WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Student Veterans of America (SVA) published a list of 26 for-profit institutions whose SVA charters had been revoked. The removal of SVA chapters resulted from a routine, annual review of all chapters. "SVA chapters must be established and led by student veterans. Student veteran organizations in development, or created by university administrators, defeats the fundamental spirit of the SVA chapter,” said Michael Dakduk, Executive Director of Student Veterans of America. "In addition to being a peer support group, SVA chapters exist as campus and community based advocacy organizations. It appears that some for-profit schools do not understand our model, or worse –they understand our model and they choose to exploit it for personal gain.” This is important because: 1) it defrauds veterans seeking advice from SVA’s student leaders; 2) it deters veterans who would otherwise form chapters at these campuses; 3) it misrepresents these chapters as being a point of contact for veterans seeking out their peers who can help them with transition issues and introduce them to a community of individuals that share similar experiences; 4) it undermines the legitimacy and reputation of SVA. Many military and veteran-friendly school lists cite having a SVA chapter as a criterion for becoming ‘veteran-friendly’. The term ‘military-friendly’, or ‘veteran-friendly’, as it relates to academic institutions is ill-defined. "I am concerned that certain for-profit schools may be taking advantage of the SVA brand to legitimize their programs. This may be an example of certain schools establishing fake SVA chapters to appear on a military-friendly list. By being featured on these lists, those schools can then advertise their programs as accommodating to veterans –although the term military and veteran friendly lacks any real definition. This is an extreme example of misrepresentation. There is a pattern of impropriety among certain for-profit institutions of higher learning.” Facts: 35 chapters at for-profit schools are currently under review with SVA, representing 8% of SVA’s chapter base. All chapters submit a statement of understanding – in part, it states the following: I attest that my organization is officially recognized as a student organization at an institution of higher education. I attest that my organization’s primary mission is aimed at the general welfare of student veterans who are enrolled or intend on enrolling at an institution of higher education. I give authority to SVA to verify my organization’s eligibility for chapter affiliation. I understand that SVA reserves the right to revoke chapter membership at any time. I also understand that my organization may remove our affiliation with SVA at any time. SCHOOL LIST OF REVOKED CHAPTERS ALLIED AMERICAN UNIVERSITY ANTHEM COLLEGE-ONLINE ARGOSY UNIVERSITY-ONLINE ARGOSY UNIVERSITY-SAN BERNARDINO ART INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA-ORANGE COUNTY ART INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA-SACRAMENTO ART INSTITUTE OF MICHIGAN ART INSTITUTE OF NEW YORK CITY ART INSTITUTE OF PITTSBURGH ART INSTITUTE OF PITTSBURGH-ONLINE ART INSTITUTE OF WASHINGTON ART INSTITUTES INTERNATIONAL-KANSAS CITY ASHWORTH COLLEGE BROWN MACKIE COLLEGE-AKRON DEVRY UNIVERSITY-ORLANDO SOUTH ECPI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY-INNSBROOK ECPI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY-RALEIGH ECPI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY-RICHMOND EX'PRESSION COLLEGE FOR DIGITAL ARTS FASHION INSTITUTE OF DESIGN & MERCHANDISING ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE-SOUTH BEND ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE-SPRINGFIELD ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE-STRONGSVILLE MEDICAL CAREERS INSTITUTE SOUTH UNIVERSITY-ALABAMA SOUTH UNIVERSITY-GEORGIA SVA Names For-Profit Schools with Revoked Charters - Student Veterans of America
Sorry to kill your fun TEKMAN, but neither Ashford nor University of Phoenix are among the chapters affiliated with SVA. I'll let you know when the piñatas are brought out.