Voyage Plan
 

PDF Version of the Plan

This document publishes the Academy’s two-year action plan for the future of the university. It begins by reaffirming the mission statement and by laying out the university’s vision. It concludes with the five overarching Governing Objectives that constitute the attainable goals and steps needed to attain those goals. It then incorporates the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Trustees approved Tactical Objectives for the Academy and adds the performance metrics that are needed to support this plan for the next two years. This plan is the result of many meetings with the multiple stakeholders of the Academy culminating with a two-day campus planning session that involved the entire senior staff of the Academy. The plan is submitted to the All University Committee annually and feedback is sought. In that way, all of the stakeholders have been represented throughout the planning cycle and all are invested in the achievement of these goals.

In March 2020, Admiral McDonald announced the Massachusetts Maritime Academy priorities during the challenging times of COVID-19:

  • To keep our cadets, faculty and staff - and by extension, their families - safe
  • To keep the Academy from becoming a mass-transmission center
  • To find a path to get our 1/C cadets to degree completion in time for Commencement
  • To minimize the academic disruption for the 2/C, 3/C and 4/C cadets

These priorities have not changed since they were first established. The Academy was successful with getting 1/C cadets to degree completion in June 2020 and again in 2021. We begin the fall 2021 semester dedicated to keeping our campus as safe as possible with very few students exempt from the vaccine mandate.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a leadership laboratory that cultivates a transition from followship to leadership during four years of residence at the Academy. Our cadet leadership, the Cadre, continue to be extremely creative, thinking outside the box, to assist our Commandant of Cadets and Vice President of Student Services in developing student life activities for all students. Our faculty have worked tirelessly over the span of this pandemic to successfully continue to deliver the high caliber academics that we are known for.

Although the fall 2021 sophomore enrollment numbers are lower than projections, we anticipate that in time many of the students who opted to “stop out” during the pandemic will return. We are also very optimistic, given the size of the incoming freshman class (approximately 400 students), that our enrollment will grow and ultimately exceed our pre-pandemic enrollment over the next few years.

As we make our way back from the effects of the pandemic, we have a lot to look forward to. A new academic building and upgraded labs, a new 180-seat conference center, the acquisition of the historic schooner Ernestina-Morrissey, updated residence halls, a new expanded student union facility (the Fantail) and a new training ship, the Patriot State II. As we look over the bow, it is clear that it will be an incredible voyage.

The mission of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy is to provide a quality education for graduates serving in the merchant marine, the military services, and those who serve the interests of the Commonwealth, Nation and global marketplace. The Academy does so by combining a rigorous academic program with a regimented lifestyle that instills honor, responsibility, discipline, and leadership.

“Discipline, Knowledge, Leadership”

One must have the discipline to acquire knowledge and both are required to be a good leader.

Our Academy serves the maritime, transportation, engineering, environmental, industrial, and commercial interests of the Commonwealth and our nation. Our traditions, values, ethics, and aspirations are rooted in the maritime field and we remain true to this foundation in all we undertake. To carry out our mission, we identify ways to meet these broader goals through graduate, undergraduate, and non-credit programs that build on the distinctive competencies we have developed during more than a century as a maritime academy. We seek to instill officer-like qualities in all undergraduates, regardless of whether or not they choose to seek a commission. Like other regimented maritime colleges (as defined by 46 USCFR 310), we will continue the honorable tradition of producing the citizen-sailor/soldier, equally prepared to serve the community in peace and the nation in times of war.

While alternative student life models co-exist at the Academy, especially in graduate and evening programs, the Regiment of Cadets will remain, as it has for more than a century, the central feature of undergraduate residence life. The mission of the Regiment is the continuous development of each cadet’s character, honor, integrity, leadership, and self-discipline. We carefully manage the limited option of civilian status for non-traditional students to ensure that all students have access to the benefits of the Regiment.

