Disclaimer: Content on the YP4 blog does not necessarily reflect the views of Young People For or People For the American Way Foundation. The views, ideas, statements or claims posted on this site by members of the public cannot in any way be attributed to either Young People For or People For the American Way Foundation.
Militarized Campuses: a Bipartisan Affair
Last week, Barack Obama confirmed what many had hoped was a misstatement made in the primaries. Washington Post:
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) took the occasion to chide Columbia for its lack of on-campus ROTC. "I don't think that's right," Mr. McCain said. "Shouldn't the students here be exposed to the attractiveness of serving in the military, particularly as an officer?" Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) readily agreed, calling Columbia's anti-ROTC stance a "mistake."
Flash back several months (courtesy For Student Power):
From last night's Democratic debate, as reported by The Hill:
Obama and Edwards both said that they supported withholding funding from higher education institutions that do not provide ROTC programs to students. Clinton initially said she would enforce laws to stop funding but later said of prominent schools that do not have ROTC programs that "there are ways they can work out fulfilling that obligation."
What they were talking about is the Solomon Amendment — a law passed in 1996 (and upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court) that allows the Secretary of Defense to strip a college or university of all Federal funding if the school bans/prohibits ROTC or any other military recruitment on campus.
The YP4 Tribal College Road Trip
YP4 is on the road! Kevin Killer and I are heading down to Lawton, OK tonight to lend some fellow support for 08 fellow Maya Torralba's Native vote outreach. Throughout the rest of the week we will be meeting with administrators, teachers and students at Commanche Nation College, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal College and Pawnee Nation College in Oklahoma.
Focus Leadership Recruitment: Community Colleges
For those of you who know Young People For's initial Fellowship Program model, you know we started out focusing exclusively on four-year colleges and universities. In 2006, we started investing in community college students, who tend to be more connected to their communities than four-year college students.
The make up of community college students is disproportionately comprised of higher percentages of lower-income students, first generation college students, and students of color. Making a strategic investment in and providing appropriate resources to community college students is a critical step to building up strong community leaders and activists.
Did you know?
* 46% of all U.S. undergraduates are enrolled in a two-year or community college: Highly competitive and expensive four-year college admissions make two-year colleges more accessible to students from lower-income and families of color.
* Disproportionately, there are more lower income, students of color on community college campuses than in four-year institutions: Of all African American students in the U.S., 47% are enrolled in a two-year college; of Hispanic, 56% and of Asian/Pacific Islander, 48%.
* Just under half of all students in community college are non-credit, meaning they are attending college for the purpose of advancing their career or education for its own sake.
* Transfer rates to four-year institutions are high, indicating a competitive academic environment that compels students to excel in the classroom and get involved in the campus community.