U of L Signs Agreement With Kentucky National Guard

The University of Louisville is trying to encourage members of Kentucky’s National Guard to take advantage of the school’s programs.U of L signed a memorandum of understanding with Kentucky’s National Guard Friday that’ll increase the university’s effort in offering programs and services that could benefit soldiers, said Renee Finnegan, executive director of military initiatives for U of L.“We’ve never targeted the Kentucky National Guard and really marketed and educated them on all these programs that we have designed for them and so that’s really what it's starting," she said.The university has recently reaffirmed its partnered with Fort Knox, which serves active military members, but those soldiers are often stationed in Kentucky temporarily, she said. The new agreement will foster soldiers with an invested interest in Kentucky, said Finnegan.The new partnership focuses on workforce leadership degrees through U of L's School of Education and degrees in justice administration, she said. And it'll offer opportunities that fit military skills but which soldiers may not know the university offers, said Finnegan.“I was stationed at Fort Knox for five years, I did not have any idea of all the expertise and opportunities that this metropolitan research one university has," she said.The signed agreement includes 33 projects and programs that U of L has planned as part of its outreach to service members. The university’s office of outreach currently helps nearly 700 soldiers, said Finnegan.U of L will hold a "Hire Our Heroes" job fair in June.