The Metroversity Reserve Officer Training Corps program, offered by the University of Louisville, will have courses on the IUS campus starting next year.
The courses offered will teach students about military doctrine, physical doctrine, army customs and traditions, leadership theory, principles of war and military operations and tactics.
Students may take these courses without any obligation to enter the military.
“Many people just don’t understand what military life is. They just go off what they get on TV, these courses will teach them what we are actually like,” Sgt. Daniel Mansfield, ROTC Liaison and IUS instructor, said.
Students will be able to take lecture courses on campus, but the physical training may be done at the National Guard Armory on Grant Line Rd or the University of Louisville campus.
“It puts you in positions that don’t make you feel comfortable. Being in those positions helps you find yourself as a leader,” Alex Ooley said.
The nine IUS students currently enrolled in the program are excited about the decreased drive times and the ability to interact with fellow IU Southeast students.
“You don’t know them very well over there [University of Louisville]. It’s hard to get to know them because you only see them for a short time,” Ryan Ooley, history sophomore, said.
Fellow ROTC member Christopher Irvine, philosophy sophomore, said, “There are different cliques over there [University of Louisville]. You have the U of L, Bellarrmine, and IUS cliques. It’s hard to get involved and have a real team.”
The instructors and administration realize that most of the IU Southeast ROTC students have to drive 30 minutes or more to get to the University of Louisville campus.
“It will make scheduling classes a heck of a lot easier,” Alex Ooley, undecided freshman, said.
The first two years of ROTC offer introductory training in leadership without any obligation. Students finishing the program can enter the military as a commissioned officer.
“I mostly joined for the experience, I’m doing things that I’ve never done, such as repelling,” Jeri Hacker, undecided freshman, said.
Once students have completed the ROTC program, they have the opportunity to pursue airborne school and air assault school, and active duty training which includes repelling out of helicopters and jumping out of planes.
Graduates of the program can be commissioned into the army as second lieutenants and serve in one of many different career fields.
Students wishing to enroll in the ROTC must register for courses through the metroversity office with Jen Matzek, IUS assistant registrar, or Brian Johnson, Indiana college network and metroversity coordinator.
Matzek said the benefits of IU Southeast offering the courses is that the students will be able to use home tuition and get IU Southeast credit and transcript grades.
Students that enroll in any ROTC course will receive a physical education or elective credit.
Another benefit for students enrolled in the ROTC, is the opportunity to receive many different scholarships, which includes a scholarship for room and board.
Although there is no space for the ROTC office just yet, the recently vacated Purdue offices are expected to be remodeled for their use.
“There really is no idea how much interest or what the ROTC program is expecting. Seemed to get more interest with being local,” Gilbert Atnip, vice chancellor of Academic Affairs, said.
The expected date to start the courses on campus is fall 2009.
By GRACE STAMPER
Staff Writer
gstamper@ius.edu
