AU recognized with Seven Seals Award for its support of National Guard and Reserve

ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University was recently honored with the Seven Seals Award, an organization-wide recognition for meritorious leadership and initiative in support of the men and women who serve America in the National Guard and Reserve, as presented by representatives of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense program.

Among the representatives in attendance for the ceremony at AU’s Jack W. Liebert Military and Veteran Resource Center was John McCance, chairman of the Ohio Committee for ESGR. He described AU as the measuring stick when it comes to support of military members by universities and colleges.

“When I travel across the state of Ohio to the different universities and academic institutions to do a comparative analysis of how the veterans are treated, how the Reserve and Guard is taken care of … it’s really easy for me to say with 100% confidence that Ashland is my benchmark,” McCance remarked. “It’s something the entire university and the student body should be very proud of how the military is taken care of here.”

The Seven Seals refer to the five Reserve components—Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard—as well as the Air National Guard and the Army National Guard, and the award can go to an individual or organization for significant achievement, initiative or support that promotes and supports the ESGR mission.

McCance cited AU’s facilities, the university’s “embrace of the military culture” and strong faculty and staff support of military students and their families as specific examples that led to the Seven Seals Award.

“Ashland’s culture through admissions and through the registrar, and from all accounts that I know, the faculty across the university … understanding and supporting those Guard and Reserve members who attend school here,” said McCance. “It’s not always easy for those (students) because of training requirements or real-world contingencies that they have to leave school. It’s comforting for those Guard and Reserve members who attend school here because they’re able to go do what they need to do and then come back and finish their degree.”

AU President Dr. Jon Parrish Peede accepted the Seven Seals Award on behalf of the university.

“This is wonderful. I want to thank you and the ESGR organization for what you’re doing,” Peede said. “It’s nice to be honored. We also look at this as a challenge to continue to do even more in the future. We talk about ‘Accent on the Individual’ here and I can think of no way better of doing that than bringing (military) people into the community. We look forward to being that leader for you and we have great new developments coming down the road."

ESGR, established in 1972, is a Department of Defense program that develops and promotes supportive work environments for Reserve Component members from the National Guard and Reserve. With a staff comprised of dedicated and trained volunteers, ESGR advocates relevant initiatives, recognizes outstanding support, increases awareness of applicable laws and resolves conflict between civilian employers and service members.