Facing a decline in overall enrollment, University Reserve Officer Training Corps officials are implementing new initiatives to boost awareness and interest.
The market for ROTC students at the University is stagnant, said Army Capt. Doug Keating. "I just don't think students know as much about the military in general as they did 10 years ago," Keating said.
University ROTC enrollment has declined significantly over the past four years.
After reaching a peak of more than 110 students in 1996, the Air Force ROTC's enrollment of new students dropped to a low of less than 80 in 2000.
Despite the sharp downturn, Air Force ROTC recruitment officer Eunice T. Ciskowski said, "Right now, there are no red flags up ... If there is a decline, at this time it is nothing to worry about."
Army ROTC enrollment has seen a similar decline. Since 1995, enrollment has dropped from about 80 students to less than 60 students in 2000.
The University's Navy ROTC program saw a less substantial fall from about 110 students in 1996 to about 95 students in 2000.
One reason for the decline is the nation's thriving economy, Navy ROTC Commander Joel Swanson said.
There are many more job opportunities in a stable economy available to students who might have considered the possibility of a military career, he said.
He also cites the University's increasing competitiveness as a reason for the decline.
The Navy ROTC scholarship process functions separately from the regular University application process, so many students with scholarships are simply unable to gain acceptance as undergraduates.
The programs' national headquarters set the total number of ROTC scholarships available to students, depending on congressional funding. In recent years, ROTC officials said they have not had difficulty filling the available scholarship positions.
U.S. military downsizing limited the number of scholarships available to ROTC programs in the early 1990s, but "the number of ROTC scholarships leveled out around 1995," Swanson said.
"We all just take the opportunity whenever we can to pitch ROTC to students," he said.
Despite the decline, the Army ROTC program is highly optimistic over increased resources, a changing recruiting philosophy and a new recruitment campaign, Keating said.
Last week, Air Force ROTC held a special recruiting day to promote a popular new one-year program. Officials set up information tables all over Grounds to educate interested students about the types of opportunities available in the program.
Army ROTC holds an annual "summer camp challenge" to build interest and is in the planning stages of a new initiative in collaboration with Liberty University in which students from Liberty could take classes taught by University ROTC professors.
"The opportunities in the military for starting a post-college career are as great as ever," Keating said. "The military is still a great place to start"
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