Harvard President Links Campus Ban On ROTC To "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust said that ROTC will be welcome on campus once it repeals "don't ask, don't tell," the Boston Globe reports.

In an interview with a number of Globe editors and reporters, Faust discussed the university's plan for expansion, the upcoming return of former president Lawrence Summers, more rigorous admissions policies and other controversial topics -- including the school's relationship with ROTC.

Although the Reserve Officers' Training Corps has been banned from the university since 1969, Faust asserted that she is prepared to "regularize our relationship" with the program contingent on the repeal, as Harvard does not allow discriminatory undergraduate groups on campus. Currently, students who are interested in ROTC participate via MIT with Faust's full support.

Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown blasted Faust for her comments. "I am extremely disappointed to learn of Harvard University's decision to continue to ban ROTC from its campus," he said in a statement reported by the Globe. "It is incomprehensible to me that Harvard does not allow ROTC to use its facilities, but welcomes students who are in this country illegally."

Brown was referring to Faust's support of the Dream Act, which failed to come to a vote this week.

The Globe interview was just a part of Faust's busy day yesterday. At night, she threw the opening pitch at Fenway park, the Harvard Crimson reports. She called the act "terrifying."

What do you think? Should Harvard allow ROTC back on campus? Tell us your thoughts below.

Comments

[Brother Atticus]

03:14 PM on 11/16/2010

My objections about homosexuality aside, I've always thought that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is ridiculous; we are lucky that there are gays who even WANT to fight for a nation that doesn't always have their backs.

About the ROTC, I read someone's mention of Hillsdale College, and they are correct, upon some research: Hillsdale already does not accept federal aid and thus does not need to allow the ROTC on its campus (but it does anyway). Interestingly, the college does not have to abide by Title IX either, yet actually has MORE female sports than male sports (there is no male swimming team). Regardless of whether DADT gets repealed (it will), since Harvard typically experiences strife with the federal gov't, they ought to set an example for the nation by refusing its funding as well (as if they even need it). I find that Hillsdale College, formidable it may be, is much too small to set this example by itself...but give it time.

[healthcarenow]

08:04 PM on 09/26/2010

No DADT?....No ROTC....damn straight!

[Jack Kalpakian]

05:35 PM on 09/26/2010

I do not think that Harvard should be allowed to compete for any Federal Grants or participate in Student Aid programs of any kind until it unconditionally backs down.

The military has a bad policy, but the correct venue for repairing it is the Courts, Congress and the Pentagon. There is a certain arrogance here that needs to be checked, regardless of the pretext being used by Harvard.

[hagagaga]

04:32 PM on 09/26/2010

As a high school student who is considering ROTC, I say that since it's already at MIT, which is right next door, Harvard doesn't need it.

[corwin]

07:22 PM on 09/26/2010

I don't think the Republican controlled congress will agree with you.Well see.

[hagagaga]

11:21 PM on 09/26/2010

I don't think they'll take much interest in this in particular.

[Matt Lindner]

02:48 PM on 09/26/2010

This seems like a perfectly rational policy to me. Very Harvard.

[wanderingArtist3211]

11:08 AM on 09/24/2010

Sen. Brown, comparing discrimination with illegal immagration is grasping at straws for moral authority. You might as well call her a socialist while you're at it.

I support this decision by the Harvard president. Even though a college shouldn't try to involve itself with politics, it does have the right to forbid discriminatory associations from school affiliation. This is a logical conclusion.

[Peter Mazzoni]

05:45 AM on 09/24/2010

Then congress should remove all Federal Money given to Harvard and any college or university who deny access to the ROTC. Hit them where hit hurts the most in their pocket book.

Just in the Boston area alone many inner city students from impoverished areas like Roxbury, Dorchester Heights, and Chelsea gain from having access to the ROTC programs are a good thing and give people some good career options but they can not get access to the leftest junta running Harvard.

I like how the left assumes people are dragged tooth and nail into the ROTC. They join because they want to. Any school banning these groups should be put on public display,and then feel the wrath of the many politically active Vet groups and VA organizations.

[TheWorldBlowsUpTommorow]

05:48 AM on 09/24/2010

Why would the government punish the best and brightest?

