Office of Military Services

Office of Military Services Mission Statement

The goal of this office is to provide academic support, develop and promote community campus-wide, and increase access to academic, financial, and personal resources for all active-duty, veteran, and military dependent students.

Coordinator

Jacqui Nelson, MA
Interim Coordinator of Military Services

I am a Plymouth alumna (‘09) as well as a graduate of Norwich University (‘11) with a degree in Military History. I have been teaching here as a lecturer since 2016, with courses ranging from a survey of War in US History, to specialized courses in the American Revolution, Civil War, World War II, the Cold War, and more.

With the help of former VP Marlin Collingwood, I started this office with the hope of providing greater support and resources to all our military students; from those actively serving, to those standing by in the reserves, to the discharged, to the families of all the above. We continuously strive to provide group bonding activities, community building opportunities, and more.

Whatever may arise, in your years here and beyond, I’ve got your six!

Green Zone

What is the “Green Zone”?

In 2010, modeled after the “Safe Zone” initiative, Virginia Commonwealth University started a study and program designed to help universities further meet the needs of their military students, and to also make their college campuses more veteran-friendly. They created “green zones” (a term designating a safe place for military personnel) throughout their campus to show military students where they could turn in times of trouble, as well as to show those servicemembers that their support network, whether they needed to access it or not, extended far beyond a singular liaison or resource office. In just its first year, their military students reported dramatic increases in their sense of belonging, and thus, the program has spread to college campuses all across the country.

Plymouth State faculty and staff who undergo training about the needs of military students display their Green Zone sticker on their doors, computers, water bottles, or other prominent place to show those students that they/their office represent a safe place to go with concerns, frustrations, celebrations, and more.