27 CommentsThe results from the Task Force on Military Engagement’s student survey are in, and will not be officially released until tomorrow. While 11,629 students were eligible to participate, only 2,252 completed the survey. Check out the Task Force’s full ‘Executive Summary’ here, which contains survey results, the Task Force’s suggestions and Columbia’s history with the military.
Sixty percent of the students who did participate approved of a return of ROTC to CU’s campuses, while 79 percent of participants approved of “Columbia allowing the participation of Columbia students in ROTC, whether on- or off-campus.”
At the end of its executive summary, the Task Force makes five assertions:
- Our current relationships with the military enrich the Columbia community.
- Columbia’s relationship with ROTC is an issue of concern and the matter should be addressed formally by the University Senate at present.
- Columbia should actively support the endeavors of individual students to participate in ROTC programs, whether on- or off-campus.
- If ROTC is to return to Columbia, the faculty and Deans must retain full jurisdiction over questions of academic credit, appointments, and governance.
- Columbia’s non-discrimination policy is important and encourages a tolerant and open community.
Also notable is that, according to the Boston Globe, Harvard will both formally recognize on campus and fund the NROTC, with cadets still training at MIT.
Loading …
27 Comments
@End of the beginning The task force was just prelude and stage-setting. What counts is the University Senate vote in April, which means the real competition for ROTC is only now beginning. ROTC opponents suffered a setback, but by no means have they been defeated.
@this isn't a random sample
@Anonymous The survey revealed that 60% of students who responded approved
of “a return of ROTC to Columbia’s campuses”, and 79% approved of “Columbia
allowing the participation of Columbia students in ROTC, whether on- or off-campus.”
@Van Owen Congratulations ROTC!!!
@anon One can only hope they bring it back
@LBB'12 GTFO my Columbia
@Anonymous Democracy = ‘agreeable anarchy’ = Columbia’s whining lefties and self-righteous righties
@Excuse me but since when is a major research university a “democracy”?
@... it is a survey not a vote.
@Insurgent Columbia has never been a democracy, and this doesn’t change anything. If it were, you can bet yer sweet ass the lawns would be open more often!
@Oh, Task Force Either
1. People/students just don’t care
2. The ROTC ‘debate’ and town halls were publicized only a week before the survey was given out, the survey was so haphazardly sent out and only one email was sent about it (before the town halls were even over! What kind of democratic campaigning process is that?),
3. This is actually what Columbia students think.
@Law of Large Numbers Given that the sample size is actually over 2,000 people, this is almost definitely an accurate tally of what Columbians think.
@No It would be an accurate estimate if those numbers were broadly representative of the Columbia population. They almost certainly are not–like with any university poll, those who felt strongly about the issue voted. Those who didn’t did not. It would be more accurate to say that this accurately reflects the feelings of those who felt strongly one way or the other about ROTC.
@Alum Perhaps many of those who didn’t vote simply didn’t care, in which case we can infer that they do not oppose the return of ROTC.
@Stats student No, it is not representative at all. The Law of Large Numbers assumes that the sample was randomly selected, and here it was not. This survey is a voluntary sample, and as such is inherently biased in nature and all conclusions should be approach with great caution. With a 19% response rate, I seriously doubt these results are valid at all.
Read your stats book!
@TogetherColumbia Less than 20% of people participated in the survey. That’s worse than last year’s CCSC elections, in which only 37% of CC students voted in the executive board race. So much for their conclusion that “Columbia’s relationship with ROTC is an issue of concern.”
@hmm Is this ok for Spec and Bwog to post even though it isn’t set to be released until tomorrow??
And there’s no press release out on the Task Force site..
@Claire It’s posted in the agenda section of the Senate website.