Accomplishments
The development and success of midshipmen
Setting high standards and the support to achieve those standards
Over 95% of midshipmen are retained into their 2/C year and graduation rates are consistently at or above 88%
Fewer than three delayed graduations a year for academic reasons
Re-energized and expanded Center for Academic Excellence
Added staff and Associate Director position
New and expanded programs added to meet midshipmen needs
Moved to remodeled location in the Levy Center
Hours expanded to meet midshipman schedules
Approaching 100% gift funding
Near or at full capacity among all programs
Writing Center joined Center for Academic Excellence
Hiring of additional full-time professional staff and writing tutors
Moved to remodeled location in Nimitz Library
100% gift funded support
Near or at full capacity among all programs
Improved Academic Advising Office
Two Deputy Director positions added
Increased focus on mentoring and developing midshipmen to help them find pathways to success
Improved Plebe Advising program
Face to face meetings with midshipmen
Focus on midshipmen development and mentoring
Emphasis on preparing midshipmen to make good academic choices and major selection
Design for new space and improved access
Evolution of role of Registrar and the Registrar's Office
Design for new space and improved access
Assessment of student learning for improvement
Explicit linkages between course, program/core, and institutional goals
Use of assessment results for greater understanding of midshipman development, improved dialogue within and between departments, and to improve educational experiences
Providing opportunities to excel
Creation of Human Performance Lab in support of physical excellence
United Kingdom International Scholarship Program
Stabilized funding with 100% gift funded support
Consistent number of recipients of national and international scholarships on an annual basis
Trident Scholar Program
Stabilized at about 12 scholars per year
Approaching 100% gift funded support
Bowman Scholar Program
Nearly all Bowman slots filled annually
100% gift funded support
Increasing cross-cultural opportunities, regional awareness, and foreign language study
International Programs Office is the focal point
Stabilized staff support
Leahy location enhances “adjacency of staff”
High quality immersion experiences increased
Academic credit awarded for courses taken abroad
A minimum of 9 credits required
12-15 credits typically completed
All midshipmen engage in language study while abroad
Participation increased
Number of participating countries increased
Expanded programs to include STEM majors
100% gift funded support
Expanded the “Center for Regional Studies”
Extended scope to 5 regions
100% gift funded support
Emphasizing working on authentic and challenging problems across the curriculum
Focusing on midshipmen academic accomplishments
Creation of Academy-wide Capstone Day & Research Poster Days
Further development and demonstration of oral presentation skills
Celebration of academic work products from all disciplines
Significant gift funded support
Using best pedagogical practices to support learning
Incorporating hands-on work; e.g., project-based learning, throughout the curriculum
Significant gift funded support to project-based learning
Stabilizing Naval Academy Science and Engineering Conference (NASEC) with 100% gift funds
Partnered with US Naval Institute to create annual Naval History Symposium
faculty and Staff Support
Creation of staffing model
294/294 model
Civilian 294 stable
Military 294 gap shrinking
USN -- recalled reservist billets (30) 100% filled
Permanent Military Professor (PMP) program increased to 50 billets and 100% filled
Permanent Military Instructor (PMI previously JPMP) program created with 40 billets and near capacity
Contracting of adjunct hiring
Reduction in need for adjunct hiring, greater than 75% increase to adjunct pay, over 10 years, to offer a competitive rate for the region, and significant annual savings (> $1M)
Adjunct labor managed through outside contractor in order to preserve positions for full time hires
Creation of Instructor of Practical Applications (IPA) technical lab support model for STEM disciplines
Professionalized lab support
Aid in instructional activities
Support of teaching and learning
Teaching and Learning Office re-energized as Center for Teaching and Learning
National search process used to recruit and hire new director
New positions for a two Deputy Directors
Dedicated centrally located office and technologically well-appointed, flexible workshop space in Mahan Hall
Revitalized faculty programs to develop improved teaching and mentoring skills
Full menu of teaching focused programs
Signature programs include:
Master Instructor Program
Annual Teaching & Learning Conference
Formative Analysis of Classroom Teaching (FACT) Program
Support for research and scholarship
Indirect cost recovery
External grant indirect cost recovery model created to provide needed full-time equivalent (FTE) position relief
Approaching $800K per year in funding for staff salaries that support research admin
Research Office financial staff increased by 2 FTE based on indirect cost funding
Elimination of 51% rule that negatively impacted reimbursable research
Solidified and published performance expectations
Annual memo on promotion/tenure expectations provides written clarity to all – created in consultation with P&T committee
Revised Performance Appraisal Review System (PARS) (incorporated into DPMAP now)
Tri-fold “performance expectations” handout reinforces stated standards / expectations – created in consultation with department chairs
