what's next

trackandfield08, I can assure you that you had one, whether you knew it or not. My understanding is that recruited athletes w/o a nom are worked into the process so that threre is a nom attached to their name. If I am mistaken, please correct me. But it was my undertanding that no one gets into a SA w/out a nom of some type. ?
 
Nope, I did not have a nomination...the United States Coast Guard Academy is the only SA that does not require nominations. Having gone through the admissions process twice, I have coordinated with many Admissions reps on this point. USCGA believes in appointments awarded purely on merit. Not to say that getting a nomination isn't impressive, it is! But this way, USCGA can pull from every candidate without having to worry about the nomination requirement. And I'm not a recruited athlete, just someone who loves to run :smile:

cracker55:
Please don't take my post as harsh criticism when you read it, I realize is sounds accusatory and since I can't edit it, I would like to explain. I have learned the hard way about what happens when you do not consistently double check with things you need done. For example, I was a medical deferral from the class of 2013 looking for an appointment to 2014. I spoke with the head of Admissions who said "nope you don't need anything else, you're complete." I went on my merry way until two weeks before the deadline. I got a call saying I needed to see about three more doctors, including two specialists. Not only did I cost my family a lot of money, I caused myself and my family a lot of stress, all because I didn't check up on the information a second time. I am pulling for your son and really hope he stays on the path to his dream, I did a year of regular college last year, it was a great experience!:thumb:
 
Nope, I did not have a nomination...the United States Coast Guard Academy is the only SA that does not require nominations. Having gone through the admissions process twice, I have coordinated with many Admissions reps on this point. USCGA believes in appointments awarded purely on merit. Not to say that getting a nomination isn't impressive, it is! But this way, USCGA can pull from every candidate without having to worry about the nomination requirement. And I'm not a recruited athlete, just someone who loves to run :smile:

Well I certainly stand corrected and I can see both sides of the argument for sure. Congrats to you and for your patriotism. And pleae don't tell my husband that I was wrong....it would be the first time and he really does not need to know about it! :thumb:
 
Nope, I did not have a nomination...the United States Coast Guard Academy is the only SA that does not require nominations. Having gone through the admissions process twice, I have coordinated with many Admissions reps on this point. USCGA believes in appointments awarded purely on merit. Not to say that getting a nomination isn't impressive, it is! But this way, USCGA can pull from every candidate without having to worry about the nomination requirement. And I'm not a recruited athlete, just someone who loves to run :smile:

cracker55:
Please don't take my post as harsh criticism when you read it, I realize is sounds accusatory and since I can't edit it, I would like to explain. I have learned the hard way about what happens when you do not consistently double check with things you need done. For example, I was a medical deferral from the class of 2013 looking for an appointment to 2014. I spoke with the head of Admissions who said "nope you don't need anything else, you're complete." I went on my merry way until two weeks before the deadline. I got a call saying I needed to see about three more doctors, including two specialists. Not only did I cost my family a lot of money, I caused myself and my family a lot of stress, all because I didn't check up on the information a second time. I am pulling for your son and really hope he stays on the path to his dream, I did a year of regular college last year, it was a great experience!:thumb:

Oh, and I just read your note to Cracker55 and I think you are a very nice young man. And I agree....check check and check some more. So true and not just for this process! Stay safe, trackandfield08!
 
trackandfield08: Before you read the following let me say it is clear to me you are a fine young man and have provided two well intentioned contributions to this thread so thank you but I would like to comment relative to one aspect of your original response - re:

... USCGA believes in appointments awarded purely on merit. Not to say that getting a nomination isn't impressive, it is! But this way, USCGA can pull from every candidate without having to worry about the nomination requirement. ...

1) let's be clear regardless of what graduates, staff etc. at the other four service academies "believe" relative to selection criteria for appointments, they have no choice - by Law - an appointment from a qualified nominating authority is required before some one can be considered for appointment to them.

2) as you are a member of the USCGA Class of 2014 I'd be absolutely shocked if you had any other view than what is basically the USCG and USCGA "party line" on this subject but a) not everyone in the Nation or even of our elected Congressional Officials agree, and as the US Taxpayer foots the bill for USCGA and the rest of the SAs they have a right to differ with that opinion.

Relative to point 2) just because a Nomination is required does NOT in any way, from my perspective mean that any of the other four SAs don't award purely on merit, LEAST of ALL USMMA where all the nominees from each state first compete for those few spots from each state before they then are placed in a Nationwide pool which is similar to the process you went through. That said while we could debate the point ad infinitum a counterpoint can be made that in this day and age it is seldom that even at the other three Service Academies that any nominating source doesn't have an apolitical (as in not politically motivated and instead fairly objective) nominating process that includes at least a bipartisan Candidate Review Board that they rely heavily on such that I just cannot see where/how any of those receiving a principle nomination to USMA, USAFA, and/or USNA would not otherwise be at the very least highly competitive for an appointment. Also whose to say that doing something that makes you appear noteworthy enough out of the 750,000+ constituents each Congressman represents isn't likely more than enough to be considered "meriting" an appointment? In any case before I ramble or otherwise belabor this to the point of pontification, I think I've said enough to amply make my point.
 
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whew, ok, sea year tests are done with so there's a break in the grind to catch up with the state of affairs over here. there are a few things that I've reflected on regarding my original post that i would like to clarify, and a few things that i'd like to add or respond to.

