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The Dartmouth
May 2, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

SA passes ROTC letter

Last night the Student Assembly approved a final version of its report calling for the continuation of the Reserve Officers Training Corps program at the College.

Assembly President Nicole Artzer '94 will present the report to the Board of Trustees this weekend. The Board will decide whether to continue the College's ROTC program.

The report cites four reasons why the College should continue the ROTC program:

  • It is an important source of financial aid to students.

  • It allows students to serve their country as military leaders.

  • It does not violate Dart-mouth's Principle of Community or the College's Principle of Equal Opportunity.

  • A poll conducted by the Conservative Union at Dartmouth claiming 65 percent of students support ROTC's continuation.

According to the Assembly's report, CUaD surveyed 118 students in January. The poll has a 9 percent margin of error, the report stated.

Those who oppose ROTC say the program violates the College's Principle of Community and of Equal Opportunity because it discriminates against homosexuals.

On Feb. 1 the Assembly passed a motion supporting ROTC's continuation. Last night's motion called upon Artzer to present the report to the Trustees.

"There have been extensive revisions, but the ideas in the report weren't changed," said Bill Hall '96, who helped write both this draft and the version reported in The Dartmouth on March 30.

"There's more comprehensiveness in the sections about the history of the ROTC program at the College and the Equal Opportunity section and other arguments for keeping the program," he said.

Hall said the tone of the new report is "very moderate" and includes more opinions from Dartmouth's ROTC cadets.