics – Leadership – Unity – Tribute – Excellence.
The program is made possible by a grant from the American Council on Education/Walmart Foundation.
Students inducted into SALUTE represent every slice of American military and veterans in higher education, at two- and four-year institutions. The honor society includes a four-tier system designed to encourage student veterans to improve their grade point average.
Membership in SALUTE signifies service, academic excellence and a commitment to high principles and superior lifetime achievements. Students selected for membership either can become part of a locally organized chapter or the national chapter.
“SIUE is a leader in working with veterans, current military students and their families in providing veteran benefit assistance to support them in advancing their educational careers,” said Kevin Wathen, SIUE director of veteran services and SALUTE coordinator. “I am excited that our military students have a special opportunity to be honored for their service and academic success.”
Local chapters, while connected to SALUTE national, may be organized in the manner preferred by their institution. They may participate in service to their community, serve as leaders at their institution, participate in activism and other activities reflecting the core values of SALUTE. Each institution determines how to use SALUTE to best meet the needs of its student veterans and their community. This approach allows hundreds of military and veteran students to positively engage and be honored annually across the country.
Students selected for recognition through SALUTE will receive a certificate and military-style challenge coin commemorating the individual’s membership in SALUTE, and their specific level of academic achievement, as well as, opportunities to network and give or get assistance to fellow members or veterans.
SALUTE provides accredited institutions a way to recognize and honor their student veterans as well as help provide for their success on and off-campus. SIUE will be inducting its first SALUTE members at a later date to be determined.
For more information, contact Kevin Wathen at 618-650-3169 or kwathen@siue.edu.
Contact the SALUTE National office at SALUTE_National@mail.colostate.edu or call 970-491-3909. Visit the SALUTE website at salute.colostate.edu.
