The Reserve Officer Training Corps at Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY, known as the Golden Knight Battalion, underwent major changes this summer, only to be reversed at the start of the Fall 2025 semester.
In June 2025, the U.S. Army announced the shuttering or reorganization of ROTC programs at 84 different college campuses across the country. 10 different programs were slated to be shut down entirely, including Clarkson’s program, which hosts students from Clarkson, St. Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton. The program changes come after several funding and employment cuts from the U.S. Department of Defense. Many civilian jobs have been cut, including those in the Cadet Command, which oversees the national organization of ROTC.
ROTC offers students the opportunity to participate in basic military training while they earn a college degree. The program also offers scholarships to its cadets to help cover tuition costs.
Cole Siebels, a senior cadet from SLU, explained how ROTC has impacted his life as a North Country native. “It’s helped to prepare me to be an officer and to be a leader in the civilian world as well,” he said. “The way I’ve been able to stay in the North Country to do my schooling is with the scholarship opportunities provided and the support that they provide to the cadets.” He also says the Clarkson program’s close proximity to Fort Drum has allowed for many unique educational and training opportunities for cadets.
Clarkson’s ROTC is the only one in the North Country. The closest one is in Syracuse, nearly 140 miles away from Clarkson’s campus. “As for the North Country, this is a great opportunity for people to pursue a career in military service or to be commissioned as an officer,” said Siebels. “I think, now more than ever, that the North Country needs things like the ROTC program to bring people who are dedicated to serving or who are dedicated to getting an education at the great schools that we have around here.”
In late July, the Army pulled back on its decision, pausing the program’s shutdown. Scott Toth, Clarkson’s ROTC Enrollment Officer, said at the time that he didn’t know what this meant for the program.
However, just last week, the public found out what the pause meant. As students were settling back intoclasses, Senator Chuck Schumer announced that the Army had reversed its decision. The program will continue. This means that students can continue to train, and new cadets can apply and participate in the future.
Schumer is one of many New York lawmakers who have pushed back against the potential shutdown ever since it was announced. North Country State Senator Dan Stec said in an announcement, “The Army’s reversal of its prior decision wouldn’t have been possible without the outpouring of support it received from our local stakeholders. I’m proud to have advocated on behalf of the college and its students and to have joined local, state and national leaders and the community-at-large in supporting Clarkson’s ROTC program.” New York State Assemblyman Scott Gray said in a statement, “This is a direct result of the voices of Clarkson cadets, Fort Drum advocates, community members and local leaders being heard.”
Gray said there are still future plans for the programs. There is a possibility that Clarkson will become an extension program to Syracuse University, but Gray says he’s “optimistic the outcome will be what the university is looking for.”