As Wichita State develops into a more diverse university, WSU President John Bardo wants to make sure one student group isn’t left out.  

Bardo sat down with military veterans Monday afternoon to learn how the university can better serve them.

“Diversity is more than race; diversity is more than sexual orientation,” Bardo said. “We are trying to get our heads around that.”

About 20 students and several faculty members attended the forum.  

Bardo said that WSU does a good job of reaching traditional students in the 18-22 year age range, but the university is failing to connect with non-traditional students.

“We’ve been focused so narrowly, and I don’t think it’s very useful to us as a university,” Bardo said.

With the growing population of veterans in the nation and at WSU, the veteran’s center on campus in Lindquist Hall has grown, and several of the veterans voiced their desire for a bigger veteran’s lounge on campus.

“Our membership has gone through the roof this year,” one veteran said, which has resulted in the need for more space.

One of the main issues Bardo wanted to address was how the university could immediately identify veterans from the enrollment process and guide them toward the right people and resources.

“How do we get the information to them?” Bardo said.

Several of the veterans acknowledged that institutions have a hard time reaching veterans because “Veterans only listen to other veterans.”

Bardo said that he wanted to have someone who can help veterans take their military experience and apply that to their education.

Several comments and ideas were suggested including having a former veteran employed to assist the students who have military experience.

“I like the idea of having someone who is truly a veteran educator,” Bardo said.

Veterans with military leadership role experience discussed with Bardo about how the university could help them apply those skills to their careers.

Several of the veterans said few of their military credits transferred to WSU and the ones that did transferred as electives or arts.

Another issue addressed affordable childcare for all students, not just veterans, and faculty.

Veteran Army Sgt. Cody Herrin said the cost of childcare can be hard to manage on top of college tuition.

“That’s a huge challenge that’s nearly made me leave,” Herrin said.

Bardo said more affordable childcare is an issue that the college is trying to solve.  

“Childcare is more expensive than college tuition,” Bardo said

Bardo said WSU’s Child Development Center on campus is full and there is a waiting list, but he is hoping a solution to the issue can be found without creating too much financial burden on students.

Herrin said he was pleased with Bardo’s reception of their ideas and his genuine concern for the needs of the veterans.

“He’s so receptive to feedback,” Herrin said.  “He’s definitely interested and his actions tell us that he’s interested in making it a better process and improving the university.”

Jared Smith, who is in the Army Reserves and president of the Student Veteran’s Organization, said he hopes these talks with Bardo help improve the veteran’s community on campus.

“I really enjoyed the fact that we have the opportunity to speak to him face-to-face in really a very informal setting to deliver what he really wants, a good perspective in the issues facing veterans,” Smith said.