Mark Eister, Director of Georgia Perimeter College’s Military Outreach Center: Serving Those Who Have Served

Georgia Perimeter College (GPC) recognized that the transition from military life to college and civilian life can be extremely challenging for military and veteranstudents. Under the leadership and guidance of Director Mark Eister, the GPC Military Outreach Center(MOC) was established in May 2011 to make this transition as smooth and comfortable as possible so the veteran students can focus on achieving their educational and career goals.

Mark Eister’s extensive knowledge and experience in military and veteran issues have contributed greatly to the success of the MOC program with its mission toprovide student support services focused on the unique needs, requirements and challenges of today's active duty military, National Guard and Reserve, veterans, dependents, and survivors.

Under Mark Eister’s innovative leadership, the MOC facilitates the recruitment and admission of military and veteran students and their family members; actively engages all college departmentsand faculty in support of student veterans, and partners with local and nationalveteran and military affiliated organizations and agencies to obtain the varied assistance the students require.With student success as his goal, Markcreatively acquired donations for the MOC including grants, scholarships, MOC furnishings and IT equipment, books and other printed materials, as well as in-kind donations such as training sessions and professional workshops for student veterans.

GPC now maintains one of the largest military/veteran populations in the University System of Georgia and the Nation. The MOC expertly serves approximately 1,100 veterans, military and dependents each semester, guiding and supporting over 750 students who use VA benefits and hundreds more who are non-VA beneficiaries.

Services and Programs

Mark Eister’s knowledge, skills, and drive have placed the Military Outreach Center (MOC) on the leading edge of creating and applying innovative approaches and services to assist student veterans at Georgia Perimeter College. Mark creatively collaborated with the Department of Veteran Affairs and AmeriCorps to hire part-time military students who manage the MOC stations on the five GPC campuses, in addition to hiring a full-time coordinator of the MOC and part-time staff to support all campuses’ MOC activities. The MOC’s systems and programs are successful because of Mark and histeam of caring, genuine leaders who want to see our nation's heroes - GPC's student veterans - be successful in their educational endeavors and beyond.

Mark and his MOC team perform at an extremely high level in all aspects of their jobs. As new initiatives were employed throughout the past year, the MOC team always came together to ensure successful implementation thus enhancing student veteran success. Those new initiatives included:

  • Green Zone Program

Mark led the design and development of the Green Zone Program that educates staff and faculty on the challenges and issues facing student veterans. Green Zones are ‘safe spaces’ established and clearly identified across all GPC campuses indicating offices and classrooms where veterans know they will be heard, understood and assisted. Over 610 GPC staff and faculty members have participated in the Green Zone Program, providing GPC employees with the essential tools and resources to effectively serve military students.

Post-training survey results indicated that over 98% of the participants felt the Green Zone training provided them with a “better understanding of student veterans and their challenges”with 97%who felt “more confident and better equipped to assist veterans.”

The MOC expanded the service and support of student veterans across Georgia and the Nation by sharing and teaching the Green Zone Program and other Best Practicesat the regional Georgia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers(GACRAO) and national Council of College and Military Educators (CCME) conferences and various symposiums. The MOC also trained other USG schools on the merit and implementation of the Green Zone program and other veteran support initiatives.

  • The MVP (Mentoring Veterans Program) increases student success and retention by pairing over 30 first-term student veterans with Green Zone-trained staff and faculty members as personal Mentors throughout each semester. Both the Mentors and their veteran students overwhelming felt the program effectively supported and encouraged the students to succeed academically and to remain in college.
  • The CAV (Calling All Veterans) Campaigninvolved staff personally calling every student veteran on record during the semester, reaching out to nearly 1,100 students to answer their questions and offer them encouragement. Every student who was called expressed appreciation for the support, with many asking follow-on questions and requesting further advice and assistance The CAV Campaign actively supports GPC’s and the USG’s focus on student success, admission, retention, and graduation.

