This story was reported and written by WHRO media partner Williamsburg Watch.
The Pentagon has cancelled its senior service college program at William & Mary, along with 12 other universities it accused of "woke" policies.
A spokesperson for the Department of Defense announced Friday that the universities on its list “diminish critical thinking, have significant adversary involvement, or fail to deliver rigorous education grounded in realism.”
The list includes Harvard University, The George Washington University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
A statement from William & Mary said the administration was “puzzled and saddened” by the announcement. Only one student is currently enrolled in the program, a university spokesperson said.
The Pentagon announcement said all officers currently involved in the program would be allowed to finish their studies.
“Consistently ranked among our country’s most military friendly institutions, William & Mary has one of the nation’s longest and strongest traditions of educating military and public servants,” the university said in its statement. “W&M Army ROTC is called the Revolutionary Guard battalion and is the only Army ROTC in the nation that was awarded the battle streamer from the Battle of Yorktown during the Revolutionary War."
Indeed, W&M Chancellor and alumnus Robert M. Gates ‘65 served as U.S. Secretary of Defense under presidents of both parties.
The college said it had not received official notification from the Department of Defense about any change in status "affecting our programs or our students, or any information related to why we were included in the department’s February 27 announcement.”