Equal educational opportunity and student nondiscrimination policies and procedures on discrimination and harassment

23 February 2006 Columbia University statement of nondiscriminatory policies "Equal educational opportunity and student nondiscrimination policies and procedures on discrimination and harassment".  Note:  The statement begins with the words "Columbia University is committed to providing a learning environment free from unlawful discrimination".  Since the previous antidiscrimination rules had been used to argue against ROTC on the basis of discrimination against openly homosexual people in the military this wording is interesting because "Don't ask, don't tell" is the law, and there fore not unlawful

Military Veterans Bring Diverse Voices to Columbia Community

21 February 2006 Columbia Spectator letter "Military Veterans Bring Diverse Voices to Columbia Community" by The Executive Board of U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University (MilVets).  Note:  The MilVets point out that Adam Weinstein’s February 13th column is an example of the political diversity of military veterans on elite campuses.

ROTC and the Ivory Tower: Cease Fire

13 February 2006 Columbia Spectator Op-Ed "ROTC and the Ivory Tower: Cease Fire" by Adam Weinstein.  Note:  A self described "liberal war resister" suggests that if you have disagreements with current military practices "You bring ROTC back to Columbia, and you sign yourself up".  He suggests that to do otherwise is to "keep the military and the ivory tower separate and go on with your life of smug self-satisfaction" and will result in "marginalizing yourselves and alienating potential supporters".  See letter in response on 21 February.

Sanchez Lodges Protest: Reserve Marine Files Grievance With SDA Against ISO Protest

9 February 2006 Columbia Spectator article "Sanchez Lodges Protest: Reserve Marine Files Grievance With SDA Against ISO Protest".  Note:  University spokeswoman Susan Brown said Columbia already includes military status as a protected category in its speech code, and the protection is not limited to Vietnam-era veterans.  International Socialist Organization member Monique Dols GS ’06 said post-Vietnam veterans should not have such protection since they enlisted voluntarily.

Letter from Baghdad - Dispatch # 4

8 February 2006 The Eye (Columbia Spectator) article "Letter from Baghdad - Dispatch # 4" by Josh Arthur CC '04.  Note:  Arthur, recently graduated from Columbia and ROTC, describes his most enduring memory in Baghdad, retrieving a soldier with a fatal wound. 

Veterans Take Grievances to Columbia Provost

1 February 2006 New York Sun article "Veterans Take Grievances to Columbia Provost".  Note:  The provost, who spoke passionately against ROTC on campus in May 2005, was to hear complaints about harassment.  The article lists an incorrect tally for the Columbia Senate vote on ROTC in May 2005; it was 53-10.

Letter from Baghdad - Dispatch # 3

1 February 2006 The Eye (Columbia Spectator) article "Letter from Baghdad - Dispatch # 3" by Josh Arthur CC '04.  Note:  Arthur, recently graduated from Columbia and ROTC, describes an engagement with a lone sniper and how his men showed restraint until they were confident they had identified the attacker.

Revisiting Vietnam

30 January 2006 Columbia Spectator column "Revisiting Vietnam" by Monique Dols GS '06.  Note: Dols observes that "ROTC supporters are making headway by recruiting for the Fordham University and Manhattan College ROTC programs on campus. By increasing the ranks of military personnel on campus, they are laying the groundwork for the program’s future return."  She regards this as a negative development and urges people to "expose the ugly underbelly of US aggression in the world".

The Conservative Witch Hunt

27 January 2006 Columbia Spectator Op-ed "The Conservative Witch Hunt" by Zach Zill CC '06.  Note: One of the students who "confronted" pro-ROTC students in the "anti-ROTC incident on Activities Day" denounces the 25 January Spectator news article as part of a "witch-hunt" and denies having made offensive remarks attributed to him.

A Firm Stance: CU Marine Reservist Targeted In Angry Confrontation; No Disciplinary Action Taken

25 January 2006 Columbia Spectator article "A Firm Stance: CU Marine Reservist Targeted In Angry Confrontation; No Disciplinary Action Taken".  Note:  An anti-military incident recounted in an Op-ed column is covered by the Columbia student newspaper.  The Spectator claims that students urging other students to sign up for ROTC was "not allowed on campus" at the time.  This seems wrong.  Even after the 3rd Circuit court decision allowing bans on external recruiters, students always retained the freedom to urge other students to enlist to fight for their country.  After the Supreme Court agreed to review the case, the 3rd Circuit halted implementation of its ruling, removing the restriction on external recruiters.