First off: it was never my intention to paint the Admiral as a cold, uncaring figure that is determined to ruin the Academy and its ways of operating simply for the sake of doing so, and i apologize to anyone who has taken my comments to mean so. Myself and the Academy community as a whole were very excited when we heard of the appointment of one of our own as superintendant, and we continue to hope and expect that Admiral Greene will do great things for the Academy and the regiment in the future. That said, he has a very difficult job to perform at this time. I can speak for the majority of midshipmen when i say that we saw the root of this problem early on, when we were waiting upwards of 20 minutes in Delano at breakfast behind a seemingly endless line of plebes. There is no doubt that there is a space component to this issue. Quite simply, the Academy overbooked itself, and now the balance has to come from somewhere. Whoever is responsible for doing so has done the regiment as a whole and especially the members of the class of 2014 a great disservice. The plebes have invested alot of time and energy and now have to watch their classmates leave after giving it all they had, and the rest of us have to live with the fallout from a system that has ramped up to full capacity to deal with the problem. However, as i said, i do not believe that it is being handled in the best way possible. While eliminating all the individuals who fall into harms way, regardless of circumstance, may be the FASTEST way to free up needed bunk space, i argue that the damage that doing so is inflicting on the morale, attitude and trust of the Regiment does not justify the expedience in resolving the issue. A very limited number of setbacks in the most extreme of cases is not going to throw off the overall movement to reduce the size of the Regiment/increase standards, and will have the benefit of reassuring us that someone is looking a little deeper than the raw data in front of them on our review reports. As far as any of us can tell, that aint happening. Knowing our head and the heads of our friends are on the chopping block and our situations fall on deaf ears is very disconcerting to us all.

As far as morale is concerned, well, low morale is frankly not uncommon. this term especially is pretty notorious for that. the Plebes are fed up with the BS and want to be recognized (dont ask me when, i dont have any info.). the 3/c are just coming back from sea, where we just spent about 4 months growing beards, wearing boots and dirty Carhartt pants every day, and generally being in control of our own LIVES for once, to an environment where most of that control is stripped away, and it's a hard and depressing adjustment. The 2/c just came through the winter and are ready for it to be spring again; cabin fever never helps morale out. and the 1/c are basically in the same boat, although they're starting to have those "oh. LICENSE." pangs and some get thrown for a bit of a loop. dont get me wrong, the current atmosphere at the academy is tense, uncertain, and certainly isnt helping things out. but i wouldnt say it is the sole cause of low morale, even if it is a major contributing factor amongst the plebes and the 3/c who work pretty closely with them.

as an aside: thank GOD for the parents, staff and friends who do things like Cookie Cafe and all the other programs and events, big and little, that give us the opportunity to relax and smile for a bit. I doubt they know the full difference they make and we really dont have the capacity to articulate it. so all we can really say is: thank you for everything you do.

I think that what we're currently seeing is the painful beginnings of a new era in Academy standards and policy. like many have said, and i agree with, the policies of the past administrations have been far too lax in terms of setbacks in pretty benign cases that really should probably have ended in a disenrollment. Will these new standards be good for Kings Point in the long run? I really do think so. With a WELL UNDERSTOOD and presented "higher bar" as some have worded it, i think KP could firmly establish its position as the premier source of excellent merchant marine officers. Do i think the current path of the administration will lead us there? yes, eventually, but the question i ask myself is, will the damage done in the meantime be so great as to tarnish the eventual results?

As i said, i dont have all the answers to these problems, i dont even have all the QUESTIONS. but i do have what i believe to be a decent outlook on the situation or, failing that, at least a boots-on-the-ground perspective on events. if anything i say or conclude is of value to you, then the 45 minutes i spent typing this will have been worth it. if not? well, as i'm fond of saying, I'm just a dumb deck cadet, what do i know :wink:
 
Thank you jasper (and vamom!), I appreciate the compliment and the explanation. I'm actually a woman, but that is irrelevant to this discussion. I didn't mean to imply that merit was not a factor when being reviewed for an appointment to any other SA. Being selected for a nomination out of thousands of other applicants is an amazing accomplishment, I doubt that I would have been able to been chosen. I just personally do not agree with the law of nominations, I believe its the politician's way of having a hand in who gets to serve as an officer after going through an SA and is not right, especially when many politician's have no military background.

I did not mean to attack any of my fellow SAs nor my fellow brothers and sisters at the other Academies. I just find it unfortunate that this young man is now unable to attend USMMA, even though he is extremely qualified, because a politician's office was not timely in their duties. I also agree about the US Taxpapers, they most definitely have a say in how SAs are conducted, I am receiving a top notch education and leadership training, all on their dime. I am extremely thankful to them, it is their money that allows me to have these amazing, once in a lifetime experiences.
 
Also just wanted to mention that I am hosting a 2/c MIDN here at USCGA for the Ethics Forum we are having today. I am definitely learning a lot about life at USMMA!
 
IMHO, this thread evolved in to a discussion about how the bar has been raised and fewer midshipmen/candidates are making it through and we are now basically in a world where it is one failure of one class and it's goodbye...........

With that being said, I would like to ask those out there that are constantly focused on "The Mission", if we are now outside the parameters of a good project plan to accomplish The Mission as set forth last year? Or was this mission never adopted? .......The Mission I am referring to here is to graduate more over time....not the same....not less......

As a primer:
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Here is an excerpt from the 2010 study, entitled " USMMA - Red Sky in the Morning" ....... than can be seen here:

http://www.marad.dot.gov/news_room_landing_page/news_blue_ribbon/blue_ribbon_panel.htm

Meeting the Critical Shortage of Mariners.

Given the serious and growing shortage of merchant marine officers and the growing needs for maritime expertise in the military reserves and National Guard, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy can respond by augmenting the size of the student body. With sufficient operational funding and a fully renovated physical plant, the Academy would be able to increase the student
body from its present level of 950 - 1000 to a population of 1200, yielding a graduating class of 250 - 260.

While this would involve some higher operating costs, economies of scale ould
actually yield a decrease in the cost per graduate. (In 2007, the USMMA cost per graduate was $207,000, the lowest of the five federal service academies.)
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