FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT

ROTC Statement, March 12, 1985

The question of the presence of Reserve Officers Training Corps programs on college and university campuses has been the subject of continuing, often vigorous, debate within many institutions. Divisions of attitude and opinion on this issue derive from philosophical, educational, political, and practical grounds. In varying degrees of intensity, such has been the case at Dartmouth over the past sixteen years.

Before making a decision on what ultimately has taken the form of a proposal from the U.S. Army to establish at Dartmouth an "extension center" affiliated with the Norwich University AROTC program, it was essential to have an informed discussion within the College community and to address forthrightly concerns and points of objection raised by those opposed to, or having reservations about, such a course of action. It was necessary to establish, also, that benefits to be realized from reinstituting an ROTC program at the College would in fact outweigh potential disadvantages. And, importantly, it was essential to ascertain whether or not such a program would be consistent with the purposes of this institution.

Obviously, this has been an issue involving very broad institutional interests, as has been evidenced by the considerable attention given the subject by the faculty, students, and alumni. The Dartmouth Trustees have been particularly grateful for the responsible and constructive approach that the faculty has taken in its deliberations regarding the educational-policy dimensions of the ROTquestion; and earlier reservations expressed by the faculty concerning the NROTC program have influenced directly the design of the final proposal from the Army.

The financial advantages involved in the existence of ROTC accrue primarily to the student, and indirectly to the College. The student has the option to enter, if he or she elects, the military officer corps and, thereby, has the opportunity to enjoy significant benefits in terms of having his or her Dartmouth education financed by the U.S. government. In this context, it must be recognized that prese ntly over 60 percent of Dartmouth's student body is receiving financial aid a substantial portion of which is derived from federally-funded programs. If, during a time of rising costs, the federal government's provision is curtailed, as is presently being proposed, either the College or the student will need to make up the difference. Since the College cannot accomplish this without major programmatic and staffing reductions in other areas, the amount of student-provided self-help will necessarily have to increase significantly. There is the real prospect that within the foreseeable future Dartmouth may have to join Brown, Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Cornell of the Ivy Group in adopting the practice of "admit-deny" in the area of admissions and financial aid. In that event, a heavy burden would necessarily be imposed upon students, in terms of time devoted to on-campus, monetarily remunerative work and of debt obligations to be discharged after graduation. This problem is of sufficient magnitude that it could readily lead many well-qualified applicants to be discouraged from coming to Dartmouth in favor of their going to less-expensive, publicly-funded institutions, unless other outside sources of financial aid are available here. Clearly, ROTC is one such "other" possible source one having the potential of benefiting those students participating, by making a Dartmouth education more affordable, and of benefiting Dartmouth by drawing to the College talented young men and women who might otherwise be forced to enroll elsewhere. While the availability of ROTC scholarships alone would not provide the means to avoid the possibility of adopting "admit-deny" practices, it does have the potential to contribute to an avoidance of this possibility.

Also, it is necessary to consider, in this connection, the question of the role of the College in our society. The College historically has been concerned with liberally educating men and women who could contribute positively to society, whatever their occupations might be. It should be noted that it has been possible for Dartmouth College to pursue and to accomplish this mission because ours is a free society an environment where freedom of thought and expression is valued and protected. That condition or environment exists, in large part, because this nation is sufficiently able to defend itself from challenge or dominance by those who do not share a respect for the rights of the individual. Having talented men and women engaged in the management and conduct of our defense establishment is surely as important as is having our best and brightest citizens centrally engaged in the forward progress and the destiny of other contributing professions in American life. The presence of Dartmouth-educated officers within the leadership structure of our armed services can contribute to and affect society in a positive manner, and, in so doing, it can further serve, constructively, that society which permits this institution to exist with the freedom to pursue its historic goals and purposes.

Individuals will, in good faith, differ about the merits of having ROTC programs on campuses. While I respect the concerns expressed by the Faculty, it has become my own conviction that insofar as such a program provides the means for qualified students to attend Dartmouth without incurring prohibitive debt obligations, and insofar as such a program enhances the ability of this institution to serve society through its graduates, without compromising the central liberal-arts mission of the College, the existence of ROTC at Dartmouth has positive potential and should be accommodated.

Following the faculty meeting on March 4, particularly because of the governance issues raised at that time, I have informed the Trustees of that faculty discussion, of the results of the faculty vote, and of subsequent expressions of concern addressed to the Dean of the Faculty. I previously had shared with the Board the materials that were available to the faculty, including the report of the Committee on Organization and Policy. After carefully considering this additional information, the Trustees have concurred that I should proceed to execute the "extension center" agreement offered to Dartmouth College.

May I say, in closing, that I am indebted to all who participated so helpfully in our campus-wide consideration of ROTC during the past year. The plan adopted will reflect the value of that discussion, for it will be significantly different from and manifestly better than the proposal on which the faculty voted last spring. I recognize that there will remain honest differences of opinion on this issue, and I want to emphasize that it will be the Administration's intention to be sensitive to, and respectful of, those viewpoints as we move forward to implementing this program.