The Daily Bulletin Archive

At its November 8, 2013, meeting, the College Senate voted to recommend to the president that priority registration for military members, veterans, and their dependents be granted as indicated by the following resolution: 

Proposed Resolution on Granting Priority Registration for Military Members, Veterans, and Their Dependents using Military Benefits
Revised for November 2013 Senate Meeting

WHEREAS, members of the military provide important services to our country that are recognized and appreciated by the SUNY Buffalo State community; and

WHEREAS, President Obama issued Executive Order 13607 “to ensure that federal military and veterans educational benefits programs are providing service members, veterans, spouses, and other family members with the information, support, and protections they deserve”; and

WHEREAS, SUNY Buffalo State has been recognized as a Military Friendly School, in the top 20 percent of schools nationwide for its efforts to support military members, veterans, and their dependents, and is engaging in further efforts to recruit military members and veterans as students; and

WHEREAS, colleges and universities across the country are extending priority registration to military members, veterans, and their dependents using educational benefits; and

WHEREAS, members of the military and veterans serving in the National Guard or the Reserves often have involuntary scheduling obligations, such as required training and assisting with disaster relief, that may conflict with the timing of certain classes; and

WHEREAS, military members, veterans, and their dependents who are using educational benefits from the Montgomery GI Bill, Post 9/11 GI Bill, and Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) have a limited amount of entitlement to use (36 months), and students receiving Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) are restricted to 45 months of entitlement to apply toward their degree completion; and

WHEREAS, military benefits cover only coursework for students’ majors, requiring them to get into those courses in a timely manner,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that military members, veterans, and their dependents who are using educational benefits receive priority registration in order to help them complete their degree requirements during the time period in which they receive benefits as well as to help accommodate their scheduling constraints; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that students who are active military members, including students in ROTC and the Reserves, receive priority registration to help accommodate their scheduling constraints.

I accept the recommendation of the College Senate and hereby authorize revisions to college policies to provide priority registration for military members, veterans, and their dependents effective with the class registration window for summer 2014. I charge the provost with the responsibility for overseeing the implementation of this policy change, updating all college documentation and advising appropriate faculty, staff, and students.