GRINNELL COLLEGE

. SCARLET 8: BLACK

THE STUDENT,
NEWSPAPER

 

Vol. LXXVl

Grinnell, ice... Friday. April 4. loss

 

» Faculty

At a faculty meeting March ll), History
prolessor Gregory ouroii introduced a
{notion to withdraw academic credit
irom the Alf Force ROTC program
on campus. Guroii’s motion, it passed,
fould possibly mark a pivotal point in
he lsyeor relationship between the De-
artment oi the Air Force and Grinnell
; liege.
ilt‘i 1951, during the Korean War, the
college asked the Department or the
Air Force to place a ROTC detachs
inent on campus. This request was made
{g slow the drain of male draitees. N:
:(at time, the ROTC curriculum was

ept under strict control by the depart—

No. 27)

Considering ROTC Status

merit oiiice in Washington. However,
these reins were gradually released and
the local detachment was given increas-

ing control 0! its curriculum in the
period beiore 1964, the detachment of»
tice was able to work iairly closely With
the college. Many suggestions were made
and incorporated and regular college
proiessors helped a great deal in the
teaching. In 1964, to replace homogeneity
lost by giving them more autonomy, the
Department reinstated its toll control
over the curriculum. Officially, that
control is still maintained.

However, since 1967, the iaculty has

A Justification \

ll Liberally Educated oilioor

py PHILIP C. PURDOM, Capt. USAF
Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies

The Air Force program in its aca-
demic program is designed so that stu-
dents may familiarize themselves with
the instruments of national defense poli-
cy, with particular reference to the Air
Force, and the ways in which these
instruments are used in support of na—
tional policy. These studies range, dur-
ing the four years, from consideration
of the nature at war, to astronautics and
space operations, to the nature and
meaning of military professionalism, to
the efforts being made by the us. Gov-
ernment to find a Viable peace.

To me the chief value of hav-
ing a ROTC program on campus is, in
fact, the opportunity students have to
see the interrelationships of their stu<
dies in political science, history, econ-
limits, and the natural and physical scie
ences to the study of national detense
policy and problems. To the cadets in
the program, there are of course other
advantages in being in AFROTC. Schol-
arships and the opportunity to plan their
graduate education before military ser-

vice are probably two primary consid-
erations to many students. The quality
and variety of experience derived il'om
service as an officer in the Air Force
are perhaps the most signiiicant bene-
fits which most of our graduates will
value highly atter their period oi mili-
tary duty.

To the Air Force, however, the oppor-
tunity to obtain young oliicers with th-
verse backgrounds and viewpoints, who
have had occasion to develop their knowl-
edge and analytical ability as they were
receiving education toward a commis-
sion, is important to being effective as
an element 01 national security. The
problem raced by any organization is
to provide a continuing intlux of new
ideas, backgrounds, and concepts. This
is certainly true of the Air Force because
only through Willingness and capacity to
change can the organization be respon-
sive to the requirements of the civil
society. The Air Force has therefore de-
sired to maintain this voluntary rela-

PURDOM—
(Continued on Page 4, Column 4)

A Defense \

A Question of Alterndliv it

By BRUCE ARMSTRONG

The issue of removing academic credit
(tom ROTC courses must be seen in its
proper light. It academic credit were
removed from ROTC courses, students
at Grinnell would drop ROTC, I have
found that ROTC takes up more time per
uredit than any other course i have
taken at Grinnell. it would take a highly
exceptional student to carry 16 credits

lus ROTC as an extracurricular acti~
vity. I seriously doubt that any students
would undertake that type of workload.
Therefore, the attempt to eliminate aca-
demic credit from ROTC is actually an
attempt to remove ROTC from Grinnelll,
perhaps mt by design I admit.

Commenting ﬁrst on just tho retention
issue, there is one basic reason lor re-
taining it. There are three fundamental
choices available to the limit system.

1. Canada or jail — the first is a cop-
out, the second appeals to very few.
and neither is substantially used.

2. Being dratted — the most common
choice.

I. Becoming an nitrous.

There are two main avenues for those
of us not already in military academics,
leading toward a commission. One is
post-graduate olilcer programs such as
DCS and 0T5. The problem with this
method is that preferred status lnr erl<
trance to these schools is given to those
coming up through the ranks, not college
graduates. Consequently, these schools
are hard to enter because they are usual-
ly full. The other avenue is ROTC, redd-
lly available, and tor most of us, the
only one available.

