Although it receives federal money, OSU won’t be affected by decision

By MARY ANN ALBRIGHT
Gazette-Times reporter

Monday’s unanimous Supreme Court ruling to allow military recruiting on all college campuses receiving federal money won’t mean any changes at Oregon State University.

While some campuses around the nation have objected to military recruiters, calling the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on homosexuality discriminatory, OSU officials say they’ve not heard any complaints.

Maj. Joe Hoffman is the recruiting operations officer for Army ROTC at OSU, and he said he’s never heard any concerns about military recruitment on campus.

The military is integrated into OSU, Hoffman noted. For-credit Army, Navy (which includes the Marines) and Air Force ROTC classes are offered as electives. Students also have the option of pursuing a military science minor.

Hoffman recruits students with billboards and flyers as well as presentations at orientations for new and transfer students.

But the best advertisement is word of mouth from students who’ve participated in the ROTC program, he said.

“When we recruit students to come to class, we’re not necessarily recruiting them into the Army. It’s just to see if they like it for the first two years,” Hoffman said.

Students who continue after two years sign on as military officers.

Beyond ROTC recruitment, the military also sends representatives to OSU.

The Air Force, Navy and Army staff booths in the quad or the Memorial Union multiple times a year, according to Jan Meranda, reservationist in the MU business office. The services also have participated in job fairs.

Outside groups must be sponsored by a university department or a student group or go through career services.