Our History:
At the conclusion of WWII in 1945, Portland, Oregon experienced a wake of returning veterans. This resulted in a demand for a more efficiently trained workforce through greater opportunities in higher education—the Vanport Extension Center. Portland State University (PSU) grew from the convergence of the WWII GI Bill® and continues to grow with the Post 9/11 GI Bill®.
Our Mission:
The mission of the Veterans Resource Center (VRC) is to connect student veterans, service members and their families with a variety of services specific to their individual needs, support the transition “from rucksack to backpack,” and to help them to connect with one another. The VRC also provides service to faculty and administrators who seek to better understand the unique cultural differences found in the student veteran community and how we can all work together cohesively and respectfully for the success of the PSU community.
The vision of the Veterans Resource Center is to cultivate an environment within the VRC that is inclusive and engaging for student veterans, active duty members, dependents, women, non-veterans, LGBTQIA+, and people of various backgrounds and abilities.
Values:
Collaboration: Seeking and building partnerships with existing campus services and community organizations to create an extensive network of support for Veterans, Service Members, and their families.
Academic Success: Providing support to Veterans and Service Members during the stressful transition from military life to student/civilian life, while maintaining focus on their educational goals.
Retention: Supporting students, faculty, and staff in the pursuit of accessing full institutional benefits.
Empowerment: Helping Veterans explore and utilize leadership and critical thinking skills by applying them to their academic studies.
Social Justice: Increasing the awareness, knowledge, and skills of faculty, administration, and the traditional student community by addressing the issues which transitioning Veterans commonly encounter.