Spring Break
Students share opinions on CIA recruitment
Nicholas T. Brouhard
Issue date: 3/12/07 Section: News
As the war on terrorism continues, the CIA appears to be the target of growing negative sentiments at home.
Last month, a group of University of Wisconsin students protested CIA recruitment when they marched in front of recruiters on campus. These protests erupted due to student groups' views on the agency's involvement in American foreign policy, according to The Badger Herald.
In Corvallis, OSU has seen many protests against the Iraq war but never against CIA recruitment. "In 27 years, the only time we had a problem with a company offering jobs on campus was with Proctor & Gamble about 10 years ago," said Cheryl Herring, employer services coordinator.
In recent years, the CIA has been using more open recruitment methods than the secretive practices they are commonly associated with. They set up booths at career fairs on college campuses and their Web site features an easily accessible listing of job positions and how to apply. The CIA has recruited before on campus without incident - but the OSU student position on this recruitment remains mixed.
Those who have attended past engineering fairs on campus may have noticed the small recruiting booth for the CIA. A team of two individuals usually staffs the small booth, each with name tags that give only first names.
The team sets up a 'high-tech' poster board to attract future graduates. Their main recruitment on campus has been targeted at engineering and science students.
The main job advertised in fall 2005 was "Science, Technology, & Weapons Analyst" in the agency's Directorate of Science and Technology.
The job description on a pamphlet provided the job's explanation: "These Engineers and Scientists will serve as professional intelligence officers, applying their scientific and technical knowledge to solving complex intelligence problems, and presenting their assessments to senior policy-makers."
In 2005, only four students at OSU applied for this position. Despite the small number of applicants, the appearance had prompted positive reactions from many.
"I like knowing that local branches of the CIA care enough to send a representative to recruit because it makes me feel like we have a quality program," said Tom Jacroux, a sophomore in chemical engineering. However, many have expressed confusion about the notoriously secretive organization.
"I am not really an expert on what the CIA does," Jacroux said.
A listed requirement for employment with the CIA is that an applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national and submit to an extensive background investigation.
"The intelligence agencies want clean-cut people without a record. The people need to be honest and genuine, which is why they look back into people's backgrounds a lot," said a recently-hired NSA employee and current OSU student who asked to not be identified because of his connection to the NSA.
"There is a waiver for offenses on your record. They are looking for big mistakes or a history of poor choices but will forgive you for minor problems you have had in the past," the student said, regarding security clearance.
"A college education helps you on the job. Having a background in subjects that the agency is known to work in helps a lot but all sorts of backgrounds are potentially useful," he said.
OSU has a long history of involvement in the military. The campus boasts its own Defense Education College with officer programs commissioning into the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force.
There are also various military units located nearby such as the noted Army unit, the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry.
"The officer programs and units in Corvallis give the agency a good chance of finding people that meet their criteria," said Ron Clement, a senior in sociology and fifth-year cadet in Army ROTC.
Some students at OSU appear encouraged that companies like the CIA, which is ranked fifth out of "Ideal Employers for All Undergraduates" by Business Week, are coming to recruit OSU students.
"The education here [at OSU] provides good problem-solving skills in multidisciplinary fields. I can see how people can find the agency questionable but the recruitment shows that we must have a good program," said Micah Houck, a chemical engineering student.
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Nicholas T. Brouhard, staff writer
campus@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231
Last month, a group of University of Wisconsin students protested CIA recruitment when they marched in front of recruiters on campus. These protests erupted due to student groups' views on the agency's involvement in American foreign policy, according to The Badger Herald.
In Corvallis, OSU has seen many protests against the Iraq war but never against CIA recruitment. "In 27 years, the only time we had a problem with a company offering jobs on campus was with Proctor & Gamble about 10 years ago," said Cheryl Herring, employer services coordinator.
In recent years, the CIA has been using more open recruitment methods than the secretive practices they are commonly associated with. They set up booths at career fairs on college campuses and their Web site features an easily accessible listing of job positions and how to apply. The CIA has recruited before on campus without incident - but the OSU student position on this recruitment remains mixed.
Those who have attended past engineering fairs on campus may have noticed the small recruiting booth for the CIA. A team of two individuals usually staffs the small booth, each with name tags that give only first names.
The team sets up a 'high-tech' poster board to attract future graduates. Their main recruitment on campus has been targeted at engineering and science students.
The main job advertised in fall 2005 was "Science, Technology, & Weapons Analyst" in the agency's Directorate of Science and Technology.
The job description on a pamphlet provided the job's explanation: "These Engineers and Scientists will serve as professional intelligence officers, applying their scientific and technical knowledge to solving complex intelligence problems, and presenting their assessments to senior policy-makers."
In 2005, only four students at OSU applied for this position. Despite the small number of applicants, the appearance had prompted positive reactions from many.
"I like knowing that local branches of the CIA care enough to send a representative to recruit because it makes me feel like we have a quality program," said Tom Jacroux, a sophomore in chemical engineering. However, many have expressed confusion about the notoriously secretive organization.
"I am not really an expert on what the CIA does," Jacroux said.
A listed requirement for employment with the CIA is that an applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national and submit to an extensive background investigation.
"The intelligence agencies want clean-cut people without a record. The people need to be honest and genuine, which is why they look back into people's backgrounds a lot," said a recently-hired NSA employee and current OSU student who asked to not be identified because of his connection to the NSA.
"There is a waiver for offenses on your record. They are looking for big mistakes or a history of poor choices but will forgive you for minor problems you have had in the past," the student said, regarding security clearance.
"A college education helps you on the job. Having a background in subjects that the agency is known to work in helps a lot but all sorts of backgrounds are potentially useful," he said.
OSU has a long history of involvement in the military. The campus boasts its own Defense Education College with officer programs commissioning into the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force.
There are also various military units located nearby such as the noted Army unit, the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry.
"The officer programs and units in Corvallis give the agency a good chance of finding people that meet their criteria," said Ron Clement, a senior in sociology and fifth-year cadet in Army ROTC.
Some students at OSU appear encouraged that companies like the CIA, which is ranked fifth out of "Ideal Employers for All Undergraduates" by Business Week, are coming to recruit OSU students.
"The education here [at OSU] provides good problem-solving skills in multidisciplinary fields. I can see how people can find the agency questionable but the recruitment shows that we must have a good program," said Micah Houck, a chemical engineering student.
Nicholas T. Brouhard, staff writer
campus@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231
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