Senior Military College
Encyclopedia
In the United States, a Senior Military College (SMC) is one of six college
s that offer military Reserve Officers' Training Corps
(ROTC) programs and are specifically recognized under 10 USC
2111a(f). The six senior military colleges are:
Under U.S. law and U.S. Army regulations, there are three types of ROTC programs administered, each with a different element. In addition to ROTC at Senior Military Colleges, there are ROTC programs at civilian colleges and at Military Junior College
s.
Federal law currently prohibits the Department of Defense from requiring a policy in SMCs that mandates female students' participation in the ROTC programs:
Cadets at an SMC are authorized to take the ROTC program all four years, but taking a commission
upon graduation remains optional, unlike other colleges where ROTC cadets are required to sign a contract to take commission before entering their final two years.
Under both AR 145-1 and federal law, the ROTC programs at the Senior Military Colleges are treated differently. Unlike ROTC at other schools, the Department of Defense
is prohibited from closing or reducing the ROTC programs at an SMC, even during time of war (full or total mobilization).
In contrast with other colleges and universities: "Under full or total mobilization, the Secretary of the Army may withdraw the ROTC detachments without giving prior notice to the academic institution. The establishment of new SROTC detachments will not be authorized after full mobilization has been declared." All MS-IV cadets at the Senior Military Colleges will be commissioned and directed to attend the proper officers basic course (OBC). At other colleges, ROTC programs will be suspended and the cadre will immediately be available for reassignment.
Another advantage to the SMC system is that all cadets at the Senior Military Colleges are guaranteed active duty commissions when they graduate:
, Georgia
. Since its inception
in 1873, the college required undergraduate resident males to participate in the Corps of Cadets (the corps was optional for resident undergraduate females and all commuting or graduate students). North Georgia was also the first SMC to admit women into the Corps of Cadets. The school has a large United States Army
ROTC
program and is the only Senior Military College without Navy/Marine Corps and Air Force programs. Beginning in 2008, due to fear of legal action, North Georgia began transitioning away from mandatory ROTC, following the lead of Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, and Norwich. All male resident students are no longer required to enroll in the military program.
as the "Birthplace of ROTC
", Norwich University
is a private university
located in Northfield, Vermont
. Founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont
, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy, it is the oldest and currently only private military college in the United States
. It is home to both a corps of cadets and a smaller traditional student population.
With an enrollment of 45,380 students and, of those students, approximately 2,400 cadet
s, Texas A&M University
in College Station, Texas
is one of the largest of the SMCs. It was established under the Morrill Act of 1862 and cadets began classes there in 1876. During World War II
, Texas A&M produced 20,229 Aggies who served in combat. Of those, 14,123 Aggies served as officers; more than the combined total of the United States Naval Academy
and the United States Military Academy
and more than three times the totals of any other SMC.
, comprehensive college
located in Charleston
, South Carolina
. In addition to the cadet
program, civilian programs are offered through the Citadel's College of Graduate and Professional Studies with its evening undergraduate and graduate programs
. The Citadel enrolls over 2,000 undergraduate cadets in its residential military program and 1,200 civilian
students in the evening programs. While both programs make use of the Citadel campus and Citadel professor
s, cadets and civilian students do not generally share classes and only cadets live on campus. The exception to this is a veterans program, reinstated in the fall of 2007, which allows cadets who left The Citadel for active military duty to return as civilians, attend classes with cadets, and complete their degrees if certain criteria are met. Cadets also share classes with enlisted active duty Marines and Navy personnel.
, Virginia
, the Virginia Military Institute
is the oldest state military college in the United States. VMI has been called the "West Point of the South" because of its role during the Civil War and because unlike any other military college in the United States, VMI enrolls only cadets and grants baccalaureate degrees exclusively.
VMI is the only senior military college or academy to graduate the highest ranking 4 star generals across three services: Marine Corps Commandants, Air Force Chief of Staff, and the General of the Army
, General George C. Marshall, the only non-US service academy 5 Star General in US history.
According to several top Collegiate ranking systems, VMI is the most prestigious of the senior military colleges.
