URI may ban recruiters, ROTC reacts to proposal

03/23/05 - Legislation introduced in several bodies at the University of Rhode has led to a guarded response by the university's ROTC program. A resolution introduced in the Faculty Senate by Professor John Leo would ban military representatives from recruiting on university property because of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

The resolution followed decisions by some law schools, including Harvard University, to bar military recruiters from campus to conform to anti-discrimination policies mandated by the organization that accredits law schools. This was in response to a December 2004 court decision that ruled unconstitutional a law allowing the federal government to deny funds from schools barring military recruiters.

The policy, issued by former President Bill Clinton, orders military personnel not to ask about a person's sexual orientation and not discuss his or her own. The policy was issued as a compromise to permit homosexuals to serve in the military.

Lt. Col. Paul Krajeski, who runs the military science and ROTC programs at URI, said he found out about Leo's resolution through e-mail and newspaper articles.

"No one came here to talk to me about it," he said. "Or asked if we could do lunch and discuss it. 'Don't ask don't tell' is federal law, and it's my duty to enforce the law."

However, the policy does not apply to students in the military science program until their third year, Krajeski said.

Krajeski said ROTC will wait until tomorrow's faculty senate meeting to address the issue of whether the policy is discriminatory.

Krajeski said that he feels Leo was not addressing ROTC in his resolution, but instead recruiters from off campus.

"[Leo] was talking more about the active recruiters, the National Guard recruiters and the Reserve recruiters who come in specifically looking for students to enlist," Krajeski said.

The military science or ROTC program does not sponsor these recruiters; however, Krajeski said he is aware of their presence on campus and has a "cordial relationship" with them.

However, Krajeski said, "I am not sure you can separate them with us, because we do have a relationship with them, many of the cadets we commission are commissioned into the Rhode Island National Guard, not just the active force."

Since Leo introduced the senate resolution, it has become the focus of many classroom discussions, Krajeski said.

ROTC Cadet Chris Capasso, who just recently learned of the resolution, said he does not view military recruitment as a problem on campus.

"I don't necessarily see recruitment as a bad thing only because we don't have a very big program as it is and we need officers in the army now," Capasso said.

Nicole Pesile, a sophomore in the ROTC program, said she has been aware of the proposed legislation for a while.

"I was pretty shocked because it is a public university and I think all students, regardless if they support the military or not, deserve the opportunity to be exposed to it," Pesile said.

Pesile added she feels the ROTC program does not discriminate and is an important part of URI.

"I think it still provides an equal opportunity for everyone to be a part of the military," she said. "If it were a case where homosexuals were not allowed, then I think that would be unfair; however, that is not the case - it is 'don't ask, don't tell.'