Senior ROTC program available on CSC campus
Chadron State College students now have the opportunity to participate in the Senior Reserve Officers Training Corps, the military program in which participants can elect to become officers in the U.S. Army, Army Reserves or the National Guard upon program completion and graduation from college.
“This program will make Chadron State a viable option for students who want to obtain a quality four-year education in northwest Nebraska and pursue a career in the military,” said Dr. Lois Veath, Chadron State vice president of academic affairs, who was instrumental in the program’s development.
In 1997, ROTC became available for Chadron State students, but the program never took hold, perhaps because the students were required to travel to Rapid City, S.D., for all ROTC courses and training with the South Dakata School of Mines and Technology’s Mount Rushmore ROTC Battalion which was established in 1950. A new memorandum of understanding between Chadron State and the South Dakota Tech ROTC allows more of the requirements to be completed at Chadron.
Cadets will now attend military science leadership courses at the Chadron campus, while still participating in military field training exercises, leadership labs and social events such as military balls and banquets at Rapid City.
Maj. Cynthia Tusler of Hay Springs, who has a master’s degree, was hired as adjunct professor of military science courses at CSC. Because of an agreement with the Mount Rushmore Battalion and the Nebraska National Guard, the Guard armory on the CSC campus will provide office space, computer and phones for Tusler. The college’s admissions personnel will work with the Nebraska National Guard in ROTC recruiting efforts.
The program is open to junior and senior college students who either have prior military experience or who are active members of the Guard or Reserves. Cadets at CSC will receive a $700 tax-free stipend each month, along with full tuition and book reimbursement from the federal government during the time they are enrolled in the ROTC program.
Veath said the program has great potential, noting that the CSC admissions department staff has reported a number of inquiries about the availability of ROTC from prospective students. The proximity of the armory on the campus makes Chadron State’s program especially attractive to potential cadets, she said.
More information about the program may be obtained by contacting Capt. Cynthia Porter at South Dakota Tech, (605) 394-6038 or cynthia.porter@sdsmt.edu.
Category: Campus News