ROTC committee delayed at starting gate

Due to a lack of communication between University administrators and students, a proposed task force to examine ROTC's future at the University has yet to be commissioned. Once established, the committee will examine the University's relationship with the Reserve Officer Training Corps and "consider possible alternatives," Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons said yesterday. The committee is expected to report back in early spring. In 1991, University Council voted to kick ROTC off campus by June 1993 unless the Pentagon ended its ban on homosexuals serving in the military. The issue resurfaced this year when President Clinton announced his "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military. Critics argue that Clinton's policy is still in conflict with the University's non-discrimination policy. The policy states that the University "does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a disabled or Vietnam Era veteran?" Koons said the task force has not been set up because the University does not have a list of student candidates. "We have to get names of faculty from the Faculty Senate, and students from GAPSA," she said. "I haven't gotten them yet – we're waiting for them." She added that the committee could be set up in one or two weeks if she receives the names of students. But Patricia Khuly, chairperson of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, said GAPSA already submitted three names to the University. "[Koons] was given those names two weeks ago," Khuly said. "This was a really big deal coming up with these three names. It's possible there is some kind of mix-up, but as far as I know she has those names." Nominations and Elections Committee Chairperson Sharon Dunn said the committee has been conducting interviews and will hold a confirmation vote tonight to approve the candidates selected by the interviewers. Khuly, a third-year graduate student in the Veterinary School, said although she would like to see the process sped up, she does not think the University is "side-stepping" the issue. Koons said she plans to meet with Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson to discuss the committee's official charge and "to go over the names." She added that Lazerson wants to sit down with the committee's chairperson to work out the charge – as soon as a chairperson is selected. Jodi Bromberg, co-chairperson of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance, said last night that while the LGBA is frustrated at the slow pace of the process, she hopes the committee will ultimately benefit from the delays. "Certainly there's a general feeling of frustration in the slowness with which everything is being handled," the College senior said. "The administration has really put ROTC on the back burner for now, which leaves the rest of us hanging. My hope is that with all the time they've taken, they will have quality candidates and ? they won't be reinventing the wheel." Khuly said she just wants to see the process get off the ground. "In an ideal situation I would like to see the committee set up and ready to go tomorrow," she said. "I realize that's impossible but I just want to see something get moving on this thing." The ROTC issue was brought up briefly at Monday's town hall meeting, but time constraints prohibited Interim President Claire Fagin from fully answering the questions posed to her.

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