Jacob Leapley, left, Nicholus Steward, Joseph Brown and a volunteer are busy assembling new furniture in the CSM Veterans Lounge
La Plata, MD – Renovations to the College of Southern Maryland’s Veterans Lounge at the La Plata Campus have been completed, and CSM is anxious to show off the new space to the community. An open house will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 9.
The lounge is located in the Learning Resource Center (LR Building), Room 103.
The space for veterans was dedicated a year ago, after members of CSM’s Veterans Organization worked to find a space on campus where students who are active-duty or who have served in the military could gather, connect with other veterans on campus and study. Soon after the opening, the college learned it would receive a $9,122 grant from the Student Veterans of America and The Home Depot Foundation through the Vet Center Initiative. The program was established to assist student groups with rebuilding, refurbishing or renovating veteran resource centers on college campuses.
Renovations to the CSM lounge took place during the summer. Besides new paint, ceiling tiles and light fixtures, the space has new furniture, including chairs, a refrigerator, a microwave, a television, file cabinets and bookshelves. Computers line one wall for use by the students.
CSM earned the 2016 Military Friendly School Designation from Victory Media for supporting student vets and their spouses who are transitioning from the military to the civilian workforce. The college is approved by the VA and the Maryland Higher Education Commission, so that eligible veterans, military members and certain dependents of veterans can receive VA educational benefits for credit certificate and associate degree programs as well as some workforce development programs. CSM’s outreach includes a student veterans club, which is a chapter of Student Veterans Association, a non-profit coalition of more than 700 student veteran organizations on college campuses around the world.
For more information on the services and support CSM offers to veterans and members of the military, visit http://www.csmd.edu/student-services/veteran-military-support-services/.
The CSM veterans affair coordinator sees walk-in students from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays in Building A, Room 101F at the Prince Frederick Campus located at 115 J.W. Williams Road; 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays at the Lobby Express Counter in the Administration (AD) Building at the La Plata Campus located at 8730 Mitchell Road; and 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. Thursdays in Building B, Room 217 at the Leonardtown Campus located at 22950 Hollywood Road.
For more information contact CSM veterans affairs coordinator, Robert Henry at veteransbenefits@csmd.edu or 301-934-7656.