U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University

25 January 2006 U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University press release "Anti-Military Discrimination at Columbia".  Note:  The group "asks that Columbia University amend its Discrimination and Harassment Policy to grant all veterans and military-related persons protected status."

Veterans Deserve Better

18 January 2006 Columbia Spectator op-ed "Veterans Deserve Better" by Chris Kulawik CC'08.  Note: Kulawik describes an incident on Activities Day in which a student visiting the Columbia Military Society table was "publicly insulted for being both a minority and a veteran" by three people in a "violent rant" in which "the table nearly flipped".  The student "submitted a complaint to his dean with hopes of a thorough investigation and ultimately disciplinary action against those students who harassed him" and got no response from the administration.  See responses by Jonah Birch, CC ‘05 and Todd Murphy, GS '08.

Columbia University Wants It All

12 January 2006 GayPatriot blog item "Columbia University Wants It All".  Note:  A gay servicemember says "If Columbia University doesn’t want the federal government on its campus, fine. But they shouldn’t expect federal dollars."

Supreme Court Hears Solomon Amendment Case

7 December 2005 Columbia Spectator article "Supreme Court Hears Solomon Amendment Case".  Note:  The article mentions how Solicitor General Paul Clement began to argue that the 2004 change to the Solomon Amendment did not demand greater access for the military than other employers and Justice Scalia said he was "galloping in the wrong direction".

Embedded in New York: Or, How I Learned to Stop Whining and Love ROTC

November 2005 The Blue and White article "Embedded in New York: Or, How I Learned to Stop Whining and Love ROTC".  Note:  The article describes some of the ROTC training for Columbia students "In one Chemical Warfare exercise, Wilkes had to walk through a gas chamber filled with CS gas (ortho-chlorobenzylidene-malononitrile). Cadets wore gas masks, but were required to remove them in the middle of the room, state their name and social security number, and answer a simple question such as, "What's one plus one?""

Columbia Plays Dirty Pool

25 October 2005 Columbia Spectator column "Columbia Plays Dirty Pool" by John Mateus.  Note:  A Columbia Law student calls interference with military interviews, which blocked him from being interviewed, "underhanded and sabotage" and criticizes the unwillingness of Columbia to stop the interference.  See also responses by Karyn Lukoff, Michelle Rutherford and Cuauhtemoc Ortega.

Columbia University Senate "Minutes of September 16, 2005"

21 October 2005 Columbia University Senate "Minutes of September 16, 2005".  Note:  Senator Paul Duby reported on the discussions at the June Columbia University Trustees meeting about the ROTC issue.  When "a Trustee asked if there was anything else the Trustees were expected to do on this subject; Sen. Duby said Provost Alan Brinkley answered in one word: No".  The minutes also note that "the Task Force made some recommendations for improving conditions for Columbia students who are pursuing ROTC off campus, at Manhattan College or Fordham. One was to provide more assistance in the form of transportation, or maybe a small office on the Columbia campus. Another was to assure that any students barred from ROTC because of their sexual preference would be eligible for equivalent financial support from Columbia. Sen. Duby said he and Sen. Applegate would discuss these issues with the provost."

Hypocrisy 101: The Academy and Military Recruiters

12 October 2005 American Council of Trustees and Alumni press release "Hypocrisy 101: The Academy and Military Recruiters".  Note:  ACTA lists the federal funds at risk under the Solomon Amendment.  Of the listed colleges barring ROTC, Columbia leads with $457 million at risk

Anti-Military Sentiments Persist on Elite Campus

September 2005 VFW Magazine article "Anti-Military Sentiments Persist on Elite Campus".  Note: Many of the leaders of the Columbia effort were quoted, including Advocates for Columbia ROTC chairman Sean Wilkes and alumni group Columbia Alliance for ROTC chairman Ted Graske CC'59.

Universities and the Military: What You Should Know About the Upcoming Supreme Court Case

August 2005 American Council of Trustees and alumni article "Universities and the Military: What You Should Know About the Upcoming Supreme Court Case" by Melvin H. Bernstein.  Note:  The article recounts the history of the Solomon Amendment and compares the attitude of the presidents of Harvard and Columbia towards ROTC.

Honor thy soldiers

30 May 2005 Washington Times column "Honor thy soldiers" by Suzanne Fields.  Note:  Fields discusses the University Senate vote against ROTC at Columbia and quotes Harvard President Lawrence Summers as saying that military service is "vitally important to the freedom that makes possible institutions like Harvard".

