USMMA's Accreditation "May Be In Jeopardy"

[LineInTheSand]

There was a related USMMA article on the front page of the Washington Post yesterday (below the fold).

Sad stuff.

 

[MMA19kid]

There was a related USMMA article on the front page of the Washington Post yesterday (below the fold).

Sad stuff.

That article was mostly hard left liberal/feminist media bias incorporating an aspiring actress KP '11 grad who probably wants to get her name out there for exposure and wouldn't have come forward if not for the opportunity to be featured in a major media outlet story. Not to discount the unwanted advances she encountered, but somebody has to say it.

 

[KPEngineer]

That article was mostly hard left liberal/feminist media bias incorporating an aspiring actress KP '11 grad who probably wants to get her name out there for exposure and wouldn't have come forward if not for the opportunity to be featured in a major media outlet story.

And you know this how?

Not to discount the unwanted advances she encountered, but somebody has to say it.

But you just did exactly that.

I saw and heard plenty as a cadet that was highly inappropriate in any professional setting and I was a man. I cannot imagine how much worse it may have been to be an even moderately attractive 20 year old girl. I myself had interactions with two different 1A/E that would get anyone fired immediately in virtually any business in the US and would have you in a heap of trouble if you were staff or faculty at KP.

The seagoing life is a different life than anything anyone can imagine. Frankly, if you haven’t experienced it, your opinion doesn’t mean a lot to me. Not much gets my blood boiling but disparaging someone personally who you have never met and never spoken to over experiences that you have no capacity for understanding, but whose story I have every reason to believe is very typical has me personally offended which anyone who knows me will tell you is very hard to do.

If you need me, I'll be in my basement beating on my heavy bag for a while

 

[LineInTheSand]

The very fact that there has to be a safe word means something is wrong.

 

[KP Eng]

That article was mostly hard left liberal/feminist media bias incorporating an aspiring actress KP '11 grad who probably wants to get her name out there for exposure and wouldn't have come forward if not for the opportunity to be featured in a major media outlet story. Not to discount the unwanted advances she encountered, but somebody has to say it.

WOW!!! Just.....wow. I am without words for how misguided you are.

 

[Freda'sMom]

WOW!!! Just.....wow. I am without words for how misguided you are.

Not the first time that poster's comments have resulted in similar judgments.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

That article was mostly hard left liberal/feminist media bias incorporating an aspiring actress KP '11 grad who probably wants to get her name out there for exposure and wouldn't have come forward if not for the opportunity to be featured in a major media outlet story. Not to discount the unwanted advances she encountered, but somebody has to say it.

You should probably go back to your room and study for some class...since you appear to know everything, maybe when you go out on your 1st sea tour you can teach the chief and captain a few things...

 

[repatriot]

This thread took an interesting turn... back to accreditation...
For those who have been through it, the entire accreditation process very long and involved. Just one opinion: It's a racket designed to make money and ultimately causes more "red tape" in our already burdened educational system. I have been told that Harvard has no accreditation and does not distract it's professors and staff in submitting the required documentation for the arduous process. In their opinion, if you graduate from Harvard, you most likely got a decent education! I'd like to see more colleges put their focus back on innovation and educating within their unique framework. I know I'll get negative comments, but the notion of military academies and military colleges having to go through accreditation is ridiculous.

 

[AJC]

Harvard University is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Harvard, like all accredited universities and colleges, is reviewed for reaccreditation generally every 10 years and last received accreditation in 2009.

 

[KPEngineer]

I know I'll get negative comments, but the notion of military academies and military colleges having to go through accreditation is ridiculous.

You logic is so flawed it's not worth wasting my time commenting

 

[Freda'sMom]

I have been told that Harvard has no accreditation....

From now on, don't trust the person who told you that, they're probably relying on a fake news article (think of something like the Onion) from long ago.

 

[MMA19kid]

You should probably go back to your room and study for some class...since you appear to know everything, maybe when you go out on your 1st sea tour you can teach the chief and captain a few things...

I don't know much about anything. All I did was express an opinion based on what I read in the Washington Post. I didn't know that 'knowing everything' was an implication of expressing an opinion. What I do know is that article presents the school in a negative light, and the lady in it appeared to be happy to assist in dragging the school's name through the mud.

The way I feel about this is, the lady was groped in a vehicle by a chief mate, who is not an employee/agent/even affiliated with the academy, MARAD, DOT, etc. Why is it a problem with the Merchant Marine Academy? It's more like a problem with that specific individual in that company. If that isn't it, then it's an issue with that company or the US flagged fleet in general.

 

[LineInTheSand]

I don't know much about anything. All I did was express an opinion based on what I read in the Washington Post. I didn't know that 'knowing everything' was an implication of expressing an opinion. What I do know is that article presents the school in a negative light, and the lady in it appeared to be happy to assist in dragging the school's name through the mud.

