Pentagon: Colleges must hand over names
The Defense Department has announced a new get-tough policy with colleges and universities that interfere with the work of military recruiters and Reserve Officer Training Corps programs.
Under rules that will take effect April 28, defense officials said they want the exact same access to student directories that is provided to all other prospective employers.
Students can opt out of having their information turned over to the military only if they opt out of having their information provided to all other recruiters, but schools cannot have policies that exclude only the military, defense officials said in a March 28 notice of the new policy in the Federal Register.
The Defense Department “will honor only those student ‘opt-outs’ from the disclosure of directory information that are even-handedly applied to all prospective employers seeking information for recruiting purposes,” the notice says.
Directories are an important recruiting tool because they include the names, birthdates, phone numbers and academic pursuits of college students that can be used to identify people with knowledge and interests that are particularly useful to the military.
The new policy also no longer lets schools ban military recruiters from working on campuses solely because a school determines that no students have expressed interest in joining the military. If other employers are invited, the military has to have the same access.
Federal funding can be cut off if colleges and universities do not give recruiters and ROTC programs campus access. While student financial assistance is not at risk, other federal aid, especially research funding, can disappear if a school does not cooperate.
The Pentagon can declare colleges or universities anti-ROTC if they prohibit or prevent a Senior ROTC program from being established, maintained or efficiently operated.
The new policy is, in part, the result of a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld the federal government’s ability to use funding as a means of forcing equal access for military recruiters and ROTC units on campuses.
I don't see how the Pentagon ties in ROTC bias and being anti-recruiter?
There's just a slight difference between going to work for a civilian job and joining the military: One doesn't pressure you into possibly making the ultimate sacrifice!
13 comments:
I don't like anyone having access to personal info, but we're just sooo beyond that anymore.
Once again, Max Headroom (the tv show) was more prescient than any other future predictors anywhere. Huh. I wonder if it's on dvd...
There's just a slight difference between going to work for a civilian job and joining the military: One doesn't pressure you into possibly making the ultimate sacrifice!
Yeah, but you still have to join. Giving recruiters access doesn't force anyone to sign on the dotted line.
And look at it this way, if a college or university told Microsoft that they couldn't recruit on campus or have access to student directories would you expect Microsoft to make donations or make other funds available to those institutions?
I understand the anti-Imperialist mind set that contributes to this reaction but does that automatically translate to "the military is just bad, period". I hadn't thought so.
Yeah, I should have added more.
It gives recruiters way to much leverage power. They will have access to SSN and medical records.
What's next... blackballing the student from getting pell grants or other jobs if they don't do what the recruiter wants.
The ROTC on campuses I can understand but if your child already opted-out in high school the recruiters should leave them alone. It's as if they are forcing you to opt-out twice.
And who will be effected more... rich or poor students?
I still say it's time for a draft!
It wasn't such a big issue, really, because students could just say "no thanks," but why they need to have access to personal information, I don't know. I guess there's nothing secret about any of us, any more, is there?
And really, it used to be a good opportunity for people to get an education, see the world, meet new people. After what Bush has done, it's going to be a long time before the military is a viable option for a lot of kids. Who wants to take the chance?
I'm so dang tickled with my avatar!
You are looking good!
Snark did it, and his own. Pretty cool, huh?
SoS,
Check your gmail.
I wanna see!
You'n and all your fancy graphics . .
Yer just jealous, blanket boy!
I seriously hope that, once I'm enrolled back in college, some Army recruiter approaches my ass. "Why yes, tell me ALL ABOUT the 180 jobs I can use to earn REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE while serving my country..."
*rubs hands together, cackling." Mwahahahaha...
I see Snark's point (you are always so friggin' objective!) and he makes an excellent argument.
My first reaction is that it is blackmail or worse and I do not like the military having personal contact info for my kid.
There was a time, Coyote, when it was a good option. There was also a time when you could actually sign up for a weekend a month and a couple of weeks a year. They have bastardized the reserves tho too and it is impossible to trust them.
I think that is the thing - the military is no longer trustworthy - therefore, I do not want them to have my info or my kid's.
...they already do though, and my pictures at anti-war rallies.
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