In the last two decades we have broadened our scope of academic offerings, but our educational philosophy of Learn – Do – Lead has remained steadfast. We use this successful learning model throughout our programming, as a Sea Term or commercial ship experience in our USCG license-track programs or as an experiential learning opportunity or cooperative educational experience for our non-licensed majors in real-world settings. As an institution, we remain committed to lifelong learning, especially in the form of continuing professional education and workforce development, which supports the economic progress of the Commonwealth and its citizenry. We persist in our goal to develop innovative maritime-related continuing education programs, which have impact far beyond our Taylor’s Point campus. 

In all we do, the Academy strives for inclusive excellence and commits to upholding the rights and dignity of the individual, whether student, faculty, or staff. We will never discriminate on the basis of race,sex, sexual orientation, color, national origin, age, religion or disability; and we strive to create and maintain a learning community based on inclusive excellence, fairness and civility in the pursuit of knowledge.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy aspires for excellence in all it undertakes. Specifically, we aim to become and remain the foremost institution of maritime higher education in the world, and will, through the use of appropriate benchmarks, strive continuously toward that goal.

The following Governing Principles create the framework for the Academy’s institutional goals:

  • Support the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) Strategic Plan for Racial Equity and Strive to Achieve Inclusive Excellence
  • Enhance and Improve, in Both Excellence and Diversity, our Student Body, Faculty and Staff
  • Achieve an 1,800-Member Student Body by 2028 (Total FTE Enrollment)
  • Improve Institutional Effectiveness
  • Optimize Available Resources in Support of the Mission of the Academy

 

Tactical Objectives

Massachusetts Maritime Academy was designated in 2004, by the Board of Higher Education (BHE), as a Special Mission College. The establishment of this partnership with the Commonwealth permitted the Academy to determine a set of performance measures by which to gauge its success in meeting the broad objectives of its unique mission (M.G.L. Chapter 15A, Section 7). The partnership further authorized the Academy to set and retain its student tuition and fees. On 20 June 2023, the Board of Higher Education approved the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Five-Year Renewal Plan for a Partnership with the Commonwealth. This two-year Voyage Plan sets forth the tactical steps necessary to fulfill our partnership plan.

The Governing Principles laid out in Section 3.0 above serve as our institutional guidepost, as we strive to diversify our campus community, sustain an inclusive and welcoming climate, improve our effectiveness, and optimize all available resources. The following objectives provide action items and performance metrics for the next two years, in nine sections:

4.1 Inclusive Excellence

4.2 Strategic Growth of the Student Population

4.3 People Development: Invest in and Improve the Diversity and Performance of Staff and    Faculty

4.4 Strategic Improvements and Additions to the Academic Program

4.5 Enhance Student Life

4.6 Strategic Student-Centered Operations, Capital Construction and Renewable Energy

4.7 Exercise Diligent & Effective Oversight of MMA’s Financial Performance

4.8 Develop and Build MMA’s Advancement Priorities

4.9 Leverage Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning

Action items, delineated by section, are outlined below. In some cases, objectives overlap or are related to other sections. In those cases, the overlap is starred for easy reference. (i.e. *4.2). Action item point-persons (denoted as “leads”) are noted when they are someone other than the division head.

Strategic Goal

Advance a common agenda for inclusive excellence that aligns institutional strategies with statewide initiatives to infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in every facet of the Academy. Formerly known as the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Office of Intercultural Engagement, the Captain Paul Cuffe Center for Inclusion’s mission is to create a community of inclusive excellence at the Academy. By promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through programs, events and student support initiatives, we strive to foster a sense of belonging and a supportive environment for all by honoring the namesake of our center. We continue Captain Cuffe’s legacy of philanthropy, leadership, and social change.