Tri-fold “departmental citizenship” handout reinforces stated standards / expectations for being a good institutional and department citizen – created in consultation with department chairs
Revised New Faculty Orientation Program– 3 mornings of mentoring, small group work, and case studies to help new faculty acclimate to USNA
increases in gift funding
New 100% gift funded chairs: Krekel, Looker, Keyser, Crowe, Davis, Sammon, Thomas Paul, and several more within departments
Cyber – faculty, programs, facilities
Faculty travel and professional development
Project-based learning
International immersion
Center for Academic Excellence
Naval Academy Science and Engineering Conference
Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference
History Honors program
information Technology Support
Hardware and infrastructure to support current and future teaching and learning
Laptops for midshipmen
Reduction in desktop machines in favor of laptops and docking stations
Mission WiFi
Guest WiFi
Cloud access; gmail; google file stream
Support for iPads, iPhones/Android, BYOD
VPN from off the Yard
Admin access “on demand”
IT help desk in Nimitz Library
Academic IT strategic plan
General accomplishments
Accreditation Related
MSCHE accreditation maintained
Programmatic accreditation:
American Chemical Society accreditation maintained
ABET accreditations maintained
Several new programs accredited on first attempt (General Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, and Cyber Operations)
Cyber Related
Cyber Operations program – In the 1st cohort in the nation to be ABET accredited
NSA Center for Academic Excellence - Cyber Operations certification
Cyber core courses developed for 4/C and 2/C midshipmen
Center for Cyber Security Studies
Center 100% gift funded
Cyber Fellows 100% gift funded
International experts on our faculty
Policy and technical cyber competition successes
Robust lecture series and host for national conferences
Construction
Hopper Hall (computing related disciplines)
Renovated Rickover Hall
Renovated Building 105 (home of Political Science and Languages & Cultures)
Renovated Nuclear Engineering labs
Consolidated computing based disciplines from across divisions in contiguous spaces in Hopper Hall and Nimitz Library
Remodeled 1st deck of Nimitz Library; expanded study space and a new coffee bar
Remodeled Writing Center, IT help desk, more midshipman study space (and more renovations planned)
Changes to Academic Program
New majors
Data Science Major
Foreign Area Studies major
Nuclear Engineering major
Operations Research major
Sunsetting Information Technology major (Class of 2024)
To align better with the curriculum, renamed Systems Engineering major to Robotics and Control Engineering
Revised Economics major to be a Quantitative Economics STEM major
Diversity
Increases in the diversity within the academic cost center
Office of the Provost:
Senior administrators 40% female / 60% male
Entire staff 72.5% female / 27.5% male
Increases in underrepresented faculty hires in all schools
Focused discussions on equity, diversity, and inclusion; microaggressions; and implicit bias
Diversity Search Advocate program for all AD faculty positions
Diversity statements in faculty position advertising
Strategic Planning
Academic IT plan created
Center for Academic Excellence strategic plan created
Library strategic plan created
HUMSS strategic plan in progress
Center for Teaching & Learning strategic plan in progress
Visiting Committees
Visiting committee intent focused on improving educational program
Memorandum of Understanding and Status Update added to increase mutual accountability
Library
Research & Instructional Librarians moved from GS to AD
Promoting information literacy
“Information commons” focus: redesigned 1st floor patron space with coffee bar
WiFi access available in all areas
IT help desk
Writing Center
Remodeled 1st floor to modernize entire area and provide additional study space
Budget Office
Professionalized budget office
Focused support for conferences / gift fund use
Improved budget tracking; requirements driven budgeting
Communication
Annual faculty convocation
Regular town halls – 3 per semester
Department brown bag lunch, upon invitation
Weekly meetings with School and Division Leadership
Weekly meetings with Provost's staff
Monthly meetings with Department Chairs
Academic Assembly meetings: 2-3 per semester
Summer offsite with academic leadership
Summer Chairs' Retreat
Provost Pulse as a periodic newsletter
Monthly meetings with Associate Deans
Response to COVID-19
Maintained safe workspaces
Vaccines provided to all faculty and staff who chose it
Temporary remote work agreements
Extended remote work agreements for medical and dependent care
Purchasing and distribution of technology to enable remote work, teaching, and learning
Following of CDC and DoN guidance for social distancing and hygiene
Purchasing and distribution of cleaning supplies for classrooms and workspaces
Faculty compensation, staffing, and career progression
Merit pay plan was implemented as normal
Robust summer labor program provided 12 months of pay to teaching volunteers
Hiring plan was implemented as normal
Tenure clock extension was granted to all who desired it
Faculty workshops, training, and demonstrations provided to support all USNA instructors in online environment
Maintained integrity of 47 month program
Graduated the Class of 2020 on time with normal graduation rates
Led a robust summer school program that supported reduced contact hours throughout AY21 and summer training goals