Military Scholarships

The GPC Military Outreach Center increased its military scholarship opportunities to six scholarships. The MOC engaged numerous community and veteran organizations to partner in support of GPC student veterans, resulting in the creation and perpetuation of the following military scholarships which are available to military, veterans, and/or their dependents:Military Outreach Scholarship, American Legion Harold Byrd Scholarship, VFW Post 10822 Scholarship, AVVBA Scholarship, Change4Georgia Scholarship, COL Robert Rogan Scholarship, and the most recent military scholarship entitled the Specialist Jamaal Addison Memorial Scholarship, created in memory of the first Georgian killed in the Iraq War and who also was a GPC student.

MOC Initiatives

  • Presented overviews of the Center’s initiatives, including the Green Zone Program, at all Staff and Faculty Development Days throughout the school year. Exceptional attendance and participation at these concurrent sessions were indicative of the interest and excitement the Military Outreach program has generated and fostered with staff and faculty at GPC.
  • Partnered with GPC Career Services to create ways to help military students discover the right career path and help them align their educational pursuits with their career goals. Participated in GPC Career Day by inviting industry professionals to determine employment and career opportunities for military/veteran students.
  • Collaborated with GPC Counseling Services to develop methods for serving military students, inclusive of their individual and unique needs or challenges.

One particular student insisted on speaking only with the veteran MOC staff concerning his depression and other issues. The student confided that his PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), which was a result of his combat duty, was causing him to seriously consider suicide. The MOC staff member talked with him at length, gained his trust and confidence, and ultimately sought assistance on the student’s behalf from an outside agency. The student was admitted for a full week of professional, in-patient treatment, resulting in the saving of this young man’s life who once again is an active, healthy, and energetic GPC student.

  • Collaborated with GPC staff and faculty to develop a First Year Experience course specifically tailored for the military student. This course will provide a proactive means to increase student success and retention rates by offering new veterans the tools they will need to succeed in college, as well as provide the camaraderie they grew accustomed to while serving in the military.
  • Provided the premier Center - a safe, accessible place - where student veterans and their dependents can meet, relax, study, and receive necessary support and services. The Center is complete with veterans lounge, computer lab, study area, meeting and conference space, training room, low-cost and free textbooks, free printing, and free snacks and drinks. GPC’s Military Outreach Center is viewed as a model veterans’ center, both locally and nationally.
  • Developed and expanded the SVA (Student Veterans Association). The MOC worked closely with this student-led organization, advising and directing its leadership to engage, support, and assist student veterans on all campuses. The MOC and SVA increased student involvement by organizing and hosting numerous events throughout the year, to include End-of-Semester Celebration Luncheons, Veterans’ Day Luncheon, Scholarship Reception, Hire Heroes Career Guidance Workshops, and weekly SVA gatherings and meetings.
  • Provided consistent MOC and SVA presence at all Open House and Orientation Events on all five GPC campuses, resulting in the assistance to scores of new military students, prospective students, and family members.
  • Developed partnerships with numerous organizations in order to increase direct and indirect support of current and prospective GPC student veterans, to include: Department of Veterans Affairs, Georgia Department of Labor, US Department of Labor, VA Vet Centers, GDVS (Georgia Department of Veterans Services), SVA (Student Veterans of America), BOR Military Affairs/Soldiers2Scholars, VetBuds, AVVBA (Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association), VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), American Legion, BestWork Data, Safe America Foundation, IMPACT Group, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo, Costco, UPS, The Home Depot, Fastenal, US Army, US Marine Corps, US Air Force, US Navy, US Coast Guard, IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America), DeKalb County Veterans Affairs, Fresh Market Stores, Blumsack Family Chiropractic, Hire Heroes, and ACP (American Corporate Partners).
  • Mark’s recent collaboration with the CCAF (Community College of the Air Force) offered an online solution for the US Air Force. Upon enlistment into the Air Force, airmen are enrolled automatically in CCAF. As the airmen move through their various technical schools relating to their military specialty, their training is applied toward a two-year degree. However, the airmen must complete a common core of courses that their military training does not cover. The airmen now obtain those required courses through GPC’s Online program so the airmen can receive their associate degree.
  • Ensured continuance of Yellow Ribbon Program so that out-of-state GPC veterans could attend GPC at in-state tuition rates, providing the opportunity for many more veterans using VA benefits to attend Georgia Perimeter.
  • The US Army changed its Tuition Assistance policy, requiring Army, National Guard, and Reserve soldiers to wait 12 months after their initial military training before receiving funding to cover tuition expenses. This policy change meant that many soldiers would not be able to attend college without reasonable tuition options. Therefore, Mark and his team visited numerous active duty, Guard and Reserve military installations across the State to present the affordable option of attending Georgia Perimeter College.
  • Mark and the MOC staff traveled to over 20 different military bases from Georgia to Texas, visiting prospective students and Military Education and Training Officers. By offering a highly polished presentation of Georgia Perimeter College, the University System of Georgia, and the many benefits that GPC’s Military Outreach Center has to offer military students, many military advisors and service members were convinced that GPC was the college of choice for military members and their families.
  • Mark worked closely with GPC’s Marketing and Communications Department to develop unique and professional materials to distribute to military-related students across the state and the nation.
  • Collaborated with the SVA to develop a robust social media presence via Facebook and worked with GPC’s IT Department to create an effective, streamlined means of communicating with student veterans via email and text messaging.
  • MOC honored graduating GPC student veterans by presenting them with red/white/blue honor cords at GPC’s Commencement Ceremony in addition to a commemorative Military Outreach Coin and letter as a special congratulations and ‘Thank You’ for their Service to the Nation.

