Surveys conducted by Columbia University show 60 percent of undergraduates surveyed support the return of ROTC to school, after a ban of more than 40 years.
The Columbia University Senate’s Task Force on Military Engagement, which was appointed to discover the opinion of the university community regarding ROTC, did so through three town hall meetings and a survey.
The survey’s results and the Task Force’s official reccomendation to the Senate, which are to be officially released tomorrow, are out. According to the “Executive Summary,” Barnard College, Columbia College, General Studies, the undergraduate wing of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the graduate School of International and Public Affairs–schools which in the past five years have had ROTC participation, were surveyed.
From these schools, 11,629 students were eligible and 2,252 completed the survey. The survey revealed that 60 percent of responding students supported “a return of ROTC to Columbia’s campuses.” A larger 79 percent supported “Columbia allowing the participation of Columbia students in ROTC, whether on- or off-campus.”
The Summary concludes with:
The Task Force unanimously states:
-Our current relationships with the military enrich the Columbia community.
-Columbia’s relationship with ROTC is an issue of concern and the matter should
be addressed formally by the University Senate at present.-Columbia should actively support the endeavors of individual students to
participate in ROTC programs, whether on- or off-campus.-If ROTC is to return to Columbia, the faculty and Deans must retain full
jurisdiction over questions of academic credit, appointments, and governance.-Columbia’s non-discrimination policy is important and encourages a tolerant and
open community.
Conor Skelding is a day editor for the Bwog. He is a member of the Student Free Press Association.
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