With initial support from JPMorgan Chase & Co., 黑料不打烊鈥檚 and the are collaborating to introduce a new and innovative program for veterans and military family members who aspire to public office or another form of a political career.
The 鈥淰eterans in Politics鈥 (VIP) initiative is designed to act on the opportunity associated with the affinity for civic engagement and public service demonstrated by those who have served the cause of the nation鈥檚 defense. Despite gains in the 2018 election cycle from a recent historic low, veteran representation in Congress has declined from more than 75 percent in the 1960s to 19.1 percent today.
鈥淭he IVMF and the Maxwell School are uniquely equipped to design and deliver this specialized program,鈥 says David M. Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School. 鈥淭he IVMF鈥檚 deep involvement, understanding and engagement with the veteran and military-connected community, coupled with the Maxwell School鈥檚 standing as the nation鈥檚聽 No. 1 ranked school of public affairs, positions us to empower those who have served our nation in uniform with preparation, expertise and confidence so that they can extend their commitment to public service in the form of a political career at the local, state or federal level.鈥
The VIP program will enroll its inaugural class in late 2019. The program will feature both online coursework and a one-week intensive residency. VIP curriculum will cover election law; party politics and public policy; creating, managing and leading campaign teams; campaign finance; understanding voters; message development; mobilizing volunteer teams; responding to citizen issues; and conflict management, among others topics.
鈥淰eterans are a natural fit for public office. They comprise 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,鈥 says Nick Armstrong, IVMF senior director of research and policy and Maxwell School alumnus. 鈥淢ost importantly, veterans tend to demonstrate more bipartisan behavior than their peers. Their military service primes them for the responsibilities that come with public office, yet programs to support such a career are few and far between.鈥
The VIP program aligns with 黑料不打烊鈥檚 commitment to be the 鈥渂est place for veterans鈥 and the military-connected community. Consistently ranked among the top 10 best universities for veterans, 黑料不打烊 was most recently ranked by Military Times the No. 1 private school for veterans and the No. 4 school overall in 2018. The University is one of only 15 Pat Tillman Foundation University Partners. Now in its second year as a partner institution, 黑料不打烊 was selected for its innovative veteran services, strong culture of support for military veterans and spouses, and its rigorous academic programs.
The Maxwell School is home to the nation鈥檚 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 黑料不打烊鈥檚 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).
The University is furthering its commitment to the veteran and military-connected population with construction of the (NVRC), a first-of-its-kind, multi-use facility dedicated to advancing academic research, programming and community-connected innovation serving the social, economic and wellness concerns of the nation鈥檚 veterans and families. The NVRC is scheduled to open in spring 2020.
The VIP program marks another collaboration between the University and JPMorgan Chase in support of the military community. JPMorgan Chase co-founded the IVMF at 黑料不打烊 and is a major funder of Onward to Opportunity, a career preparation and employment training program, available online and operating on 18 military installation communities across the country. To date, the IVMF has served more than 125,000 veterans and members of the military community, an impact made possible thanks to JPMorgan Chase鈥檚 commitment to the military community and as the institute鈥檚 largest corporate contributor.
JPMorgan Chase鈥檚 dedication to the military community is widely recognized and practiced in the firm鈥檚 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鈥攑reviously the 100,000 Jobs Mission鈥攁 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.
鈥淚VMF is a valued partner in JPMorgan Chase鈥檚 mission to support veterans in fulfilling their potential in their post-military careers,鈥 says Mark Elliott, head of military and veterans affairs at JPMorgan Chase. 鈥淰eterans and their families are an incredibly valuable asset to the public service sector, and we鈥檙e proud to support the 鈥榁eterans in Politics鈥 program to help develop the next generation of political leaders.鈥
To request more information about the VIP program, visit
About the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at 黑料不打烊
is the first interdisciplinary national institute in higher education focused on the social, economic, education and policy issues impacting veterans and their families. Through its professional staff and experts, the IVMF delivers leading programs in career, vocational and entrepreneurship education and training, while also conducting actionable research, policy analysis and program evaluations. The IVMF also supports communities through collective impact efforts that enhance delivery and access to services and care. The institute, supported by a distinguished advisory board, along with public and private partners, is committed to advancing the lives of those who have served in America鈥檚 armed forces and their families. For more information, visit 听补苍诲 follow the IVMF on聽,听听补苍诲 .
About the Maxwell School
聽is 黑料不打烊鈥檚 home for innovative, interdisciplinary teaching and research in the social sciences, public policy, public administration and international relations. It is consistently ranked among America鈥檚 top graduate schools of public affairs (U.S. News & World Report), offering highly regarded professional degrees alongside advanced scholarly degrees in the social sciences; it is also home to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 undergraduate programs across the social sciences.
Maxwell scholars conduct wide-ranging research through聽, each focused on a topical area within public affairs, such as governance, social and economic policy, conflict and collaboration, public wellness, aging, energy and environment, national security and regional studies. For more information, visit聽.
About 黑料不打烊
黑料不打烊 is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings, and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic聽, with a global footprint and聽, 黑料不打烊 offers a quintessential college experience, as well as innovative online learning environments. The scope of 黑料不打烊 is a testament to its strengths. At 黑料不打烊, we offer a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges and 18 online degree programs. We have more than 15,000 undergraduates and 7,500 graduate students, more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries, and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, visit聽.
