Charge

1. Examine and make adjustments to the relationship between the ROTC and the University. In carrying out these responsibilities the Committee shall, but is not limited to:
   1. Acting for the ROTC program in a manner analogous to an educational policy committee of a college or school.
   2. Make recommendations regarding program, curriculum changes and establishing general University-ROTC relations.
2. It is anticipated that the Committee members may be called upon to participate in ad hoc review committees for instructional appointments, disenrollment hearing boards, scholarship review boards and other ad hoc committees related to the ROTC programs.

The Committee will make an annual report to the Faculty Senate at a meeting in the spring. This report will include evaluations and recommendations for credit for the military-taught courses in ROTC and recommendations on program changes for the following academic year as well as other activities of the Committee.

Composition

Six faculty members, appointed with the concurrence of the Faculty Senate, by the Nominations and Elections Committee, the Commanding Officer of each military service offering instruction at the University, two administrators appointed by the President of the University and seven students.

1. In nominating Faculty members, attention should be given to distributing the membership among colleges of the University and especially to representing colleges and schools with large numbers of ROTC students.
2. Three of the students shall be nominated from, and elected by, students actively enrolled in ROTC programs at the University to represent the three services of the Air Force, Army and Navy. The other four students shall be selected or elected from the various colleges having students enrolled in the program in a manner acceptable to the Faculty Committee on Nominations and Elections. The term of office for student members shall be one year with the provision that they may succeed themselves for a one-year term.
   

Adopted by the Faculty Council of Representatives, December 1, 1971, Records p. 3999C, Appendix L; May 16, 1973, Records, p. 4173C; February 12, 1975, Records p. 4377C; December 9, 1987, Records, pp. 6530-44C, Appendices A and B. Changes in nomenclature from FCR to Faculty Senate,, and to reflect amendments to the Organization and Procedures of the University Faculty, October 1995.

Where not listed as a member or chair, both the Dean of Faculty and the Associate Dean and Secretary of the Faculty, shall be a ex officio members of each committee of the University Faculty and each committee of the Senate. (Faculty Handbook, Article V Section D Part 7) (Faculty Handbook, Article VI Section A Part 3)

To: Dean De Rosa

From: Charles “Chip” Aquadro, Chair

Date: June 10, 2024

Subject: URRC Annual Report

Report prepared by:

Charles “Chip” Aquadro as Chair, URRC

Charles A. Alexander Professor of Biological Sciences

Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

URRC Committee Mission and Makeup

The URRC provides University oversight for hiring active military personnel that will serve as military instructors in the Cornell ROTC programs. The committee is composed of tenured Cornell faculty members from multiple colleges and the head (and executive officer) of each service branch as a courtesy.

As a committee, we interview potential candidates (typically via videoconference) for open positions within the ROTC programs. We discuss each candidate as a committee and vote to approve or disapprove of the appointment. The service branches extensively vet candidates before being interviewed by the URRC.

URRC Faculty Members AY 2023-24, as of 7/1/2023:

URRC Student Members AY 2023-24, as of 7/1/2023 (no voting privileges):

The Committee was ably assisted by Carrie “C.A.” Shugarts, Dean’s Assistant, Office of the Dean of Faculty, Cornell University.

URRC Committee Activities AY 2023 – 2024

Interviews for Incoming Military for Teaching ROTC Courses

The URRC committee carried out five interviews during AY 2023-2024. A quorum of the committee was present, along with a representative from each service branch. All interviews were held by Zoom. The candidate was asked to give a short 10-15 min presentation on a topic of their choice followed by questions from the URRC committee members. The Committee then held private session, discussed the candidate and voted before bringing the candidate back from their zoom breakout room to tell them the committee’s decision. For each case, appointment documentation was then signed by Charles Aquadro as committee chair and filed with the Dean of the Faculty.

8/30/2023 (in person and zoom, 10:00 – 10:30am): Interviewed MSG Corey Tierney for Senior

Military Science Instructor, ARMY ROTC. URRC members attending: Charles Aquadro (zoom), Lee Humphreys (in person), Michael Duncan (zoom). Bill Philpot (zoom) attended as did LTC Derek Fitzpatrick, Professor of Military Science, Cornell Army ROTC.  George Hutchinson and Keith Tidball were unavailable.

Decision: Unanimous approval of appointment by all present.

9/15/2023 (zoom, 10:30 – 11:00am): Interviewed Roman Lopez for Visiting Senior Lecturer,

Air Force ROTC. URRC members participating: Charles Aquadro, Lee Humphreys, Keith Tidball, Bill Philpot, and Daniil Pavlenko attended as did Lt Col Joshua Kirkum, Professor of Aerospace Studies, and USAF ROTC Detachment Commander, and Lt Col Derek Hall, Asst Prof Aerospace Studies,  George Hutchinson and Michael Duncan were unavailable. Decision: Unanimous approval of appointment by all present.

12/12/2023 (zoom): Interviewed 1^st Lt Robert Rauff for Courtesy Associate Professor, USAF ROTC at Cornell. Unanimous approval by all present.

1/29/2024 (zoom): Interviewed Lt Col Nicholas Broughham for Courtesy Professor, USAF ROTC at Cornell.

Unanimous among URRC faculty members participating. One student member was concerned the candidate went overtime, but we concluded that was due to the URRC committee spending too much time on introductions (which led to the subsequent change in protocol to eliminate in person introductions (replaced by bios sent ahead of time and a change to 45 min interview time-slot.

3/8/2024 (zoom): Interviewed Michael Charles Mosbruger for Commanding officer and Professor of Naval Sciences, NROTC at Cornell (to replace Captain Scott Hardy).

Present: Chip Aquadro, Bill Philpott, Lee Humphreys, George Hutchinson, Mike Duncan, Rose Jou, Olivia Niewiadomski, Decision: Unanimous approval of appointment by all faculty committee members present.

Additional Business

In addition to interviewing candidates for open positions, Charles Aquadro, as chair of the URRC met with Dean De Rosa by zoom on to finalize the request from the URRC that all appropriate positions (Courtesy Assistant Professor was missing) be added to the ROTC appointment forms. Communications with De Rosa and her office and Wendy Huff (HR) has the request now being considered by Cornell HR (as of 8/30/2023). Academic HR approved this change and it was implemented Aug 31 2023 with a new form.

2/13/2024: Revised URRC interview protocol to provide bios of all URRC committee members ahead of time to candidates (rather than spending time introducing ourselves individually at the start of the 30 min scheduled zoom interview. Decision was also made ultimately to make all interviews going forward be scheduled for 45 minutes. Finally, discussion between ROTC officers and VP Katherine McCommas lead to revision of roles of URRC members so that only faculty URRC members would formally vote on appointments, though undergraduate URRC members would participate fully in zoom interviews and their input requested prior to the faculty URRC member vote (final decision from McComas May 13 2023 email to CFA copied to Dean of Faculty Eve DeRosa).

2022-23, 2021-22, 2019-20, 2016-17, 2011-12, 2010-11, 2009-10