To: Columbia University Senate
From: ROTC Task Force: Co-chairs Jim Applegate (Sen., Ten.,
A&S/NS) and Nathan Walker (Sen. Stu., TC); Coco Fusco (Nonsen., NT, Arts); Aaron
Lord (Nonsen., Stu., P&S); Joseph McManus (Nonsen., NT, SDOS); Scott Olster
(Nonsen., Stu., GS); James Schmid (Sen., Stu., Bus.); Kendall Thomas (Nonsen.,
Ten., Law); Sean Wilkes (Nonsen., Stu., CC); Peter Woodin (Nonsen, Alum)
Date: April 1,
2005
Re: Results of deliberations
Executive
Summary
- The
ROTC Task force was split (5-5-0)
on whether or not ROTC should return to Columbia University in the 2006/7 academic year.
- There
was a supermajority (9-0-1) of votes in favor of returning ROTC if there
is no longer discrimination against lesbian, gay, and bisexual service-members
in the military.
- No
one agreed (0-6-4) with the following statement: under no circumstance
should ROTC return to Columbia University.
- A
majority (6-2-2) voted in favor of
strengthening the relationship with the current ROTC programs at Fordham
and Manhattan College by securing more positions to
accommodate more CU students.
- There
was a supermajority (9-0-1) of votes recommending the University Trustees
establish a financial contingency plan to protect lesbian, gay, and
bisexual students who may be victims of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
- It
was unanimous (10-0-0) that if ROTC returns then Columbia University should maintain full and
independent control over whether or not courses receive academic credit;
the University should also determine the titles of ROTC faculty and the
military’s use of classroom, office, and training space.
Summary of Findings
- The committee is split 5/5 on
whether or not ROTC should return to Columbia University in the 2006/7 academic year.
- The Task Force agrees that the
military’s discrimination against homosexuals, as seen in the federal law
DADT, is inconsistent with the values of the community as expressed in the
University’s non-discrimination policy.
- A majority of the Task Force
agreed that there are significant benefits in returning ROTC, such as
financing students’ education and Columbia’s participation in training
military leaders. Also, a majority
of the committee believed that the use of University resources such as
classroom, office, and training space could be a reason why ROTC should
not return.
- The Task Force is evenly split
on whether or not DADT should prevent the return of ROTC to campus.
- The five proponents voted in
favor of the return of ROTC in the 2006/7 academic year. Notwithstanding the existence of
discrimination in the military, various benefits would be realized by
returning the program to campus. In
addition to the benefits identified above, these include Columbia’s ability to contribute
leaders to the military, who would over time be able to influence current
law and military policy with regard to the participation of homosexuals in
the military. Additionally, the
presence of ROTC would increase diversity of ideas, viewpoints, and values
within the Columbia community.
- The five opponents believe that
returning ROTC to campus would not only violate Columbia’s nondiscrimination policy but
would also be an explicit institutional endorsement of DADT, legitimizing
a culture of homophobia on campus.
Such an act would directly violate the human rights of lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Columbians, threaten other protected
groups, and deny every member of our community the right to live and learn
in an environment free of institutionalized discrimination. An institution of Columbia’s stature must hold fast to
the ideals of equality that it claims to hold so dear.
- The Task Force was split on
whether or not the return of ROTC would have a negative or positive impact
on the campus climate.
- Finally, the Task Force voted
9-0-1 in favor of returning ROTC if there is no longer discrimination
against LGBT service-members in the military.