Posted on 05/22/2005 10:19:19 PM PDT by quietolong
Stout says no to ROTC discrimination
Story Subheadline
By Lindsey Schuldt
News Editor
Recently the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) was proposed to come to the University of Wisconsin-Stout campus. On Monday, May 9, Chancellor Sorensen sent out an e-mail to all UW-Stout staff informing them that he had decided against the ROTC program on our campus.
"I have decided not to move forward with the invitation," said Sorensen. "I do not think, in good conscience, we can invite an organization to campus that discriminates against anyone because of sexual orientation."
The ROTC program has a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" policy that disallows anyone not of heterosexual orientation to participate in their programs.
"The ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy basically says if you are openly gay in the ROTC, you will get kicked out," said Adam Duffenbach, a senior majoring in service management and the president of the Student Senate Association (SSA).
Sorensen took many different factors into mind when making his decision. He had advice from the Chancellor's Advisory Council as well as votes from SSA, the faculty senate and the academic staff senate.
Both the SSA and the faculty senate voted in favor of the ROTC program. The only senate that voted against the program was the academic staff senate, which had an overwhelming 10 to 2 vote.
"The academic staff senators, in consultation with their constituents, had come to the agreement that the policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" does not support UW-Stout's principle of understanding and accepting differences, particularly with regard to the [homosexual] community," said Viola Jones, chair of the academic staff senate.
The main factor in the Chancellor and academic staff senate's decisions were the conflicts between the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and Plan 2008.
"The program would be bad for the university because it contradicts the plan of 2008, which embraces diversity from all angles, including sexual orientation," said Duffenbach. "It'd be like the university lying to itself."
Sorensen apparently felt the same way as the academic staff senate.
"At a time when we are promoting diversity and tolerance, ROTC would send quite a different message, stating in effect that we say one thing but practice another," said Sorensen.
Once ROTC is on campus, it is very difficult to remove it.
In Madison, less than a month ago, the students met with the UW-System Chancellor, John Wiley, and requested that the ROTC program be removed from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They were denied because the Board of Regents had previously refused to repeal the program in 1989.
In 2003, MIT had to revise its nondescrimination policy and refer to ROTC as an exception because of their "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. ROTC said it was not its problem that MIT had to change policy.
"‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' I'm not interested in one's sexual preference, and I'm not going to ask about it," said Army Lt. Col. Brian L. Baker, who ran the ROTC program at the time.
Out at Stout, the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organization on campus, is thrilled with the news.
"I commend Chancellor Sorensen for his effort to promote diversity and equality," said Danielle Wojcik, an art education graduate of UW-Stout.
"He didn't bend down for any organization or group," said Wojcik. "Had he, he would have been silencing people and not allowing individuals to be themselves."
No, he didn't. But he sure did bend over for a particular group, as most liberals do.
Stout: The easy way out.
I'm glad the head of a joke of a university can do something to make himself feel important.
Stout may be a small U. But it gives degrees in things that you can go out in the real world and get a job with.
Several Professors have deer heads mounted in there offfices that they took with a bow. I would like to see that in some big name Us.
Stout for the most part is a good school.
UW-Stout link
http://www.uwstout.edu/
I always like the abbreviation GLBT because it sounds like a kind of sandwich.
"He didn't bend down for any organization or group," said Wojcik. "Had he, he would have been silencing people and not allowing individuals to be themselves."
Ah, but isn't that what it's all about? I rest my case.
I'd like some kid to challenge that in court, saying an institute of education should not discriminate against potential military careers. There are plenty of students who would like to make the military a career as an officer and by not allowing the ROTC program takes away from the learning process.
Betcha that was a grueling cirriculum.
It sounds to me like a designer date-rape drug.
Stout isn't a joke of a university; I honestly believe we have a joke of a chancellor, that's all.
GRRRRRRR! We have the same problem in the Portland schools.
LOL!
Just one more thing parents need to take into account before sending sons and daughters to this liberal sink hole. If you will funnel the ideas and teachings so that your students get a biased left leaning socialistic viewpoint, then people who want to raise their kids in a capitalist environment should not attend.
My son applied this rule and did not apply to any of the UC campuses in CA. Same here.
A really bad kind of sandwich...
Stout Stout the easy way out. If you can't make it there, go to Eau Claire.
Even Berkeley East aka UW-Madison has ROTC. Sheesh.
Hey. Stout has a well know art student
He’s known across the country
:-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.