University of Wisconsin Regents Refuse to Ban ROTC

University of Wisconsin regents refused Friday to expel the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, a move sought by a faculty group to protest the military’s ban on homosexuals.

The board voted, 13 to 3, to accept the recommendation of University President Kenneth Shaw, which calls for an aggressive lobbying effort to reverse the Pentagon policy.

Shaw’s recommendation was adopted rather than a faculty-backed resolution that demanded that the ROTC be expelled in 1993 if the military continues to deny enlistment to homosexual men and women. Several other campus groups followed with similar resolutions.

Shaw responded by saying he did not believe that severing the university’s ties to the military would effectively encourage the military to change its policy. Furthermore, the elimination of the military programs would hurt those students who benefit from them, he said.

About 1,300 students are enrolled in Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC programs throughout the university system’s 13 major campuses; one-third are at UW-Madison, which has 42,000 students.

The regents heard testimony from 15 people before voting in favor of Shaw’s resolution, which called on the university to step up efforts it began in 1987 to lobby Congress and the military.

Jordan Marsh of the Wisconsin Student Assn. said that he was disappointed by the regents’ vote but was encouraged by some of the members’ comments. Some regents said they would want the ROTC banned if the lobbying to change military policy fails.