One of the goals or this college is to
prepare students for a useful career.
Only the individual can decide what a
useiul career is, and as long as some
students at Grinnell decide that. the mili-
tary is fl useiul career, than it is con-
sistent with the goals of this college.
and perhaps incumbent upon it, to pro
vlde ROTC in a viable manner, meaning
with academic credit.

ignoring for the moment that academic
credit is directly linked to retention of

ARMSTRONG—-
A (Continued on Page 1, Column 4)

maintained its effort to offer curriculum
suggestions. Last tall, a faculty commit<
tee on Aerospace Studies was iormed to
coordinate faculty suggestions, though
this committee still had no controlling
power. The college remained on the de~
fenswe.

Gurotf commented on the reversal of
this defensive position in explaining the
rationale ior his motion. "1 believe the
ROTC program is inconsistent with
the established college standards for
granting credit. In the present situation,
it stands outside or the college. i am
also aware of two simultaneous move-

ments. One is the Air Force’s movement
away from local autonomy; the other is
the movement or U.S. colleges and uni-
versities toward greater control at the
curriculum. These are movements in
opposite directions." Guroii expressed
the hope that, if academic credit is with-
drawn. the Air Force would retain the
campus detachment, but change the
ROTC curriculum requirement to in-
clude a choice (it regularly scheduled
courses. Guroff concluded, “whatever
action the Air Force takes, at least Coll‘
tl‘Dl would be placed back with the col«
legs, which is our purpose.”

Three Levels

’ Faculty Ended on now

By ROBERT GREY
Instructor in Political Science

Two proposals are now being consid-
ered by the Grlnnell laculty: (1) termi—
nation of the college-ROTC tie, or (2)
removal of academic credit from ROTC
courses, and removal of professional
Status iol‘ ROTC instructors.

There are three levels on which the
argument is being conducted: that too-
using on national issues, campus issues
and that iocusing on advantages to stu-
dents. The level on which one chooses to
argue seems to largely determine one's
position on these two proposals.

Some of those who argue on the nation-
al level leel that Grinnell should, in how4
ever minor a fashion, contribute to the
liberalization of the military by “inlil-
trating” liberally educated young men
into the military. Those who make this
argument assume that either because
or our selection process or the “Grin-
nell Experience,” Grinnell students are
more liberal than, for instance. Air Force
Academy students, and are therefore
capable oi liberalizing the military. This
argument also assumes that subsequent

military experiences will not reduce these
Student's liberalism to the level of the
average Air Force Academy graduate.

Others. equally opposed to the role oi
the military in American life, [ind these
arguments unconvincing, being unsup«
ported by any relevant evidence. While
few of these feel that Gl‘innell's termi-
nation of the ROTC contract would rep
resent a devastating blow to the military,
they nevertheless feel that. Grinnell
should terminate the contract. Their are
gument largely rests on the symbolic
grounds that this act would represent
an explicit attack by a relatively pres—
tigious institution on the morally dis-
astrous policies and politically danger-
ous influence of the military in Ameri-
can policies. They also feel that substam
tial pressure irom the academic com.
niunity might aliect the military's role.

The iew laculty members who con-
centrate on the national level are those
most likely to support termination oi the
GREY-—
(Continued on Page 4, Column 1)

A Challenge

ll Limit to Freedom

By RICHARD SCHMlECHEN

it is argued that removal of Credit
for ROTC is the removal of the freedom
to take this alternative. Within this limit-
ed context, there ls the removal of free-
dom, but in a more subtle but more real-
istic and important context; academic
credit ior ROTC limits freedom to: all
Grinnell males.

ROTC is included in the college cata-
logue, in all the general inlormation on
Grinnell. This is a subtle and often not
so subtle encouragement by not only
ROTC but also Grinnell to join the pro<
gram. Neither the college nor ROTC en-
courage: the other alternative to mili-
tary service. No [acuity ls hiled, no
space provided, and certainly no aca-
demlc credit is given to those interested
in the other alternatives. This is neither
tree nor equal nor liberal. Filing a CO
form is just as time consuming as a
ROTC course, and it takes a great deal
more thinking. Grinnell type thinking.
Not military thinning.

All the departments at Grinnell Col-
lege am in some way preproiessional.

My objection to the ROTC program is
that it is preprciessional in a particular
way, antagonistic to the Grinnell policy
of freedom of academics. The ROTC boys
will often argue that the program will
help them in their careers, that ROTC
is no different than teacher training or
journalism. The teacher training pro-
gram at Grinnell has its curriculum con-
trolled by the school and the faculty
hired by the board of trustees. ROTC
iaculty is hired by the military, and
ROTC curriculum is not subject to any
kind of review.

To get a clearer view of what thll
means, one needs only to imagine what
Grinnell would be like, would General
motors move an executive training pro«
gram into Pine Tree and the Saturday
Evening Post move 3 Journalism school
into White House. Such a program may
have saved the Saturday evening Post
but it would certainly harm Grinnell
College and its students. Grinnell would

SCHMIECHEN—
sconunued on Pay I. Column in

 

