[ Golden Gater Online - August 28, 1997 ]

Last week, City College of San Francisco was one of many schools across the country forced to allow military recruiters back onto campus, or face losing financial aid.

A new federal law states that all colleges which don't allow armed-forces recruitment on campus will have federal aid yanked, including the Work-Study program and Perkins Loans. At stake for City College was $1.7 million.

For years, City College has abided by a decision of its elected representatives not to allow the military on campus. At issue was the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward enlisted gay men and women. Feeling the policy was discriminatory, City College chose not to allow the military access to its students while on campus.

For other colleges, the decision to prevent military recruitment was more pragmatic. Law schools, for instance, are closely affiliated with professional and legal organizations that have anti-discrimination policies which conflict with the military's policy toward gays. In order to maintain a professional association with those organizations, the schools barred the military from campus.

At City College, both the Board of Trustees and student government favored the ban on military recruiters. The leadership of City College, as well as the leadership of many other colleges, chose to use what clout they had to pressure the federal government into reconsidering its insidious policy on gays in the military. The government used extortion to take that power away from them.

Does the military have a black policy, a white policy, an Hispanic, Hindu or Presbyterian policy?

Financial aid is intended to help students with the talent, but not the money to attend college. It shouldn't be subject to review pending federal approval of all university policies.

Consider this hypothetical situation: If Proposition 209 becomes law today, as many expect, and SF State Associated Students takes an official stand against the legislation, could the federal government then threaten to revoke all SF State's federal aid? Under the precedent set last week at City College and other schools that meant to strike a blow for civil rights and justice, it's a legitimate question. The federal government has apparently found a way to keep universities on a leash.

If a university is accredited by a nationally recognized organization and provides a quality education to its students, the government should stay out of campus affairs.

Universities have long been the battlefield for social policy in America. Federal pressure was used in 1963 to integrate the University of Alabama in what some consider one of the greatest victories for civil rights in this country.

Now the tables have turned.

In 1997, universities tried to pressure the government to change its stance on a civil rights issue. But the military has forced its way onto campuses again -- and this time not to let two black students pass by a racist southern governor who literally stood in the schoolhouse door, but to allow a discriminatory organization to solicit university students.

And they played dirty by hitting them where it counts -- in the pocketbook.

[ Golden Gater - August 28, 1997 ]