Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Veterans
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Veterans

Inaugural Political Training Bootcamp Jumpstarts Public Careers for Veterans

Monday, December 2, 2019, By Leah Lazarz
Share
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
people sitting in two rows

The inaugural class of the Veterans Program for Politics and Civic Engagement.

During Veterans Day week, 18 retired military service members convened at Syracuse University for the Veterans Program for Politics and Civic Engagement (VPPCE), created exclusively for veterans and military family members pursuing public office or political careers. A collaboration between the University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and the Maxwell School, with support from JPMorgan Chase, the inaugural program included students from all five branches of the military.

Designed to address the declining number of veterans and military-connected individuals who run for public office, the program prepared participants to make an impact in the political landscape at national, regional and local levels. Since the 1960s, veteran representation in Congress has declined from more than 75 percent to just 19.1 percent today.

“This inaugural class’s interest, passion and energy reinforced why we created this program,” says Nick Armstrong, IVMF senior director of research and policy and a Maxwell School alumnus. “Veterans are a natural fit for public office comprising more than one-third of the federal work force and have been shown to be more likely to vote, contact public officials, volunteer, give to charity and work with neighbors to fix problems in their community. The veterans in the VPPCE class are no exception. They are now well-equipped to run successful campaigns and take on the responsibilities of public office.”

The program featured both online coursework and a one-week intensive residency. The curriculum focused on the essential elements of running a political campaign, including political communication, fundraising, working with all forms of media, election law, leading campaign teams, mobilizing volunteers, effective use of polling, presentational speaking, ethics and citizen engagement.

Speakers and facilitators included Syracuse University faculty, former and current elected officials, and campaign experts. Maxwell Dean David Van Slyke and Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation J. Michael Haynie hosted the opening reception. Lead faculty were Professor Grant Reeher, director of Maxwell’s Alan K. Campbell Public Affairs Institute, Professor Jennifer Stromer-Galley from the School of Information Studies and Professor Kristi Anderson from the Maxwell School. Multiple elected officials such as Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, Assembly member Pamela Hunter and Onondaga County Legislature Chairman David Knapp also spoke to the class.

The VPPCE program aligns with Syracuse University’s commitment to be the “best place for veterans” and the military-connected community. Consistently ranked among the top 10 best universities for veterans, Syracuse was most recently ranked the No. 1 private school for veterans by Military Times for the second consecutive year, and the University is one of only 15 Pat Tillman Foundation University Partners. Now in its third year as a partner institution, Syracuse University was selected for its innovative veteran services, strong culture of support for military veterans and spouses, and its rigorous academic programs.

VPPCE marked the second collaboration between the University and JPMorgan Chase in support of the military community. JPMorgan Chase co-founded the IVMF at Syracuse University and is a major funder of Onward to Opportunity, a career preparation and employment training program, available online and operating in 18 military installation communities across the country. To date, the IVMF has impacted more than 125,000 veterans and members of the military community.

JPMorgan Chase’s dedication to the military community is widely recognized and practiced in the firm’s operations. Since 2011, more than 14,000 veterans have joined the employee ranks of JPMorgan Chase, and the firm has developed several supportive programs including the Veteran Jobs Mission—previously the 100,000 Jobs Mission—a coalition founded in 2011 with the goal of hiring 100,000 veterans. Now over 200 members strong, the coalition has collectively hired more than 500,000 veterans with a commitment to hiring one million.

The Maxwell School is home to the nation’s No. 1-ranked school for graduate education in public affairs (U.S. News & World Report), offering graduate professional degrees in public administration and international affairs. It is also Syracuse University’s home for innovative teaching and research across nine social science disciplines (anthropology, citizenship and civic engagement, economics, geography, history, international relations, policy studies, political science and sociology).

  • Author

Leah Lazarz

  • Recent
  • Water Main Break Near Bird Library to Be Repaired Monday
    Sunday, September 24, 2023, By News Staff
  • University Musicians, West Point Band to Perform Together This Weekend As Part of Events Around Military Appreciation Day
    Friday, September 22, 2023, By Christine Weber
  • Turning Young Enthusiasts Into Scientific Researchers
    Friday, September 22, 2023, By Wendy S. Loughlin
  • Languages Unlock Opportunities for English for Lawyers Alumna
    Thursday, September 21, 2023, By Hope Alvarez
  • Fall 2023 Career Week: Helping Students Achieve Professional Goals
    Thursday, September 21, 2023, By Gabrielle Lake

More In Veterans

Faculty Lead Partnerships to Support Ukrainian Veterans, Strengthen European and U.S. Security

Since the 2022 Russian invasion, Ukraine’s veteran population has increased from roughly 500,000 to over 1.2 million and counting, yet the country’s ability to support its servicemembers has declined due to the war’s impact on the economy and infrastructure. Two…

New Partnership Announced During Military-Connected Orientation Event

Military-connected students arriving for their first semester at Syracuse University typically have a myriad of needs and challenges that are vastly different from the traditional students they attend classes with. Understanding these unique issues, the Office of Veteran and Military…

Meet 2023 Tillman Scholar Luis ‘Lu’ Weierbach L’24

The ambition to make the world a better place is a common characteristic among Tillman Scholars. Some aim to have far-reaching global impact while others want to address problems in their local communities. For U.S. Army Captain Luis “Lu” Weierbach…

Veterans Learn Cutting-Edge Training in Entrepreneurship, Small Business Management

The D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University recently celebrated the addition of 25 new graduates from the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) program. The program is unique in that it leverages the skills, resources and infrastructure…

College of Professional Studies Announces Degree Completion Partnership With the United States Army Warrant Officer Career College

Syracuse University continues to demonstrate its national leadership role as the best university for veterans and military-connected students with a first-of-its-kind degree completion partnership with the United States Army Warrant Officer Career College (USAWOCC). Under the first-of-its-kind agreement, Syracuse University…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2023 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.