USNA--Change Course?

[nittany03]

That's an interesting point. Whats the retention of ROTC and OCS? My class was roughly 1200 starting, 1000 graduated so 80% retention. So we arent a sure thing... but a good rate.

No, he's referring to the Harvard and Yale units among others which are no longer with us due to their campuses being corrupted by too many stinking hippies.

That said, my class in ROTC started out with I believe 30-40 something and graduated less than 20. But it's far easier to get out of ROTC; you're still in college if you do unlike USNA. You can also do the college program thing and pick up a scholarship later on. So the program is designed for that, I suppose.

 

[squorch2]

That's an interesting point. Whats the retention of ROTC and OCS? My class was roughly 1200 starting, 1000 graduated so 80% retention. So we arent a sure thing... but a good rate.

My indoctrination class started out with 45 people. I believe we commissioned 20, and that was a step up from the previous year's record of 8.

 

[The Chief]

No, he's referring to the Harvard and Yale units among others which are no longer with us ...

Well, half truth. Son at Harvard, NROTC scholarship. Member of MIT NRTOC unit. Has not yet been "kicked off campus at Harvard". History major, selecting NUC.

Whole truth is that some Universities no longer host ROTC units. A non-issue to the subject.

 

[Gatordev]

Even the English majors at the Academy are getting a pretty good dose of "technical" classes. The Calc/Chem/Physics requirement is much more than most schools would force you to take for an English/Poli-Sci degree. Thats probably why they let English majors service select Nuc.

Same applies to ROTC. You can have a degree in basket-weaving, as long as you're competitive, have the required tech. courses, and have the board's recommendation, you can pick up Nuc.

 

[nittany03]

Well, half truth. Son at Harvard, NROTC scholarship. Member of MIT NRTOC unit. Has not yet been "kicked off campus at Harvard". History major, selecting NUC.

Whole truth is that some Universities no longer host ROTC units. A non-issue to the subject.

I stand corrected; wasn't aware that Harvard had a cross-town affiliation.

 

[Thisguy]

Same applies to ROTC. You can have a degree in basket-weaving, as long as you're competitive, have the required tech. courses, and have the board's recommendation, you can pick up Nuc.

The required tech courses are only 2 semesters of calc, 2 semesters of calc-based physics. That's probably why ROTC requires those classes, just to keep the NUC option open.

 

[MrSaturn]

Funny how this issue repeats itself -- I believe that ADM Stockdale and other Vietnam era guys tried to push Annapolis into a more humanities based curriculum at the expense of engineering/science classes.

Actually they did. Rear Admiral Ronald F. Marryott, USN (Ret.) created the major system at the academy. Before everyone received the same courses except they chose a language. They added a wide variety of classes including humanties but we still have lots of the same core classes. It is to the point where you dont choose your major until sophmore (Youngster) year.

Reading Stockdale's book he placed emphasis on humanities like ethics and philosophy. Something we covered to a great deal in core classes. Even then he felt that the Plebe year was one of the biggest factors allowing him to survive his POW experience.

 

[Gatordev]

The required tech courses are only 2 semesters of calc, 2 semesters of calc-based physics. That's probably why ROTC requires those classes, just to keep the NUC option open.

Bingo.

 

[hscs]

True, Saturn, but it took a major cheating scandal and other incidents for the ethics program to be formalized. I don't recall any philosopy courses even being taught, and don't know if any are taught now.

It is interesting to see how the current conflics affect how the school adjusts its programs.

 

[Flash]

Reading Stockdale's book he placed emphasis on humanities like ethics and philosophy. Something we covered to a great deal in core classes. Even then he felt that the Plebe year was one of the biggest factors allowing him to survive his POW experience.

Interesting.......VADM Stockdale was President of my school for the grand total of a year. His tenure was a time of great upheaval at my school and when he left there was no love lost between the two.

He actually abolished the fourth class system at my school, an extremely unpopular decision with the cadets, alumni and most importantly the Board of Visitors. He said he abolished it because it reminded him too much fo his time as a POW. There were some other really unpopular things he did that added to the difficulties, one of the more notable ones was that he tried to interefere with some of the proceedings of the Honor Court. It was very interesting talking to many of the alumni and professors about that year, it sounded like an interesting year at the school.

P.S. The above takes nothing away from my estimation of VADM Stockdale and his leadership as a POW, he was a great man. It was just he and my school were not a good fit for each other.

 

[Flash]

Well, half truth. Son at Harvard, NROTC scholarship. Member of MIT NRTOC unit. Has not yet been "kicked off campus at Harvard". History major, selecting NUC.

Whole truth is that some Universities no longer host ROTC units. A non-issue to the subject.

Nittany hit the nail on the head, there are some schools that no longer host ROTC units because the college did not want that affiliation anymore.

My point was that the academies provide a guaranteed source of officers for the military, no matter the climate in the country or the university system in particular. I firmly believe that the Navy benefits greatly from the variety of commisioning sources but I also firmly believe there is a great benefit to having officers who recieve 4 years of 'Naval' education and steeped in the rich traditions of the Naval services. Some things just can't be taught in 90 days.......

 

[MrSaturn]

True, Saturn, but it took a major cheating scandal and other incidents for the ethics program to be formalized. I don't recall any philosopy courses even being taught, and don't know if any are taught now.

It is interesting to see how the current conflics affect how the school adjusts its programs.

They were making a philosophy minor when I was leaving. In my ethics class we covered hobbes, locke, mills, neitche, and more stuff I forgot.
But that was just the core class. Several others are being taught as electives as seen here.
http://www.usna.edu/acdean/courses/courses.html