One of the good advantages of attending the US Merchant Marine Academy is the expertise of going out to sea on US-Flag service provider ships. This is named ‘Sea Year’.

While the state faculties primarily depend on faculty ships, USMMA Midshipmen are despatched, usually two at a time, to business vessels buying and selling world wide. That is till now — if the next data launched by the USMMA Alumni Association is to be believed:

Please see the next announcement from the Academy regarding Sea Year:

While the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Maritime Administration (MARAD), and the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) have made constant efforts to deal with sexual assault and sexual harassment on campus over the previous couple of years, we’ve grappled with acceptable technique of extending these efforts throughout “Sea Year” when the Midshipmen are off campus coaching on working U.S. service provider marine vessels. The security of those younger ladies and men are our highest precedence, and the USMMA is standing down having Midshipmen serve on these vessels till it’s assured that their coaching shall be carried out in a secure surroundings.

On June twenty fourth, MARAD is convening a Call-to-Action with the maritime trade to deal with these points, in addition to their total security, as we start to develop a complete plan that protects the Midshipmen.

We are making each effort to make sure an on-time commencement for any affected college students.

More data to observe as particulars develop into obtainable.

gCaptain Update: USMMA spokesman, Benjamin Benson, Director of External Affairs, supplied the next assertion to gCaptain, assuring there was no particular incident that prompted the choice:

“The annual reports to Congress on sexual assault and sexual harassment submitted by the USMMA have shown the aggressive steps taken to address the matter on campus.  Sea Year is a unique situation for these young men and women, and we believe there continues to be a need to address the culture onboard vessels to better ensure Midshipmen are in an environment that is both safe and respectful.  This is not just about Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment, but an effort to ensure the Sea Year is an appropriate training and work environment for the Midshipmen,” Benson wrote in an e-mail.

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