U.S. Sen. Gillibrand appointed to the United States Military Academy's Board of Visitors

WEST POINT — U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has been appointed to the Board of Visitors at the United States Military Academy by U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Gillibrand attended the board's first meeting of the year this week at West Point. Topics on the agenda to be discussed include cadet barracks, Sexual Harassment and Assault Response Program (SHARP), Cadets Against Sexual Harassment and Assault (CASH/A), admissions, and academics.

Created in 1972, the West Point Board of Visitors is a central governing body of the academy. It oversees all aspects of the institution, including the curriculum, morale, discipline, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods, and any additional matters the Board of Visitors deems appropriate.

The Board of Visitors is composed of four senators, five members of the House of Representatives and six presidential appointees.

In the press release announcing her appointment, Gillibrand said she would use her position on the Board of Visitors to encourage the complete elimination of gender discrimination and sexual assault in the U.S. military. While women have attended military academies like West Point for more than 40 years, with combat integration the numbers are expected to rise significantly.