College of Business named among best in the nation for veterans
Kim Chaudoin |
Lipscomb University’s College of Business has been ranked in the top 25 in the nation in the Military Times’ 2013 Best for Vets: Business Schools rankings.
Lipscomb’s College of Business is ranked 24th out of 62 in the nation above graduate business programs at institutions such as Syracuse University, University of Kentucky, University of Wisconsin, University of California-Berkley, University of Alabama and Indiana University.
“Veterans have proven leadership skills as they have led troops into battle. Those same leadership traits also make them especially equipped to lead businesses successfully,” said Turney Stevens, dean of the Lipscomb University College of Business. “Through our business programs, we are helping refine these skills and give them the tools they need to make the transition from the battlefield to the boardroom.”
Business schools were ranked based on their academic policies, financial aid, academic and career support and average GMAT scores among other criteria, including participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
“I do not think you will find many colleges of business with two faculty who, combined, have over 40 years of active duty military experience with multiple worldwide deployments, another faculty member who is a Vietnam veteran and several adjuncts with honorable military service. This combined with Lipscomb’s culture and tradition to serve all who enter our classrooms makes this a very supportive environment,” said Ray Eldridge, professor of management and a career U.S. Army officer.
Lipscomb University offers a variety of programs and services for veterans. Veterans who qualify for 100 percent of the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are able to earn a graduate business degree — a Master of Business Administration, Master of Accountancy or Master of Human Resources — tuition-free. The university has also committed to allocate the necessary funds to allow them to earn a tuition-free undergraduate degree through the Yellow Ribbon Enhancement Program, and offers qualifying student veterans a variety of graduate degrees tuition-free or at a greatly reduced tuition rate.
Since its inception in fall 2009, Lipscomb’s Yellow Ribbon Enhancement Program has grown from 20 original participants to more than 150 veterans enrolled this spring. Students have performed well academically with 71 percent of currently enrolled student veterans maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA, with 13 percent of those maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA.
“Our veterans know that freedom isn’t free, but we think their education should be. At Lipscomb we have a very unique opportunity to help open doors for our veterans through higher education,” said Jim Humphrey, assistant dean of campus life and director of veterans services at Lipscomb.
For more information about Lipscomb University’s Yellow Ribbon Enhancement Program, call 615.966.5176 or visit veterans.lipscomb.edu.