Some courses at Ohio State will have an unconventional prerequisite beginning next quarter: military service.

Beginning Winter Quarter, the university will launch three courses open only to military veterans or those in active duty. The classes are the brainchild of the newly formed Veterans Learning Community at OSU, which held its inaugural meeting Thursday.

“I saw the need to create an academic community where students can learn together and we can learn from them,” said Susan Hanson, the academic program coordinator for the group. “They have learning communities for people who have shared interests but not for people with shared experiences and knowledge.”

The courses were previously available open to any student, but Hanson wanted to create a unique experience for veterans.

“I never took the time to look at war from a different perspective,” said Richard Hayek, a third-year in criminology. Hayek, who is also an active duty Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corps, has already taken one of the classes, Comparative Studies 308 (The Experience of War), which will be offered this spring.

The group’s inaugural meeting was attended by eight OSU students who are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. One theme that seemed common among the students was the difficult transition to college life after serving in the military.

“I see college as boot camp all over again because I have no idea what I’m doing,” said Jeff Kohler, a first-year in political science. Kohler, who recently returned from a tour of duty with the Navy in Iraq, is in his first quarter at OSU.

The students also discussed whether international veterans should be allowed into the group.

“The veterans of other nations have had the same experiences we have,” Hayek said, adding that the things in common between U.S. veterans and international veterans far outweigh the differences. After the students’ discussion, Hanson decided to open the vets-only classes to international veterans as well.

“It really is a good fit for the program and I am so pleased the students themselves see it as important,” she said.

Several organizations made presentations to the students regarding services available to them at the university. Among the organizations represented at the meeting were the Student Advocacy Center, Counseling and Consultation Services, and Suicide Prevention.

“Many students are unaware that they are entitled to 10 free sessions of individual therapy from CCS,” said Courtney Camillus, a clinical therapist. Camillus also gave the students surveys to fill out regarding their interest in a weekly veterans support group through CCS.