Northern Michigan University has been named a 2016 Military Friendly School by Victory Media. This is NMU’s seventh consecutive appearance on the list. The designation honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide that are “doing the most to embrace military students and dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation.”

Educational institutions complete an extensive survey covering 10 indicators of success, including support for student veterans on campus, graduation and employment outcomes, and military spouse policies.

Mike Rutledge is stationed at NMU as a full-time veterans resource representative to help individuals on campus and in the community take advantage of all benefits available to them due to their military service. He was recently honored for his exemplary service with a Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency coin presented by MVAA director Jeff Barnes. Rutledge serves as the staff adviser for NMU’s new Student Veterans Association and plans many veteran-friendly activities such as veterans’ nights at hockey games and the commemoration of Veterans’ Day at a Wildcat football game. There also is a veterans’ lounge in the same building where his office is located.

Victory Media is a service-disabled, veteran-owned business whose Military Friendly designation rates companies and colleges on their programs to recruit and retain veterans and military spouses. In addition to the 2016 Victory Media honor, NMU was the only school in the Upper Peninsula to achieve gold-level status from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency for supporting the academic and transitional needs of student veterans. 

For more information on NMU’s veteran services and benefits, visit www.nmu.edu/veterans. For background on the Military Friendly rankings, visit www.militaryfriendly.com.