[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 184 (Thursday, December 17, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMMENDING NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY ON THE OPENING OF ITS CENTER FOR THE 
           ADVANCEMENT OF VETERANS AND SERVICE MEMBERS (CAVS)

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SETH MOULTON

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 17, 2015

  Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, at a time when employment rates for many 
student veterans continue to lag behind those of their civilian peers, 
I rise today to commend Northeastern University for launching a new 
center aimed at tackling this urgent challenge head on. Northeastern's 
new Center for the Advancement of Veterans and Service Members--or 
``CAVS'' for short--offers a wealth of services and benefits to 
returned service members, including mentorship opportunities and 
assistance with the transition from military to civilian life.
   Student veterans at Northeastern benefit from the university's 
renowned experiential learning infrastructure through specialized 
cooperative education placements within a global network of 3,000 
employers. And with CAVS now coming online, these students can also 
access tailored experiential learning programs and career resources 
that leverage their unique individual competencies and prior military 
experience.
   Mr. Speaker, despite a slowly improving unemployment rate, veterans 
nationwide consistently face greater barriers to employment than non-
veterans. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, half of all 
veterans in the United States will face a period of unemployment after 
transitioning from military service--particularly younger veterans, 
with those aged 18-24 facing an unemployment rate double that of 
civilian peers. In a report by Prudential prepared in conjunction with 
the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, 69 percent of veterans 
list finding a job as a civilian as their greatest challenge after 
service.
   That's why I am so pleased to see that Northeastern's new center 
expands the university's focus on student veteran employability by 
focusing on the education and career advancement of returning service 
members. It's clear that Northeastern recognizes the contributions and 
sacrifices of service members and is committed to providing student 
veterans with an experiential education that allows them to leverage 
their unique leadership skills for their future careers.
   Mr. Speaker, this work is not new for Northeastern. In fact, the 
university has a proud, 100-year legacy of educating veterans and 
service members. Today, Northeastern ranks among the top 10 private, 
non-profit, research universities for attracting post-9/11 G.I. Bill 
recipients. And the university also signed a first-of-its-kind 
agreement earlier this year to offer accelerated master's degrees in 
homeland security to members of the National Guard.
   Northeastern is building on its strong track record of educating and 
preparing student veterans for the future: Northeastern's student 
veteran graduation rate is 82.6 percent, well above the national 
average of 51 percent. Through its Institute for Military Leadership in 
the Workforce, Northeastern's new veterans center will serve all 
aspects of veterans' integration into academia and will link students 
to strategic partners in the private sector. Based in Boston, the 
center's reach and impact will extend worldwide to veterans within 
Northeastern's Global Network.
   Mr. Speaker, today there are some 600 student veterans and active 
duty personnel currently receiving benefits and support at 
Northeastern, a population that is expected to continue to grow in the 
wake of the opening of the center. The university's commitment to 
veterans now totals some $4 million, including its assistance through 
the federal Yellow Ribbon Program, the support and operation of the new 
center, and the establishment of a new scholarship program to aid 
veterans with costs not otherwise provided for through the government's 
benefits.
   Additionally, Northeastern has more than 90 ongoing research 
projects funded by the Department of Defense, two Centers of Excellence 
funded by the Department of Homeland Security, and a $15 million state-
of-the-art research institute that focuses on sensitive problems of 
national security. This past September, the university signed a $20 
million cooperation agreement with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to 
continue conducting critical defense research.
   Mr. Speaker, Northeastern's unique military-aligned ecosystem 
provides veterans with more opportunities to explore different career 
paths, to learn how to better translate skills for the civilian job 
market, and to build relationships among the community. I commend 
Northeastern, under the visionary leadership of President Joseph Aoun, 
for undertaking this important work.
   Northeastern's attention to veteran education and transitional needs 
is deeply appreciated. I urge all of my colleagues to take the time to 
review this important effort.

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