USAFA83GradWife
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2013
- Messages
- 1,113
I know someone whose DS was appointment to USNA in 2012, but deferred to the next year for admittance. I wonder if this will be how they handle this situation.
The problem for USNA is that US Code Title X mandates that in event of too few available slots, congressional positions must be filled first. There are no included exceptions.
So, what we have is an admissions office/board that has created it own problem by ignoring the mandate of Principal Nominations as codified in law. They may have their reasons, but to attempt to deflect their problem by making such statements is insulting.
Whether or not any individual congressman or Congress as a whole has the fortitude to defend their Principal Nominees and and their authority under law, well, that is another matter. I know at least one in another state who has these past weeks done so successfully. Mine, my DS's? We will see.
What I see developing is another Washington Post headline and bashing of the Academy by people who would love to see it weakened. Well, I don't and I am livid that professors, staff members, and naval officers sitting on the board would place the academy and candidates in this untenable position.
Now, the final question is what, if, anything the Superintendent will do. It's his command, his responsibility.
I know someone whose DS was appointment to USNA in 2012, but deferred to the next year for admittance. I wonder if this will be how they handle this situation.
The problem for USNA is that US Code Title X mandates that in event of too few available slots, congressional positions must be filled first. There are no included exceptions.
So, what we have is an admissions office/board that has created it own problem by ignoring the mandate of Principal Nominations as codified in law. They may have their reasons, but to attempt to deflect their problem by making such statements is insulting.
Whether or not any individual congressman or Congress as a whole has the fortitude to defend their Principal Nominees and and their authority under law, well, that is another matter. I know at least one in another state who has these past weeks done so successfully. Mine, my DS's? We will see.
What I see developing is another Washington Post headline and bashing of the Academy by people who would love to see it weakened. Well, I don't and I am livid that professors, staff members, and naval officers sitting on the board would place the academy and candidates in this untenable position.
Now, the final question is what, if, anything the Superintendent will do. It's his command, his responsibility.
That would be one solution for any candidates displaced in order to comply with Title X's mandate. Hopefully, they can fix this with minimal impact upon all candidates, regardless of nominating source.
What a mess.
Withyou2018, or HappyinKC,
Would you be willing to give us some insight on how you handled this situation? If this happens again it would be nice to have some understanding on how, exactly, to approach a debacle such as this.
Hello Islanders!!! I'm so glad to read today's posts after being gone all day and see NO notices of TWE's! Encouraging. I'm also glad to pull into my driveway and spy our mailbox and laugh at it. IT NO LONGER HAS POWER OVER MY EMOTIONS!!!
I/we are rooting for each of you. DS has responded beautifully. He is ready to embrace college. He may reapply, but will honor my request to not make any major decisions for at least two weeks. We all need a breather.
Here's hoping for some reports of BFE's so we can celebrate some.
Good luck this week.
And by the way, I sure appreciate the notes of encouragement. Were fine over here!
Tennessee Dad
Yes, I will share any useful information I learn. To start, we are working through our MOC's academy rep. I want to give her first chance to solve the problem before leap frogging up the chain, so to speak. I think that is just a matter of simple professional courtesy.
At this starting point, what I believe happened was admissions designed into their nomination projections a level of flexibility that enables them to commit to RA's and LOA's, then after I Day, to use among other nomination sources MOC slots to plug the RA's and LOA's into. It may work out for them in many prior years, but not this one. They underestimated the number of Principal Nominations, and it seems too the loss of class size. So now, they are faced with Principal Noms and no slots to appoint them. Who knows yet if I am right. At least it seems plausible.
As I mentioned earlier, their error now is to relegate the Principal Noms to the waitlist, an action that is contrary to law. They may have thought that solution as reasonable...they were wrong. Under law, that was the last solution available.
So now what? I feel for all candidates. Principle Noms, RA's, LOA's, because now if they follow the law and don't anticipate sufficient declined appointments to immediately appoint the Principal Noms from the waitlist, the lawful solutions available include: rescind prior offers of appointments to RA's or LOA's (when more than one appointee comes from a single district or from a district that has a Principal Nominee other than the RA or LOA); offer non-Principal Noms the option of "deferred appointments" as an earlier post informed; or suck up a slightly oversized class (what 5 to 20 plebes?). I of course prefer the honorable thing, the latter option. And...of course, alter their practices for next year to avoid a repeat.
Just my two cents...
I just red through all these posts regarding the Principal nomination mess. I feel awful for all involved. IMHO admissions should slot Principals first, assuming 3Q then RAs and LOAs. Why slate an RA before a Principal, unless the RA has a Principal nom. It all goes back to my on going, long lasting rant about the importance of athletics in this country. We as a country put too much emphasis on athletics not enough on academics. I am not saying some athletes don't deserve the appointment, but I am under no illusion that all the RAs at the Academy had the outstanding academic credentials that many TWE recipients had. Not just at the Academy, but all the top competitive schools in the country. It's sad really.
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