Effective Date: July 31, 2023
Issuing Authority: Provost
Policy Contact: Vice Provost, provost@mercer.edu, 478-301-2110
Purpose
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Program is a leadership training and development program that prepares full-time students at Mercer University to become officers in the U.S. Army, the Army National Guard, or the U.S. Army Reserves.
Scope
This policy applies to all students at Mercer University.
Exclusions
None
Policy Statement
General Information
The mission of the ROTC Program and the U.S. Army Cadet Command is to commission future officers to serve as the leadership of the U.S. Army. Students who qualify for and successfully complete the ROTC Program will be commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants in the U.S. Army, the Army National Guard, or the U.S. Army Reserves. Students incur no obligation of military service by taking military science classes; any Mercer student may take a basic ROTC course, but only qualified and selected students will earn commissioning credit.
The Senior ROTC Program produces officers of character, each with a breadth of perspective formed by the variety of experiences inherent in college life. Cadets will demonstrate a capacity for scholastic, athletic, and leadership excellence. Upon being commissioned, lieutenants will be confident of their ability to be competent Army leaders and will be committed to serving in the Army.
The Army ROTC Program is a four-year program. The first two years comprise the Basic Course which students must complete prior to enrollment in the Advanced Course of ROTC. The ROTC Advanced Course consists of the last two years of instruction in college. Students in the advanced course are typically juniors and seniors or students in the last two years of graduate study.
Students may earn basic course credit by successfully completing the 29-day Cadet Initial Entry Training (Basic Camp) at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in the summer between the sophomore and junior years, for which they receive eight (8) hours of academic credit, in lieu of MIL 101, 102, 201, and 202.
Students may also receive credit for the Basic Course by completing Army Basic Training or its equivalent in the other Armed Services, completing two years at a service academy, completing two years of Navy or Air Force ROTC Training, or completing three or four years of JROTC in high school. Students with prior military service must have their Joint Service Transcript evaluated by the Registrar’s Office before any credit is awarded.
In order to enroll in the ROTC program, students must be:
- Enrolled full-time in a baccalaureate or advanced degree program
- At least 17 years old and not older than 38 years of age at graduation
- Of good moral character, normally substantiated by having no record of disciplinary problems or civil convictions
- A citizen of the United States
- Medically fit
- Proficient in the English language
- In addition, they may have no more than three dependents nor be the sole parent of any dependents
Scholarships
In addition to the requirements for enrollment in ROTC, eligibility for scholarships also requires a minimum 2.50 GPA in the most recent semester of full-time enrollment prior to receiving the scholarship award. Full-time enrollment is defined as attempting 12 or more credit hours per semester. Adequate academic progress toward degree completion within four years is expected and evaluated annually; failure to progress may result in the loss of the scholarship award.
Extracurricular Activities
Army ROTC students in good standing are eligible to participate in Ranger Challenge Training which is conducted as part of the ROTC curriculum and offered during voluntary weekend trips.
Professional Military Education
The principal element of the Professional Military Education requirement is the baccalaureate degree. As an integral part of that undergraduate education, cadets seeking an officer’s commission are required to complete a course in military history or its approved equivalent.
Additional Resources
Military Science Department: 478-301-2997
Office of the Registrar: registrar@mercer.edu