While most Ohio State students are concerned over the ongoing War on Terrorism and the possibility of a war with Iraq, some students and staff have more reason to be concerned.

There are currently about 800 Ohio State students in the Reserves or National Guard, and an additional 150 faculty and staff members, said William Hospodar, director of Veteran Affairs.

During winter quarter 2003, there have been about 39 students who have been called up for duty, he said.

“Ever since 9-11 there has been a definite increase in the number of those called to active duty,” he said.

In the situation that any of these men and women are called up for duty, the university will do its best to support them, Hospodar said.

“When students are called to duty they are able to drop their courses and get refunded accordingly,” he said.

Michael George, associate registrar student support, said there is only one factor for students to receive this refund.

“The student has to be on valid military order in which they are being deployed in service to action,” he said. “This is specifically geared toward people that are being called up by presidential action.”

Justin Blanders, a junior in marketing, said when he joined the Reserves he was a little worried about how he could come back to OSU if he had to leave.

“Other than the normal concern of having to possibly go to war, I was concerned how it would affect my being able to get back in. I looked into it, and I am happy with how (the university) handles it, so I decided to sign up,” he said.

How students end their courses is at the discretion of the student and faculty member, George said.

“They can leave a course as incomplete and come back to finish or they may withdraw, come back and start over from scratch,” he said.

In some cases, if a student has completed most of the quarter, they may be given a grade for what they have completed and receive credit for the course, George said.

When students return from active duty they are not given priority over other students when signing up for classes, George said. This is the policy for any student that leaves the university for a period of time.

“We’ll treat them just like any other student,” he said. “We do our best to facilitate their re-entry to the university and make it as easy as possible.”

Any faculty or staff member that is called up, the university has a policy in place in accordance with state law, Hospodar said.

“They go out on military leave. For the first 30 days they are gone they still receive their university pay. After that they are on military leave without pay,” he said.

While they are on leave they still receive health insurance and other benefits, Hospodar said. If the pay they receive while in the military is not as much as what they received at the Ohio State, the university will pay the difference.

“They also have re-employment rates by federal law so they can return to the position that they left,” he said.

Greg Travalio, professor of law, has been in the Army Reserves for 22 years and said he thinks the university goes above and beyond what they are required to do.

“The university’s policy is imminently fair and something OSU should be proud of,” he said. “I think the university is going the extra mile in trying to help students, faculty or staff that end up being called up,” he said.