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K-State Today

August 29, 2013

Signing ceremony renews university-to-military community partnership

Submitted by Communications and Marketing

Kansas State University and the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley renewed their partnership Wednesday afternoon in an on-campus signing ceremony. The partnership is the first and only comprehensive military-to-university institutional partnership.

About 30 leaders from each institution represented Kansas State University and the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley at the ceremony, which took place at the K-State Alumni Center. The ceremony marked the fourth partnership renewal since 2008.

"One of our goals within the K-State 2025 plan is to expand our recognition as a top military-inclusive university," said Kansas State University President Kirk Schulz. "This latest renewal of our partnership with Fort Riley is a crucial part in becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025. The partnership will help us continue providing services and programs to meet the needs of our students, soldiers and community."

The 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley Commanding General Maj. Gen. Paul E. Funk II said it is also one of the objectives of the nation’s first division. 

“Strengthening, building and nurturing our exclusive partnerships, with both our community and the university, are essential to meet the goal set forth in our 2020 Campaign Plan and what continues to make the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley a great place to come home to,” Funk said.

A formal institutional partnership between Kansas State University and the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley was first established by Jon Wefald, former president of Kansas State University, and Maj. Gen. Robert E. Durbin, former 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley commanding general, in April 2008. The agreement was designed to serve as a model military-to-university institutional partnership.

Retired Lt. Col. Art DeGroat, the university's director of military affairs and principal administrator of this program, stated that the latest partnership renewal sets the following objectives:

* Serve as a model military-to-university institutional partnership

* Leverage our diverse cultures to develop alternate ideas and improved approaches to challenges of mutual interest, focusing on the areas of professional development, quality of life, transition and family well-being and resiliency

* Organize, support and participate in innovative opportunities and programs to serve our constituent communities and teams

* Improve the efficiency of our resource stewardship, management and sustainment through cooperation to the extent permitted by law and regulation