, Virginia
, is one of only two major universities (along with Texas A&M
) to host a senior military college as part of a larger civilian university. The Corps of Cadets has existed since Virginia Tech's 1872 founding; membership was mandatory for all male students during their entire term at the school until 1924 when the requirement was reduced to two years. After World War II
, prior-service students were not required to enter the Corps, and in 1964 Corps membership was made voluntary for all non-ROTC students. Women had been admitted to the school as civilian students since 1921, but were permitted to join the Corps in 1973. Members of the Corps may participate in ROTC programs leading to an officer's commission or simply in Corps drill and military life ("Corps Only") on campus.
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s that offer military Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
(ROTC) programs and are specifically recognized under 10 USC
Title 10 of the United States Code
Title 10 of the United States Code outlines the role of armed forces in the United States Code.It provides the legal basis for the roles, missions and organization of each of the services as well as the United States Department of Defense...
2111a(f). The six senior military colleges are:
- North Georgia College & State University; Dahlonega, Georgia
- Norwich UniversityNorwich UniversityNorwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont . The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six Senior Military Colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of...
; Northfield, Vermont - Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
; College Station, Texas - The Citadel; Charleston, South Carolina
- Virginia Military InstituteVirginia Military InstituteThe Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
; Lexington, Virginia - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
(Virginia Tech); Blacksburg, Virginia
Under U.S. law and U.S. Army regulations, there are three types of ROTC programs administered, each with a different element. In addition to ROTC at Senior Military Colleges, there are ROTC programs at civilian colleges and at Military Junior College
Military Junior College
In the United States, a Military Junior College is a military-style junior college that allows cadets to become commissioned officers in the U.S. Army reserve in two years, instead of the usual four, through the Early Commissioning Program. The students must still go on to complete a bachelor's...
s.
Criteria
An SMC must meet certain criteria:- Baccalaureate degreesBachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
must be granted. - All physically fit male students must take courses in military training. Exceptions to this requirement include foreign nationals, prior-service personnel, and students specifically excused by a professor of military science.
- Outside ROTC, the school must establish a corps of cadets in which all students wear military uniforms. The corps of cadets involves a military environment in which the students live constantly, not just during the school day, and in which the students are subject to military discipline.
- The SMC must have as an objective the development of character through military training and the regulation of cadet conduct according to principles of military discipline (a cadet code of conduct).
- The SMC must maintain military standards similar to those of the federal service academies.
Federal law currently prohibits the Department of Defense from requiring a policy in SMCs that mandates female students' participation in the ROTC programs:
"Regulations . . . may not require a college or university, as a condition of maintaining its designation as a military college or for any other purpose, to require female undergraduate students enrolled in such college or university to participate in military training."
Cadets at an SMC are authorized to take the ROTC program all four years, but taking a commission
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
upon graduation remains optional, unlike other colleges where ROTC cadets are required to sign a contract to take commission before entering their final two years.
Under both AR 145-1 and federal law, the ROTC programs at the Senior Military Colleges are treated differently. Unlike ROTC at other schools, the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
is prohibited from closing or reducing the ROTC programs at an SMC, even during time of war (full or total mobilization).
"The Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the military departments may not take or authorize any action to terminate or reduce a unit of the Senior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at a senior military college unless the termination or reduction is specifically requested by the college" and "[SMC] ROTC programs will continue at an accelerated rate as directed."
In contrast with other colleges and universities: "Under full or total mobilization, the Secretary of the Army may withdraw the ROTC detachments without giving prior notice to the academic institution. The establishment of new SROTC detachments will not be authorized after full mobilization has been declared." All MS-IV cadets at the Senior Military Colleges will be commissioned and directed to attend the proper officers basic course (OBC). At other colleges, ROTC programs will be suspended and the cadre will immediately be available for reassignment.
Another advantage to the SMC system is that all cadets at the Senior Military Colleges are guaranteed active duty commissions when they graduate:
"The Secretary of the Army shall ensure that a graduate of a senior military college who desires to serve as a commissioned officer on active duty upon graduation from the college, who is medically and physically qualified for active duty, and who is recommended for such duty by the professor of military science at the college, shall be assigned to active duty."
