ROTC decision due
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ings will become a "test case for the ultimate power of the University Senate," George said. It will determine the degree of our autonomy, he said, because the ROTC issue is without a doubt the most delicate issue the University Senate could ever place before the Board of Regents and the state legislature.
If the Senate reaches a conclusion that is acceptable to the Regents and the legislature, there will be no problem, George said.
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Surveys favor ROTC
Although the Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) is still a topic for campus debate, surveys indicate that at present most students favor retention of ROTC on the KU campus.
Students responded 4 to 1 in favor of retaining the ROTC in a survey taken by KUOK campus radio reporters.
Robert Sullinger, Overland Park junior and station news director, said after the October war moratorium, he decided to find out how students felt about the program.
Two reporters, Warren Wood, Independence senior and Carol White, Council Grove senior, talked to a random sample of more than 250 students, Sullinger said.
Nearly 52 per cent of those interviewed indicated ROTC should remain on campus as a credit class.
An additional 29.5 per cent,he said favored retaining ROTC,but as a non-credit class.
Only 18.5 per cent, according to Sullinger, opposed having the ROTC program in any form.
Sullinger said students questioned were in the 18 to 24 age group. The opinions of students presently enrolled in ROTC or those who had publicly spoken for or against the program were not included in the final computations.
Bruce Barker, Lawrence senior.
20 KANSAN Oct. 29 1969
compiled the facts and figured percentages on a class as well as total basis.
"Some students," he said, "were completely against ROTC and others advocated citizen soldiers trained by an educational establishment."
The taped opinions were used for a KUOK newscast. Sullinger said there was a complete range of sentiments.
ROTC cadets themselves find little to debate.
The results of a survey conducted last spring by the committee studying retention of ROTC credit found unanimous disapproval among cadets of the three services to abolition of ROTC, and 92 per cent favored full credit.
The questionnaires, sent to those who were or had been in ROTC, reached 473 students. Of that number, 282, or about 60 per cent were returned. Students were told not to sign their names on the questionnaires.
Although the committee did not think that any conclusions could be drawn by the results, it did decide that worthwhile observations could be made.
Responding to other questions on the forms, the majority, about 64 per cent, did not feel that the ROTC staff held undue influence over their personal freedom. Of those who did, 27 per cent complained only of restrictions on length of hair, personal appearance and the wearing of the-uniform.
While only five per cent of all students did feel undue influence from the staffs, "approximately 10 per cent of those in the NROTC program expressed the feeling of some restrictions."
None of those who responded to the questionnaire feared any retaliation from their local draft boards should they resign from ROTC.
The results also showed that the quality of the ROTC instructors was judged to be as good or better than other instructors within the University. About 87 per cent judged them on a par, 8 per cent considered them better than those teaching in other departments and less than 5 per cent considered them inferior.
The most commonly expressed sentiments were that ROTC instructors were comparable to
typical professors at KU and much superior to teaching assistants and instructors, had much closer rapport with students, were more interested in the individual student and willing to give of their time to meet with the students.
If ROTC were discontinued, 51 per cent stated that they would have enrolled in the basic program anyway, 38 per cent would not, and 11 per cent were undecided. In the advance program, 49 per cent would have enrolled without credit, 40 per cent would not, and 11 per cent were undecided.
Of those who responded, only 32 per cent held ROTC scholarships. Seventy-nine per cent of these said they would have attended another university had they not received credit for ROTC.
Little differentiation, the committee said, was seen in answers from students in various schools, between the three services or between those enrolled in basic or advanced programs.
Governor urges citizen restraint
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in Kansas City, the governor said
the stereotype of today's student
is not altogether favorable.
"I am finding people of my age group increasingly disparaging of students as a lawless breed who threaten public officials, who heckle speakers on their campus, who deny to others the rights they claim for themselves. Many Americans are generalizing the college student into a stereotype of one who does not believe in the political values we have inherited." Docking said.
The governor said he could sympathize with rebellious students in Poland and Czechoslovakia, but not in the United States.
"I did not come here tonight to wave the flag. I came here to urge continued and greater participation in political decision-making by members of the young generation but within the context of our political heritage," Docking said.
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