Doesn't make any sense. I'm a liberal and I support Harvard.

[Peter Mazzoni]

06:02 PM on 09/25/2010

Why deny them access to the Military?

[gobamaaa]

05:18 PM on 09/24/2010

did you just happen to miss the part about how harvard has a policy against organizations that discriminate against any students? i suppose you did.

[Peter Mazzoni]

06:12 PM on 09/25/2010

okay lets play your game. Until the ROTC is allowed full access Harvard students, Harvard should repay the total sum of all Department of Defense money given for military R&D the sum close to $100 million over the past 30 years alone. Harvard should also ban all type of scholarships since scholarships are discriminatory by nature. They reward excellence of one over the other. Now Harvard is in the works to reject ROTC scholarships because the military discriminates in its selection process. Then in turn the institution should reject all outside scholarship funds offered on the basis of gender or race.

So you are being like Harvard a HYPOCRITE.

[TheProf]

11:36 PM on 09/23/2010

Hooray for Harvard from a man celebrating with his wife their 50th anniversary.

[inmyhumbleopinion]

10:04 PM on 09/23/2010

Good for her!

[SensibleJoe]

09:59 PM on 09/23/2010

Bravo, Harvard! Touche!

[MMRDO]

09:38 PM on 09/23/2010

First off, garrison covers are stupid, I cannot wait until the Navy gets rid of them. Second: SUNY Maritime has the Fordham kids come to our campus for classes, everything I've heard about MIT is that you commute there to, even if the ban is listed, there might not be a change because the Battalion is all set up at MIT already.

[hagagaga]

04:31 PM on 09/26/2010

Your comment about headgear is stupid.

[Michael Mouton]

09:22 PM on 09/23/2010

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" should be called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Get Caught, Don't Get Outed, Don't Get Blackmailed, Don't Get Investigated, Don't Arouse Suspicion, Don't Get Caught Advocating for Gay Right in Anyway, Don't Get Falsely Accused, Don't Act in Away that is not Gender-normative" to reflect the reality of the policy.

[Mik McAllister]

07:03 PM on 09/25/2010

And "Don't Email"

[Jock McDonald]

08:46 PM on 09/23/2010

When the apostles of the "religion of Peace "come to hang the homosexuals, stone the adulterers, clothe the women in the beekeepers uniform, and behead the infidels, I hope the men and women of the US armed forces protect us all, including the faculty and students of the spineless Harvard community. Ashamed to admit it, Harvard, BA 1970

[Michael Mouton]

09:04 PM on 09/23/2010

I agree why can't we just let the armed forces continue their proud tradition of homophobia. The libs did the same thing with their tradition of racism and misogyny all to further their marxist agenda!

[SensibleJoe]

09:59 PM on 09/23/2010

The religious agenda you describe, Jock McDonald, is one supported by the home-grown "religious right" and "Christian dominionists" in this country -- not just the Muslim Taliban abroad. Who'll defend us from our own? Protestant sharia is no better than Islamic sharia.

[myth buster]

08:07 PM on 09/23/2010

The military doesn't need Harvard. MIT's unit covers the entire cities of Boston and Cambridge. Anyone who wants to attend any University in the Boston area can join the MIT unit if they can get into ROTC.

[HolyPinkUnicorn]

07:10 PM on 09/23/2010

Why are ROTC programs even allowed at private schools? And why is it "incomprehensible" to Scott Brown? Harvard has not exactly been open to the ROTC in the last few decades anyway. If the DOD can ban openly gay personnel then Harvard can ban the ROTC--and that will help keep 'big government' out of the students' lives, just as so many conservatives want.

[myth buster]

08:08 PM on 09/23/2010

Why? Because they're offering scholarships, that's why. Besides, tuition at Harvard isn't that much more expensive than out-of-state tuition at the University of Michigan, which ROTC will cover.

[Mik McAllister]

07:06 PM on 09/25/2010

Those scholarships are paid for with taxpayer money. The GOP can now claim to have cut government spending by blocking the debate on allowing the military to repeal DADT.

I don't see why you are complaining.