What are the real lawful requirements for the regiment at a Maritime Academy for the license majors. If I remember correctly the law is pretty general stating there just needs to be some sort of regimental program- Thats why all the school have different uniforms etc. If I were in charge of a Maritime School I would just make/ set up the regiment as follows: certain licensed majors need to where a nautical themed private school uniform (shirt and tie with pea coat) and maybe dress blues or salt and peppers for official functions. Besides that, they would have a different discipline board set up / comprised of only Maritime Academy Professor that would hold higher standards for showing up to class etc etc. Thats all it needs to be. No sense in people playing fake toy solider.
I think its a matter of branding and execution, Mass and CMA is an apples to organges compassion in some regards.
CMA has a reputation of being Casual maritime academy, which is passed on from alumni to perspective students, and from upperclassmen not buying into the corps, passing it on to the freshmen. For a number of years you have administration desperately trying to make CMA Annapolis west, apparently willing to suspend a good portion of the student body for wearing boots in the rain or not comming to formation, which goes against this culture of Casual maritime. Ive always known mass to really love the Navy cosplay. Having a reputation of being one way and turning out to be another is what scares a lot of folks off.
But CMA fails on execution in several areas, the mandatory meal plan is the most expensive in the CSU, the food was bad when I was there, and it hasnt changed from what I see. They require living on campus when options range from 1980s dorms to a motel 6 facing the ghetto. I graduated with Highest Honors in the Edwards Leadership Development program, the program barley survived 4 years and if I were trying to take the program serious instead of doing it for the bit, it would have been a very disappointing experience.
The license majors seem to be fine, but it boils down to this: why would you go to CMA when there are other business/marine bio/logistics programs in the CSU with less bullshit to put up with? Weed is legal in California, if I wasnt in a license program, going to a dry campus where Im also drug tested for Marijuana for a busines degree is not the call I would make.
Sure, If CMA was more like mass maybe they’d be fine, but if my grandmother had wheels she’d be a bike. I think becoming Cal Poly Vallejo with a maritime program is the best way to keep the doors open for mates and engineers to keep joining the fleet.
Excellent point on branding/reality.
My posts have been mainly in reaction to the assertions that “all” the academies are struggling with enrollment and graduation. While they’re a small group of institutions, with some common attributes and interests, they aren’t all the same. Different structures in their state higher ed systems, different stakeholders, different environments in their states. What works best for Cal might not for TAMUAG, something that succeeds at one MMA could fail at the other.
My take is still to look at it like dominoes: one falling increases the risk to all, so whatever keeps the lights on and some level of maritime licensing program going is good. It doesn’t have to be a one solution fits all approach.
So if they would be integrating into Cal Poly, would CMA need its own President and Admin building? If you look on Transparent California, Cropper was raking in about $400k in salary and bennies. If you wanna trim some fat….
If you just gave all the state students academy branded ball caps and boiler suits, and some appropriate work boots, they’d be “in a uniform” to comply with MARAD, and in the actual work clothes of their profession, not Navy cosplay.
Only rule is provide them 5 boiler suits, and require a clean one to be worn every day to campus.
That would sweep away the tin solder stuff and make it an actual merchant mariners school uniform.
SSO’s and ROTC cadets can of course keep their Navy uniforms as needed but the majority of academy cadets are not pursuing military service.
The uniform and regiment, in my opinion, is more than just a MARAD/Navy requirement.
It weeds out people who don’t really want it by design. It’s similar to mandating that nursing students study organic chemistry, they’ll never touch it in their working lives, but it sure weeds out people who don’t really really want to be nurses.
They have weeded out so many people that they have an 82% acceptance rate, a 50% graduation rate, significantly declining enrollment, and the CMA is no longer financially viable to continue as a freestanding institution. Helluva job!
The administrators that have accomplished this obviously have only two job options left: collect welfare, or bright futures as maritime union officials.
82% acceptance rate is clinging.and not a good thing.
Six year ( again, the standard measure in academia ) full time first time graduation rate is 68%. Four year rate is 59%. Those aren’t bad numbers.
Do you have any reference for you drumbeat 50%, and anything to compare to other institutions?
I saw 50something percent somewhere. Possibly, in US News and World Report.
I am well aware that it takes 5 years to graduate at some colleges in certain majors. Mostly due to prerequisites and the need to take certain requirements when they are available.
Many students enjoy college life so much that they don’t want to leave. 6 years or more is not too uncommon.
I cannot say that I’ve ever heard of students wanting to stay more than 4 years at a maritime academy, or that they needed extra semesters to get required courses for their major.
I do hear of numerous academy students who quit or transfer in, or after, the first semester or first year.
I doubt that the standard academic 6 year measure is very applicable to academies.
I’m sure that there must be good statistics on drop out, transfers out, and transfers in, for each of the academies, if someone wants to dig for them. It might take FOIA requests.
Maine Maritime’s highest level engineering degree (Marine Systems Engineering) takes five years if you want a license.
Do you just make things up or do you have something to back this up beyond “a friends kid” or “an ab I once had in my boat…”
Someone posted them for Mass further up the thread.
SUNY’s naval arch is also 5 years.
The acceptance rate means that prospective students that may not have the educational aptitude, but want to sail, have the chance to get go to one of schools. A lot of kids have a lightbulb turn on in their heads and are able to do it. Sometimes the lightbulb never goes bright and for other academically bright students they falter in the schools. I personally saw them all while I was at school. The schools are not a walk in the park for everyone and 18-24 credits a semester is a lot of work. Anyone that put up with that to graduate and get a license is deserving of it. CMA’s current situation is in no way reflective of the other SMA.
Yes, Marine Systems Engineering is a specialized 5 year Marine Engineering and Mechanical Engineering program. It’s both an operating engineer and a design engineer program.
I’d say that degree was primarily started for Maine kids to be able to sail and/or go shoreside in Maine industry: pulp and paper companies, hospitals, CMP, BIW, Cianbro, boatbuilders, etc.
Its MMAs best program. Probably, one of the best academy programs anywhere.
I know several guys from that program.