Spring Break
Hundreds of CSU students in Iraq
Kimberly Lapham, Daily Staff Writer
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"More than 300 students in the CSU system are on military leave as a result of the current international situation," said Clara Potes-Fellow, manager of media relations for California State University.
SJSU students and faculty members, who are called to duty, are being put on military leave beginning in the Spring 2003 semester with an expected Fall 2005 return, said Andrei Ingalla, benefits coordinator for Veterans' Affairs.
Ingalla said he has processed 20 reservists for rapid deployment since January.
As paperwork is processed, the emotional aspect of reservists leaving for war reaches the people around them.
Professor Ken Nuger teaches a political science class in which a student was called to serve.
"I told the class, and we got him a best wishes and good luck card and sent it to his family to give it to him when that became possible," Nuger said.
Public Relations senior, Inge Steinebrunner, is a student in that class and said students are far removed from the war but are more affected by it when a classmate is called to serve.
"It becomes more of a reality when someone leaves," Steinebrunner said.
Juan Castro, a junior majoring in journalism, knew a reservist who left and has a good friend leaving in June. He said that having a friend leave for duty is difficult.
"It feels strange," Castro said. "It feels the same way, as if he's moved away entirely."
Castro said he worries about how the experience of war will affect his friend.
"Not only are you never going to see them again," he said. "But even if you did, there's the fear that they wouldn't be the same person that had left."
The military leave policy, which has been in use since 1973, allows reservists, who are called to serve, to put their educations on hold until their return.
CSU is able to alleviate the pressure on students by enabling them to withdraw from classes without any penalties and by facilitating the resumption of their education when they return, Potes-Fellow said.
Students usually have anywhere from one month to 24 hours notice before shipping out, Ingalla said. When the reservist doesn't have time to fill out the paperwork before leaving, Ingalla takes care of it.
He said reservists have many stresses when they are called up to serve, so he tries to alleviate their school stress by being a one-stop resource.
In addition to admissions technicalities, financial burdens are also alleviated, Potes-Fellow said.
After filling out the military leave-of-absence form and presenting the records office with their orders, reservists are withdrawn from their courses, refunded their fees and can even return their books for a full refund, Ingalla said.
The filing process usually takes about three days and students receive their refund checks for campus fees and tuition within a few weeks after having submitted a financial petition to the Bursar's Office, Ingalla said.
Parking passes can be partially refunded as well, said University Police Department Capt. Marianne Alvarez. Reservists can receive parking refunds depending on how long they've had the pass. Up to days after purchase, a 75 percent refund is available. After 60 days, a 50 percent refund is available, and so on.
"We do recommend a student takes a leave, so when they return, they can pick up at that time," said Frank Wada, director of Admissions and Records.
Finer details such as taking an incomplete grade can be worked out between the student and the instructor, Ingalla said. Also, should the reservist have time while on duty, he or she still has the option to take online courses if they are offered, he said.
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