In the 44 years since the Washington University Faculty Senate voted to deny credit for ROTC classes, the United States has been through about a dozen unnecessary wars. I suspect many ROTC graduates participated. If a student wants to join the military, great, but where does training soldiers fit within the University’s goals?

A student’s Facebook post published last fall has reopened a decades-old dialogue about whether ROTC students should receive credit for their courses. The conversation comes as the campus’ almost century-old battalion struggles for visibility and recruits as the program looks to move past the specter of controversial wars and discriminatory policies.