A Wisconsin Alternative

The controversy over discrimination and the military has spurred at least one college campus to take creative steps to quell student protests.

The University of Wisconsin at Madison (UW) made headlines late last month when administrators announced a plan to create an alternative ROTC on campus that would not discriminate against any students.

UW's Associated Students of Madison recently issued a report criticizing ROTC and the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The administration then agreed to add a statement to the UW system's antidiscrimination policy acknowledging discrimination with in ROTC.

UW has also agreed to develop a leadership and scholarship program for students that would serve as an alternative to ROTC. Administrators are planning on soliciting alumni contributions to fund the project.

"ROTC is very valuable to some students, it just discriminates against others. We're trying to mitigate that," says UW Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs John D. Wiley.