In the wake of Columbia University's recent decision to allow its Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program back on campus, both presidential nominees publicly stated that they favor the reinstatement of ROTC programs at all American colleges and universities.
Boston College's relationship with ROTC programs has a long history. The program began on campus in 1919, and many BC students who went through the program served in the First World War. The program continued to grow until the Vietnam War era, when it became the subject of much debate. It was ultimately cut because of demands by the University that the ROTC courses not be granted academic credit, and the teachers could not be given the same status as professors. While these may have been the official reasons, student organizations had other traditional ideological reasons for opposing ROTC on campus. In the opinion of some, "The program … was an important implementation of American foreign policy whose object was to advance the cause of American imperialism … [which was] an umbrella for American multinational corporations," according to A History of Boston College by Charles Donovan, David Dunigan, and Paul Fitzgerald.
On May 6, 1970, a member of the BC faculty moved to "immediately take whatever actions are necessary to sever all ties with the ROTC… in light of the recent direction of U.S. foreign policy in Southeast Asia." At the end of the 1970-71 school year, ROTC was removed from campus, but returned in 1984 to a campus that was much less idealistically opposed.
While BC brought ROTC back on campus over two decades ago, some American universities retained their decision to sever military ties. The debate has been somewhat quiet in recent years, with many assuming that things would not change. There are still stark differences between conservatives and liberals, however, over the ideals behind having ROTC on campus. On Sept. 11 of this year, both presidential candidates publicly called for the re-institution of ROTC on campuses.
ROTC participant Alex Guittard, A&S '11, said, "Honestly, I think this was just about politics." However, Rev. Paul McNellis, S.J., professor in the philosophy department, said that this represents "the gradual disappearance of a previous anti-military prejudice. BC at one point kicked ROTC off campus, a shameful moment in our history, in my view. But that's been corrected and replaced by a more balanced and appreciative view of the military."
Whether it is about politics or a true shift in popular opinion, these recent comments have revived the ideological, if not the practical, debate over whether a university should allow the military to train its officers on private campuses. Additionally, some have questioned whether a Catholic institution such as BC should allow a military training group on campus based on moral grounds. McNellis said, "There is nothing incompatible with being a Catholic and serving your country in the military."
There is also one final sticking point that is preventing some universities from allowing their ROTC programs back on campus. This is the military's controversial "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, whereby if a cadet admits that he or she is of homosexual orientation, he or she must give up their scholarship and leave the military. The argument among several student organizations at other universities is that if a university allows ROTC on campus, it is supporting this discriminatory practice of "don't ask, don't tell," which is contrary to the intellectual freedom the University strives to foster. McNellis disagrees with this standpoint. He said, "Given its unusual mission, the military has constraints on behavior that civilian society does not. Those policies are based on judgments that discriminate between policies believed to aid or hinder the military mission. ... The current policy is far from perfect, but in my view it is legal, not immoral, and would not be a justifiable basis for denying ROTC a role on campus."
While the ROTC issue remains to be hotly debated at some Ivy League universities today, most programs have either returned to campus or never left. For the most part, the ROTC is supported at BC. "Most people are very receptive and understanding," said Captain Brett Tashiro, the BC ROTC adviser. "People realize that it's a choice; it's a volunteer service." He sights numerous advantages for the military, the school, and the students as a result of ROTC being on campus. He said, "At some point in everyone's life, they will be able to cast a vote that will affect the military. ROTC gives them exposure that they wouldn't otherwise have to the military."
McNellis added, "Students travel to foreign countries to broaden their experience; meeting someone in ROTC can do the same - and you don't have to leave campus to do it."
Guittard pointed out the advantages that he enjoys by participating in ROTC: "There are things that I couldn't get out of academy life that I get here. If anything, this [attending BC] is an advantage, because I will have a skill set that people coming from the Academy won't have."
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