Columbia's 'Compromising' Exactly What Principles?

26 May 2005 Wall Street Journal letter "Columbia's 'Compromising' Exactly What Principles?" by Irving Louis Horowitz.  Note:  Prof. Horowitz responds to President Bollinger's letter about the editorial on ROTC at Columbia.

Columbia's old elite a new ROTC enemy

23 May 2005 New York Daily News column "Columbia's old elite a new ROTC enemy" by Shane Hachey.  Note:  The submitted text is here.

U.S. Supreme Court Will Review Law that Denies Funding to Campuses that Bar Military

23 May 2005 Voice of America story "U.S. Supreme Court Will Review Law that Denies Funding to Campuses that Bar Military".  Note:  Columbia University student Scott Stewart, a gay veteran who supports ROTC on campus, says you have to associate with the military to influence it.

Columbia declares war on ROTC

20 May 2005 New York Daily News editorial "Columbia declares war on ROTC".

Wisdom of Solomon

19 May 2005 New York Sun editorial "Wisdom of Solomon".  Note:  The Sun calls for the trustees of Columbia to restore ROTC and notes that "many of those most committed to pressing the government to change its policy toward gays in the military are those asking that Columbia open its doors to ROTC."  For examples, see the Columbia University Senate Task Force Report, this email discussion and this proposal for immediate changes in the law.

ROTC Debate Not Over at Columbia

19 May 2005 Inside Higher Ed article "ROTC Debate Not Over at Columbia".  Note:  The board of trustees will meet on 4 June and "has invited Senate representatives from both sides of the debate to answer questions on that, and a host of other issues". 

Columbia To Consider Bringing ROTC Back to Campus

18 May 2005 New York Sun article "Columbia To Consider Bringing ROTC Back to Campus".  Note:  The chairman of the board of trustees, David Stern, said he is pushing to the forefront of the board's agenda the issue of the university's policy toward ROTC.

Denying Students ROTC

18 May 2005 Wall Street Journal letter "Denying Students ROTC" by David Thomas.  Note:  Responding to Prof. Cohen's article on 13 May, Thomas states that "denying students exposure to ROTC and military history is as short-sighted as eliminating, say, women's studies."

Columbia, ROTC and Sexual Orientation

17 May 2005 Wall Street Journal letter "Columbia, ROTC and Sexual Orientation" by President Lee C. Bollinger (also on Columbia's Web site).  Note:  Responding to an editorial, Pres. Bollinger writes "After acknowledging that reasonable people can differ over the military's prohibition on openly gay and lesbian servicemen and women, the editorial goes on to suggest that those of us who disagree with that prohibition are anti-military, and to question our motivations."  However, this is not an accurate portrayal of the debate at Columbia.  As the Columbia ROTC Task Force report makes clear, proponents of the return of ROTC to Columbia also opposed "Don't ask, don't tell".  The disagreement between pro and anti-ROTC sides at Columbia was whether the benefits of ROTC outweighed the disagreements with the federal law.  Pres. Bollinger went on to blame the government for putting an end to the discussion about ROTC at Columbia, noting that his vote against return of ROTC "was based on a serious concern for the integrity of the university in the face of the federal government's use of the power of the purse to force institutions to compromise their principles".  However, the best indications of Pentagon intentions available before the vote were that "the Pentagon cannot provide a positive request or indication to Columbia to reestablish an ROTC unit on campus because, to do so, would trigger the Solomon Amendment should Columbia turn down the request".  See also a letter in response on 26 May.

Fossella: Federal Money at Risk For Columbia

16 May 2005 New York Sun article "Fossella: Federal Money at Risk For Columbia".  Note:  A New York City congressman suggests that the Secretary of Defense could invoke the Solomon Amendment over Columbia's rejection of ROTC.

Neither Fools Nor Cowards: Barriers between military service and higher education do a disservice to both

13 May 2005 Wall Street Journal column "Neither Fools Nor Cowards: Barriers between military service and higher education do a disservice to both" by Eliot A. Cohen.  Note:  Prof. Cohen discusses the civilian-military divide in light of Columbia's rejection of ROTC and the fact that "the institutional military is not all that eager to re-establish a ROTC presence on elite campuses".  See letter in response on 18 May.  Prof. Cohen, a Harvard ROTC graduate, is pictured here at his son's Harvard ROTC commissioning.

