Final report of the Committee on the ROTC

The Committee on the Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC) was convened to evaluate the historical legacy of military education at Brown and to make recommendations for the future. Following the historic vote of the U.S. Senate and House to end the ban on gay troops serving openly in the armed forces, President Simmons has called for a committee to review Brown's policies on ROTC.

When ROTC was removed from the Brown campus in 1969, the rationale included the stipulation that no ROTC officer could hold faculty status and that no ROTC units could carry Brown credit. Since that time, there have been several attempts to have this decision reconsidered. In 1981, the Corporation requested a review of the policy, and the faculty ultimately reaffirmed the 1969 resolution. In 2002, an internal review also concurred that ROTC military science courses could not carry transfer credit without a change in the Faculty’s resolutions. Given how removed we are from the date of these resolutions, it is incumbent on us to review them in light of the recent transformation in military policy. The President has asked the committee not simply to ascertain whether ROTC policy comports with the 1969 faculty resolution but to see whether it is possible to reinstate ROTC at Brown under terms that would be appropriate today. A more detailed description of the charge may be found at the link to the left.

All members of the Brown community have access to this site, so that anyone who is interested may delve more deeply into the issues. Use the links to learn more about the committee's charge or to consult readings and other materials.

Download the report in PDF format

President's Response in PDF format