“I don’t think it would be appropriate for the Harvard curriculum to be altered to respond to any kind of outside group or student activity,” Summers said in a May interview. “I do think national security is an important area for study and one that’s of great interest to many students.”

During the council debate, some students objected to the idea that the University would encourage collaboration with ROTC as too much of a show of support. But few of the council members who voted against the bill said they would oppose professors who chose to act on their own, so long as they did not change their courses.

“War and Politics” was mentioned in the Smith legislation, and Rosen said he generally supports the bill’s contention that current Harvard courses can fit ROTC requirements.

“I think the bill shed light on the issue of Harvard courses for ROTC credit, which is why we saw the approval come so quickly after the bill passed,” Smith wrote in an e-mail.

Both Kuconis and Smith said they hoped to win approval from ROTC headquarters for other Harvard courses, though Kuconis said only a small number of courses could fit the specialized curriculum.

Rosen, who was named a Harvard College Professor for outstanding teaching this year, was formerly a professor at the Naval War College and also served on the staff of the National Security Council under President Reagan.

—Staff writer Elisabeth S. Theodore can be reached at theodore@fas.harvard.edu.