The Wisdom of Solomon

13 May 2005 Villainous Company blog item "The Wisdom of Solomon".  Note:  Cassandra discusses the University Senate vote against ROTC at Columbia and argues that using the Solomon Amendment for ROTC removes the argument that universities with ROTC are tacitly expressing approval for the "Don't ask, don't tell" law.

A Tale of Two Columbias: The patriotic and the politically correct

11 May 2005 Wall Street Journal editorial "A Tale of Two Columbias: The patriotic and the politically correct".  Note:  See responses on 17 May and 26 May.

Reserve Officer Training Corps: After Semester of Debate, ROTC To Stay Off Campus

9 May 2005 Columbia Spectator article "Reserve Officer Training Corps: After Semester of Debate, ROTC To Stay Off Campus".

AWOL at Columbia

9 May 2005 New York Sun editorial "AWOL at Columbia".  Note:  The Sun notes "the lack of protest of the policies of the Islamist enemy in respect of gay rights" at Columbia and argues that one is not "helping the causes of tolerance or civil rights by staying on the sidelines of this war".

Columbia Says No, Still, to ROTC

9 May 2005 Inside Higher Ed article "Columbia Says No, Still, to ROTC".

University Senate Says No to ROTC

Spring 2005 Columbia magazine article "University Senate Says No to ROTC".  Note:  Although the Senate vote was not binding "the administration has pledged to respect the vote".  Nate Walker '08TC, who co-chaired the ROTC Task Force, said "It's clear to me, from my work on the senate, that when the military stops its invidious discriminatory practices, Columbia probably will support ROTC's return", referring to the "Don't ask, don't tell" law.  Provost Alan Brinkley, who abstained from voting as is his custom, despite an impassioned anti-ROTC speech, said "there does not seem to be strong intrinsic opposition toward the military, other than with regard to this discriminatory policy".

The Professor Who Abolished ROTC

14 April 2004 Columbia Spectator article "The Professor Who Abolished ROTC From Columbia". Note: Prof. Lewis Cole says he opposes university credit for courses about the practice of war, but supports credit for courses about military theory.

Congress Pressures Colleges to Accept Military Recruiters

9 April 2004 Columbia Spectator article "Congress Pressures Colleges to Accept Military Recruiters".

Spectator Letter to the Editor

8 April 2004 Columbia Spectator letter "Racism and Homophobia in ROTC Violate Columbia's Standards of Tolerance" by Joya Banerjee, BC '04

Possible Return of ROTC

1 April 2004 Columbia Spectator article "Possible Return of ROTC to Campus Sparks Controversy". Note: "I think everybody involved with the proposal is perfectly aware that the law governing participation in the military has to change, and we will be part of that change if we can," said professor of finance and economics Michael Adler, one of the proposal's faculty supporters.

Senate Passes ROTC Task Force

29 March 2004 Columbia Spectator article "Senate Passes ROTC Task Force". Note: Columbia is setting up a committee to look into the restoration of ROTC.

University Senate Minutes

26 March 2004 Columbia University Senate minutes "Proposal to bring ROTC back to Columbia".

Proposal to Return ROTC to Columbia’s Campus

21 March 2004 "Brief: Proposal to Return ROTC to Columbia’s Campus" by Advocates for Columbia ROTC and Students United for America. Note: The document is also on the Web site of the Columbia University Senate.

Letter to Provost Alan Brinkley

17 February 2004 Letter to Columbia Provost Alan Brinkley "Restoration of ROTC" from Admiral B. James Lowe CC'51. Note: Admiral Lowe mentions a commitment from Provost Brinkley "to form a committee from the faculty senate to review the advantages and disadvantages that would be derived from restoration of the ROTC to Columbia".

Spectator Letter to the Editor

14 February 2004 Columbia Spectator letter "Articles Fail to Accurately Cover Campus ROTC Debate" by Shane Hachey, GS '04.

Spectator Letter to the Editor

14 February 2004 Columbia Spectator letter "CU Should Support Student Participation in the Military" by Jeff Sult, TC '03.

Columbia: Letter to the Editor

6 February 2004 Columbia Spectator letter "ROTC Trains Its Members to Be Leaders of Society, Not Just Killers" by James Bondarchuk, CC '05.

Columbia: Spectator Letter to the Editor

5 February 2004 Columbia Spectator letter "Bringing ROTC to Columbia Will Not Reform the Armed Services" by Michael Castleman, SEAS '03.