North Georgia College & State University
North Georgia College & State University (NGCSU), also known as The Military College of Georgia, is located in DahlonegaDahlonega, Georgia
Dahlonega is a city in Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,242....
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. Since its inception
History of North Georgia College and State University
North Georgia College and State University began as a branch of the Georgia College of Agriculture and Mechanical at the University of Georgia in 1873.-Early history :...
in 1873, the college required undergraduate resident males to participate in the Corps of Cadets (the corps was optional for resident undergraduate females and all commuting or graduate students). North Georgia was also the first SMC to admit women into the Corps of Cadets. The school has a large United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
ROTC
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
program and is the only Senior Military College without Navy/Marine Corps and Air Force programs. Beginning in 2008, due to fear of legal action, North Georgia began transitioning away from mandatory ROTC, following the lead of Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, and Norwich. All male resident students are no longer required to enroll in the military program.
Norwich University
The oldest Senior Military College and recognized by the Department of DefenseUnited States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
as the "Birthplace of ROTC
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
", Norwich University
Norwich University
Norwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont . The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six Senior Military Colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of...
is a private university
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
located in Northfield, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. Founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont
Norwich, Vermont
Norwich is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States, located along the Connecticut River opposite Hanover, New Hampshire. The population was 3,544 at the 2000 census....
, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy, it is the oldest and currently only private military college in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is home to both a corps of cadets and a smaller traditional student population.
Texas A&M University
With an enrollment of 45,380 students and, of those students, approximately 2,400 cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
s, Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in College Station, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
is one of the largest of the SMCs. It was established under the Morrill Act of 1862 and cadets began classes there in 1876. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Texas A&M produced 20,229 Aggies who served in combat. Of those, 14,123 Aggies served as officers; more than the combined total of the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
and the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
and more than three times the totals of any other SMC.
The Citadel
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, is a state-supportedState university
In the United States, a state college or state university is one of the public colleges or universities funded by or associated with the state government. In some cases, these institutions of higher learning are part of a state university system, while in other cases they are not. Several U.S....
, comprehensive college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
located in Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. In addition to the cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
program, civilian programs are offered through the Citadel's College of Graduate and Professional Studies with its evening undergraduate and graduate programs
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
. The Citadel enrolls over 2,000 undergraduate cadets in its residential military program and 1,200 civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
students in the evening programs. While both programs make use of the Citadel campus and Citadel professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
s, cadets and civilian students do not generally share classes and only cadets live on campus. The exception to this is a veterans program, reinstated in the fall of 2007, which allows cadets who left The Citadel for active military duty to return as civilians, attend classes with cadets, and complete their degrees if certain criteria are met. Cadets also share classes with enlisted active duty Marines and Navy personnel.
Virginia Military Institute
Founded in 1839 in LexingtonLexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
is the oldest state military college in the United States. VMI has been called the "West Point of the South" because of its role during the Civil War and because unlike any other military college in the United States, VMI enrolls only cadets and grants baccalaureate degrees exclusively.
VMI is the only senior military college or academy to graduate the highest ranking 4 star generals across three services: Marine Corps Commandants, Air Force Chief of Staff, and the General of the Army
General of the Army
General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field....
, General George C. Marshall, the only non-US service academy 5 Star General in US history.
According to several top Collegiate ranking systems, VMI is the most prestigious of the senior military colleges.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Tech, located in BlacksburgBlacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, is one of only two major universities (along with Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
) to host a senior military college as part of a larger civilian university. The Corps of Cadets has existed since Virginia Tech's 1872 founding; membership was mandatory for all male students during their entire term at the school until 1924 when the requirement was reduced to two years. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, prior-service students were not required to enter the Corps, and in 1964 Corps membership was made voluntary for all non-ROTC students. Women had been admitted to the school as civilian students since 1921, but were permitted to join the Corps in 1973. Members of the Corps may participate in ROTC programs leading to an officer's commission or simply in Corps drill and military life ("Corps Only") on campus.