About 30 Towson undergraduates in the ROTC program receive their training at Loyola, Garrison said. But the weekly commute for cadets from Catonsville to Charles Village is far longer, and UMBC officials said they believe they could attract more students interested in a military career if they had an on-campus unit.
"We are losing students to Hopkins because of a lack of an ROTC host program being here," said Yvette Mozie-Rosshead, head of enrollment management. She said ROTC actively recruits prospective UMBC students and that there has been "very strong interest" from students and their families.
UMBC officials also said the school stands to benefit from increased college scholarships if it becomes an ROTC host. Although UMBC students constitute nearly half of the participants in the Hopkins unit, they receive fewer scholarships because the Army gives priority to Hopkins, college officials said.
The Army offers full-tuition scholarships to some ROTC participants, who receive basic military training while in school. Scholarship recipients must commit to 8 years of military service. While in school, cadets also receive a $1,200 annual textbook allowance and monthly stipends ranging from $350 to $500, Romaine said.
Yesterday, a parade of UMBC community members - including self-described "draft dodgers" of the Vietnam era, gay rights activists, and current and former ROTC cadets - took their turn at the microphone to try to persuade Hrabowski to see their side of the debate.
Opponents of the proposed ROTC unit argued that the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy conflicts with UMBC's nondiscrimination policy. Michelle Danaher, a junior from St. Mary's County and a member of the campus gay rights Freedom Alliance, said an Army outpost on campus would represent "a place on my campus where I'm not welcome." She said her girlfriend would have liked an ROTC scholarship but "couldn't get it."
Several current and former ROTC cadets said they disagree with "don't ask, don't tell," but they argued that it is a political issue that should be left to Congress to decide.
gadi.dechter@baltsun.com
