Statement of Anne Neal, President of ACTA, on the Return of ROTC to Yale

WASHINGTON, DC—”We praise the Yale Corporation for bridging the troubling chasm between the academy and the military,” Neal said. “By underscoring that defense of our liberties is an important form of public service, the trustees have exercised their fiduciary responsible to improve student life and learning. Now the trustees must work with faculty to ensure that ROTC students are enrolled in an excellent academic program. We applaud Yale for joining institutions such as Harvard and Columbia in restoring ROTC.”

Following a vote by Tuesday’s Yale Corporation, Yale President Richard Levin and Secretary of the Navy Ray Maybus announced the return of ROTC to Yale this afternoon. Yale’s faculty recently voted to overturn the campus ban on ROTC enacted in the late 1960s. Importantly, the new rules grant academic rank to ROTC instructors and ensure Yale provides necessary facilities for ROTC. The press conference is anticipated to announce an agreement between the Yale Corporation and the Navy to restore ROTC on campus. For years, ACTA has supported the return of ROTC to Yale and other peer institutions, corresponding with the Yale Corporation and other boards of trustees.

Founded in 1995, ACTA is an independent, non-profit organization committed to academic freedom, excellence, and accountability at America’s colleges and universities. It is the only organization that works with alumni, donors, trustees, and education leaders across the United States to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure that the next generation receives a philosophically rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.