TEN-HUT!
ROTC rolls out return of on-campus courses.
Friday, April 15, 2016
After 26 years of leave from the physical Hammond campus, Southeastern has reinstituted its on-campus U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Program (ROTC).
The program, which originally launched at Southeastern in 1969 during the Vietnam War, was closed in 1995 due in large part to declining numbers and retrenchment by the military as a result of budget constraints. More than a thousand students are estimated to have completed the program during those years.
The program, which opened this semester, is an enhancement of the partnership programs that developed with LSU and Southern University in Baton Rouge after the Southeastern ROTC classes were no longer offered on campus.
“We are pleased to re-introduce our students to ROTC military science classes on the Southeastern campus. Increasingly, students are looking for options that include military service, either for several years or as career,” said President John L. Crain. “Southeastern’s previous experience with ROTC was successful in helping to prepare future military leaders. We wanted to make this an easier option for those students seeking to become officers.”
During the break in operations, Southeastern students were still able to participate in ROTC, but had to take their military courses through Southern University’s Navy program or LSU’s Army or Air Force programs. Participating Southeastern students, however, had to travel to Baton Rouge in order to participate. This move brought the Army program back to Southeastern’s campus.
“A lot of our students are in the National Guard, and they want to work on getting commissioned as an officer,” said Professor of Military Science Lt. Col. Brian Bissonnette. “They met the criteria that we look for: good quality candidates who see military service as an option, either for a career or to gain the knowledge and leadership skills.”
Enrollment in the program carries with it an eight-year commitment – four years of active service and four in the Ready Reserve – with varying degrees of scholarship support depending upon options selected. For more information, contact admissions@southeastern.edu.