Awards and Recognition

  • Mark Eister and the Military Outreach Center won the Georgia Perimeter College 2013 Student Success Award. Through their superb program of counseling and advising, the MOC demonstrated outstanding leadership while guiding student veterans towards academic success. Whether directing a student to the Tutoring Center due to difficulties in Math, contacting the Department of Veterans Affairs on their behalf to work through a VA benefits issue, or working to resolve a misunderstanding with a professor, Mark and the MOC team always went above and beyond to serve and assist the students.
  • The Military Outreach Center was selected as a Finalist for GPC’s 2013 Leadership Award. Not only did the Military Outreach Center receive numerous ratings of 'Excellent' on Customer Service Surveys throughout school year, but they also received 'zero' negative comments. The Staff was frequently thanked by students for the excellent service and attention they received while assisting and caring for their needs and concerns. Mark and the MOC always reflect highly on GPC and the local community, demonstrating a truly professional image of the College in every way.
  • The MOC was selected by Military Times ‘Best For Vets’ for 2013-2014 as sixth in the Nation for two-year colleges, a distinction earned by GPC’s Military Outreach Center Team for the outstanding services and support it provided to its military and veteran students.
  • For the third year in a row, the MOC met the rigorous criteria to have Georgia Perimeter College selected by Victory Media as a “Military Friendly School.” This distinction placed GPC in the top 15% of schools in the Nation serving military and veteran students and their family members.
  • GPC earned ‘Top Military Friendly Institution’ honors by Military Advanced Education (MAE) of KMI MediaGroup, thanks to the MOC’s support of student veterans during the 2013-2014 school year.
  • Mark Eister is recognized as a leader for his cultivation of significant relationships within the community, which serve to advance and improve the educational opportunities and success of GPC student veterans. Mark and the MOC were featured in numerous articles and publications, to include Military Times, Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Dunwoody Patch and others, for its community involvement and its innovative and proactive approaches to serving and assisting military students and their family members at GPC.
  • GPC’s Military Outreach Program has become regionally and nationally recognized as a leader in student veteran services. In the last year,Mark Eister and the MOC worked closely with the USG Military Affairs Department, other USG colleges and universities, and numerous schools across the country, assisting them with launching and/or implementing their own Military/Veteran Outreach Programs.

Mark Eister’s passion for serving veteran students and unwavering leadership have positioned Georgia Perimeter College’s Military Outreach Center as a leader in the University System of Georgia, the State, and in the Nation, going above and beyond in serving the needs of military veterans everywhere and supporting the Complete College focus on retention and graduation. Exemplifying service excellence in all actions and interactions, Director Mark Eister and the GPC Military Outreach Centerare making a positive and real difference in the lives of countless military and veteran students by serving those who have served.