A new Army ROTC program has been established at UNF.
The four-year training program can be chosen as an addition to students’ original program of study and will prepare students for future careers in the U.S. Army or other leadership positions.
The Army does not offer a degree but rather a commission to join the Army – “a job basically,” – said 2nd Lt. Christopher Kell.
Students can use the classes as electives, and the grades are considered in their GPAs.
Upon completion of the training, students will posses strong leadership skills that will allow them to serve effectively as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army with more than 50 different branches to choose from, Kell said.
The program officially started Jan. 5 with a capacity of 30-40 people. Because of the late start, only five students are currently enrolled in the Army ROTC program, Lieutenant Colonel Bob Quint said.
“Within 18 to 24 months, the commanding general expects to accommodate about 100-150 people,” he said. “We are confident that UNF can become a Host Army ROTC Battalion.”
In that case, the University of Florida, which has about 95 cadets, will no longer support UNF’s program as it does now by providing one professor and two instructors.
Because summer semesters are designed for outside instruction, classes are offered during the fall and spring semesters only. The classes will teach students battlefield medicine, small unit tactics, weapons firing and custom courtesy. These classes are then followed by a National Guard field training once per semester.
“There is no screaming and yelling, but we do have standards and expectations,” Kell said. “We don’t want people who don’t want to be leaders.”
Students progress through their basic courses during the first two years of study without any obligation to join the Army.
Half-way through the junior year, when students have had a taste of what the Army is like, theyare required to sign a contract stating they will join the Army once they complete the program, Kell said.
In a case where students choose not to commit to the Army, they can utilize their leadership skills in other civilian jobs with upper level management.
“You learn how to manage a lot of things at the same time in a stressful situation,” Kell said.
All salaries for administrative and instructional staff will be paid by the U.S. Army, wrote Mauricio Gonzalez, vice president for Student and International Affairs, in a letter to the chair of the Academic Programs Committee.
Tuition paid by enrolled UNF students for ROTC coursework will be collected by UNF in the same manner as any other credit coursework, thereby providing financial revenue to the university at no cost.
No dislocation of normal university functioning is anticipated as the ROTC coursework will be scheduled during low space demand periods from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Gonzalez said. The price of ROTC coursework is comparable to other academic programs. The Navy ROTC offers two-year scholarships for sophomores at UNF, which would cover all of the tuition for junior and senior years.
Scholarship recipients will then be required to complete a six-week course of instruction in naval science and drills.
“Officers must be leaders because we don’t want anybody who fails their soldiers,” Kell said.
E-mail Andrea Farah at staff2@unfspinnaker.com
