Richard Nixon was president the last time the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, better known as the ROTC, was allowed on Harvard University’s campus. The program, which provides students with scholarships in return for military training has been absent ever since.

Now, four decades later, they are being welcomed back. In what wasn’t exactly a surprise decision, Harvard is ending its 41-year ban on the program.

Harvard was among several prominent colleges that banned the ROTC amid the movement against the Vietnam War. More recently, the program drew criticism on campuses because of the armed forces’ policy on gay men and lesbians in the military.

The repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy at the end of last year quickly led to speculation that Harvard and other Ivy League colleges would begin to allow the ROTC back on their campuses. Yale, Stanford, and Columbia are all said to be considering following in Harvard’s footsteps and lifting bans of their own.

The Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT, http://www.umbc.edu/cwit) at UMBC is pleased to announce that the CWIT Student Council, a recognized student organization at UMBC, was recently awarded a $500 seed fund grant from The National Center for Women & Information Technology’s (NCWIT, http://www.ncwit.com ) Academic Alliance and ReturnPath (http://www.returnpath.net).  The purpose of the grant to student organizations is to promote an increased presence of women in computing and IT programs on Academic Alliance member campuses.

The CWIT Student Council is using the funds to co-host the first annual Women in Technology: Spring into Leadership event on Tuesday, April 5, from 6:30-8:00 pm in the University Ballroom. The program is focused on the importance of building relationships and developing one’s inner leader. Ms. Myra Norton, CEO of Community Analytics (http://www.communityanalytics.com) and a member of the College of Engineering and Information Technology’s Advisory Board, will be the featured speaker and facilitator.

This event is a collaboration between the CWIT Student Council, UMBC Student Chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the IS Council of Majors (ISCOM) and the Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT). All undergraduate and graduate women enrolled in engineering and IT majors at UMBC are invited to attend. All students are welcome. The event is free but registration is required by March 30^th at Spring into Leadership Event Registration Form. For more information about the event, contact Dr. Susan Martin, Associate Director, CWIT, at 410.455.3109 or by email, susan@umbc.edu.