22 April 2009
The following email was sent to all Harvard undergraduates by the Harvard Republican Club:
Dear Harvard Student,
This year marks the 40th year that Harvard College has not officially recognized the Reserve Officer Training Corps on campus.
Over the last month, we have seen increased dialogue on the issue both on and off campus. National papers have reported and editorialized on the subject, and President Obama has called for Harvard and other Ivy League Schools to once again officially recognize ROTC.
Now you can make your voice heard.
A campus-wide poll has opened for Harvard students to express their views on the issue. It will take less than 2 minutes and can be accessed here:
[link to survey was included here]Let your voice be heard in the ongoing campus and national debate.
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More information on ROTC at Harvard:
The Reserve Officers Training Corps is a voluntary program on college campuses which trains students to receive commissions as military officers upon graduation. In 1969, Harvard banned ROTC to signal its opposition to the Vietnam War. Today, ROTC remains unrecognized because of the college's opposition to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 1993. Current Harvard students who wish to join the military through ROTC must rely on private funds to pay for cross-registration to participate in the program at MIT.Giving full recognition to ROTC would not require the creation of a full program at Harvard; instead, it would involve the College facilitating cross-registration at MIT as it does for other students. In addition, the language in administrative materials (including the student handbook) would be changed to express recognition and support for the program and the students who participate in it.
The following was the text of the survey preface and question:
The Reserve Officers Training Corps is a voluntary program on college campuses which trains students to receive commissions as military officers upon graduation. In 1969, Harvard banned ROTC to signal its opposition to the Vietnam War. Today, ROTC remains unrecognized because of the college's opposition to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 1993. Current Harvard students who wish to join the military through ROTC must rely on private funds to pay for cross-registration to participate in the program at MIT.
Giving full recognition to ROTC would not require the creation of a full program at Harvard; instead, it would involve the College facilitating cross-registration at MIT as it does for other students. In addition, the language in administrative materials (including the student handbook) would be changed to express recognition and support for the program and the students who participate in it.
Please express your opinion on the following statement: Harvard should officially recognize ROTC on campus.
The survey also asked respondents to report their residential house, class year, and political beliefs (strong Democrat, moderate Democrat, Independent, moderate Republican, strong Republican).