ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps)
Army ROTC
Head
Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Ross, Professor of Military Science
Military Science Instructors
Major Dan Frieden
Master Sergeant Richard Larson
Master Sergeant Melissa McFrazier
Major Michaela Phillips
For the University at Albany, The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) is facilitated through Siena College. The purpose of the courses offered by Siena's Military Science and Leadership Department is to train quality college students to become the future leaders of the United States Army and the civilian community.
The ROTC program may be pursued in conjunction with any academic major offered at UAlbany. Students not desiring an Army commission may still register and complete military science courses for elective credit. Such participation does not incur any contractual obligations.
The course of study is divided into two parts—the first two years (Basic Course) and the last two years (Advanced Course). Students incur no military obligation while enrolled in the Basic Course and may withdraw from the course at their option. Selection for the Advanced Course is competitive. Students selected for the Advanced Course participate on a contractual basis and receive $380-$500 stipend per school month payment and an additional $900-$1210 book allowance each year from the government. The emphasis of the Advanced Course is on applied, individual leadership development, and exposure of the student to military management systems and techniques.
A student may satisfy requirements for application to the Advanced Course in pursuit of a commission in one of three ways:
(1) Completion of the first two years (Basic Course) allows a student to earn four academic credits towards graduation while qualifying for the Advanced Course. The student is expected to attend one hour of classroom instruction during the Basic Course.
(2) Students may also qualify for entrance into the Advanced Course by selection to the four-week Leadership Training Course (LTC) held the summer between their sophomore and junior year at Fort Knox, KY. Qualified students may compete for two-year scholarships while attending the summer Leadership Training Course. Students may elect to enter the Advanced Course upon successful completion of LTC. All expenses to attend the course are fully funded by the military. Attendance at the summer Basic Camp does not obligate the student to enroll in ROTC unless they are awarded and accept a scholarship.
(3) Students with Junior ROTC, Senior ROTC, service academy experience, or prior military service may also qualify to enter the Advanced Course.
Completion of the Advanced Course qualifies graduates to receive an officer’s commission concurrent with the baccalaureate degree and does not necessarily interfere with subsequent graduate or professional studies. During the senior year, the student has the option of applying for one of two types of commissions. The first type, a Reserve Forces Duty commission as a citizen Soldier with the Reserve Forces, is for graduates wishing to serve in the US Army Reserve or US Army National Guard, while pursuing a civilian occupation. The second option enables the graduate to go on active duty, perhaps after completing graduate and/or post-graduate scholastic requirements.
Laboratories offered by the Department of Military Science and Leadership focus on the application of leadership methods and techniques that are taught in the classroom. Some are scheduled on weekdays and some on weekends, and they are typically conducted at off-site locations. Laboratories also stress adventure and outdoor activity as a means to build personal confidence. This is an optional activity for students who are not pursuing a commission. Labs are mandatory for students in the Advanced Course and for those who are receiving scholarship benefits.
All students accepted into the Advanced Course must attend the Leadership Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) during the summer after their junior year. The purpose of LDAC is to evaluate the leadership potential of officer candidates who wish to pursue a commission in the United States Army. This four-week course builds upon the skills and methods taught in the junior year.
Exciting internships are offered to enrolled sophomores and juniors who qualify. These internships offer students the ability to become certified in skills taught by U.S. Army Schools. Some of these skills are parachutist certification, rappelling certification and outdoor survival certification. Other internships include foreign language programs in other countries and the opportunity to serve in multiple career fields found in the United States Army as junior leaders.
Air Force ROTC
Students can also enroll in the Air Force ROTC program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute through the Hudson-Mohawk Association of Colleges and Universities’ Cross-Registration Program. Students should contact the Air Force military science department at RPI for precise information regarding course content, sequencing, and summer expectations. The procedure for obtaining University approval for enrollment in Air Force ROTC courses is the same as for any other cross-registration enrollment except that a faculty adviser’s approval is not required for an ROTC course. No more than a total of 12 ROTC credits may be counted toward a student’s graduation.
