The University does not give students academic credit for their ROTC training, and administrators rejected an Undergraduate Council proposal two years ago to allow ROTC to return to Harvard.

Despite the presence of supporters among students and alumni, several Harvard students said they were offended at having received an unsolicited recruiting e-mail from an institution whose policies toward gays they view as discriminatory.

Gay students who wrote to Jones expressing their disappointment received an e-mail message saying she "does not have control over the policies set forth by the civilian leadership of the [Department of Defense]."

Though many students deleted the e-mail quickly, rumors about how their names were obtained have been circulating through campus for the past few days.

"When I first got [the letter] I thought, 'How did this person get my email? I don't want this junk,'" said David P. Tuttle '02.

Aaliyah Williams '01 said, "I really don't think people would be at Harvard if they wanted to be in the military. Certainly some people are in ROTC, but this just doesn't seem like a fruitful place for recruitment."

Although Harvard students are underrepresented in ROTC compared to many other local schools, both the commander and vice-commander of the local Air Force ROTC unit based at MIT are Harvard students. ROTC members defended the Navy's direct solicitation of students.

"I think it's fine for the military to send one little e-mail encouraging people to consider serving," said Rich Goodier '01, a Navy ROTC midshipman. "Sometimes I get upset at people's anti-military views, which they often take out on everyone and everything associated with it. The military is a critical part of maintaining the stability of this country."