The way I feel about this is, the lady was groped in a vehicle by a chief mate, who is not an employee/agent/even affiliated with the academy, MARAD, DOT, etc. Why is it a problem with the Merchant Marine Academy? It's more like a problem with that specific individual in that company. If that isn't it, then it's an issue with that company or the US flagged fleet in general.

It's probably helpful to remember that sometimes institutions that you like need some time to digest the mud in their faces (and that they may deserve being drug through the mud).

Do you know the reporter? Do you know the woman you commented on?

Why was he assault a problem? Ummmm because USMMA sent her out. I doubt she could say "ya know, I think I'll pass on sea year".

And again, a code word? When you know you're sending people into situations they need a code word for sexual assault... You have a problem.

 

[KPEngineer]

Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Are you really doing the organization/institution any good by keeping everything hidden? If you let some of your dirty laundry air and the problem gets fixed aren't you doing more for KP that way?

To me the real scandal is not that it happens at sea, it happens all the time in every place and every kind of organization. Being at sea is no different in that regard but the isolation has always provided some insulation from the "real world" and potentially from accountability. You used to be able to "run away" to sea although certainly much less so today. The real question about the SASHing of KP cadets is what are you doing about it? You If they academy set up a safe-word and reporting system it is not being used ... why not? Why do the victims not feel able to report it both on board and/or upon their return to the academy.

My problem with this whole sea-year fiasco is that KP and MARAD are trying to act like they have no role in this and that they are sideline observers, but they play an integral role in the reporting process which has apparently failed. If the reporting system works, the victims will use it. If the victims use it, the offenders will suffer consequences. If the offenders suffer consequences; there will be less offenses occurring.

Putting my tin foil hat on for a minute ...

MARAD will permanently cancel sea year on commercial ships artificially creating a "need" for newer, bigger, better state school ships and begin lobbying congress for the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel/School Ship Replacement Program (they are already doing an "independent requirements and alternatives analysis" and incidentally cancelling commercial sea year will remove a significant alternative). Soooooo, cancelling sea year is really just behind the scenes political maneuvering to get all that funding for the shiney new toys. What SES can resist and who cares about the M/N anyway.

... taking tin foil hat off.

 

[beyond]

And again, a code word? When you know you're sending people into situations they need a code word for sexual assault... You have a problem.

Despite how it was framed in the article it isn't a sexual assault safe word. It's just a safe word. If you send it to your ATR (...the AD equivalent of a detailer) they'll get you home no questions asked.

There are a whole host of reasons why it might be necessary to punch out. But of the five people that I know who have safe worded off ships ,sexual harassment was only a factor in one case, and a tertiary issue at that.

Some ships still don't have private email, and the ships that do it isn't really private because he old man can see everything you send. In the case of two of my classmates mentioned above the captain was asking cadets to commit violations of the law on board. So the safe word did what it was supposed to do, the cadets got off, and the captain didn't have a clue (...or time to retaliate) until the agent showed up at the gangway to take them to the airport.

 

[KPEngineer]

https://www.usmma.edu/about/communi...-usmma-advance-resumption-midshipman-training

So apparently its OK to be on an APL/Crowley/Patriot managed RRF vessel, but not an APL/Crowley/Patriot managed vessel that is in active sea service.

I'm curious if anyone checked with the USCG regarding license credit?

From COMDTINST M16000.8B; Ch. 12 - Licenses for Engineering Officers

12. MaritimeAdministrationVesselsInReducedOperatingStatus(ROS).

The Maritime Administration maintains some of their vessels in ROS with a limited crew, usually by contract with a commercial shipping company. Service on ROS vessels will be credited as normal sea service when they are underway and fully manned. During all other times service should be credited as follows:

a. For Original Third Assistant Engineer.
One day credit for every three days worked up to a maximum of three months credit. None of the credit shall be considered QMED service.

 

[kp2001]

13 years after last sailing and I still know what Red over Red means. Would be somewhat funny to see someone run two balls up the Wiley flagpole during homecoming....


(Red over Red = "Captain's Dead"/not under command)

 

[cmakin]

13 years after last sailing and I still know what Red over Red means. Would be somewhat funny to see someone run two balls up the Wiley flagpole during homecoming....


(Red over Red = "Captain's Dead"/not under command)

I do believe that has already been done to Wiley Hall. . . . Either before or during my time there. . . brain gets hazy thinking back that far for some reason. . .

 

[beyond]

Two black balls flew on the Wiley flag pole the morning after Rear Admrial Greene left. The days he left was the beginning of the downward spiral.

 

[KPEngineer]

Two black balls flew on the Wiley flag pole the morning after Rear Admrial Greene left. The days he left was the beginning of the downward spiral.

Admiral Greene's tenure was a plateau on a much longer downward arc for KP