Strategic Rationale

The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s Strategic Plan for Racial Equity (SPRE) charges each public institution of higher education to achieve racial equity through the adoption of its key underlying principles, including: Equity, Accountability, Community, Teamwork, Intentionality and Empowerment. To assist institutions in achieving racial equity, the plan provides strategies related to improvements in infrastructure, institutional culture, access, civic engagement and student preparedness. Using these principles and strategies as a guide, we have developed action items and performance measures that support and surround this critical initiative of racial equity and inclusive excellence. In addition to this governing document, we also affirm the call from the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) for inclusive excellence in higher education, as crucial to the well-being of democratic culture. Massachusetts Maritime Academy, therefore, intentionally undertakes an active process to achieve inclusive excellence in learning, teaching, student development, institutional functioning, and engagement with local and global communities. Drawing from the SPRE, we establish the following priorities:

  • Academy’s Climate of Inclusion
  • Inclusive University Policies, Systems, and Infrastructure
  • Community & Civic Engagement
  • Recruitment of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Faculty, Staff, and Students (4.2 & 4.3)
  • Retention & Equity of BIPOC Faculty, Staff, and Students (4.2 & 4.3)
  • Inclusive Excellence Training, Development & Curriculum (4.4)

Performance Metrics – Inclusive Excellence

Successful institutional climates radiate a sense of belonging. To that end, a key priority is to provide students, faculty, and staff with opportunities to support and embrace the intersections of culture and identity to create a community that is inclusive to all populations at the Academy.

  • Re-energize the President’s Task Force for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, led by Chief Diversity Officer/ Dean of Enrollment Management, Equity and Inclusion.
  • Review and revise the Academy mission statement, with the goal of BOT approval in 2024.
  • Analyze the campus-wide 2023 Diversity & Inclusion Campus Climate Survey and institute changes.
  • Create a sense of belonging through trainings (e.g.: Safe Harbor, Cultural Competency, etc.), heritage month events, affinity groups (e.g.: Black Student Union, SAGA), and support programs (like SALT and MAPS).
  • Maintain quality programming and initiatives through the Cuffe Center to promote diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion awareness and intercultural competence (at least 25 events/programs per year). Events include films, speakers, food, workshops, and activities with focus events around heritage months:
      • Hispanic
      • Native American
      • Black History
      • Women
      • AAPI
      • Pride
  • Distribute surveys at key programs to assess student satisfaction and gauge awareness increase; participation will be tracked to assess levels of interest. Survey results will help to shape choices for future programming.
  • Develop an internal equity process that includes examining all institutional policies and procedures through an equity lens; then make recommendations. (Involves collaboration across many departments, led by Chief Diversity Officer).

Performance Metrics - Community and Civic Engagement

  • Strengthen existing community partnerships and pathway programs (modeling our relationship with Ron Burton Training Village). Add two strategic partnerships per year, focusing on the 26 Gateway Communities in the Commonwealth. In 2024, focus will be on 6 communities in southeastern MA: Barnstable, New Bedford, Fall River, Attleboro, Taunton, and Brockton. Foster alliances with Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA, YWCA and more in those communities.
  • In collaboration with all divisions across campus, the Chief Diversity Officer and Cuffe Center will focus efforts to align with two statewide strategic initiatives from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, the New Undergraduate Experience and the Strategic Plan for Racial Equity.

Performance Metrics - Recruitment and Retention of Students

  • Expand the student support program Supportive Approaches to Learning Together (SALT), run by Intercultural Engagement, designed for first-generation, Pell-eligible students and/or students with additional barriers to the college experience, by increasing participation by 5% by December 2023. Toward this end, each Pell-eligible student will receive outreach from a member of the Captain Paul Cuffe Center for Inclusion. (*4.2)
  • Increase allyship programs on campus: Safe Zone/Safe Harbor, anti-racism, Empower5.
  • Enhance recruitment & retention of women and BIPOC students through a review of admission recruitment processes by the Chief Diversity Officer; Cuffe Center; and Enrollment Management, Equity, and Inclusion; with goal to develop new strategies for recruitment of students of color and women. For example, a change in messaging to be more inclusive, with a focus on social mobility and ROI, was made in 2023. (*4.2)
  • Offer a DEI online module, “Get Inclusive,” as well as Title IX training to all incoming students before they arrive for Orientation.

Strategic Goal

Grow the total student body FTE to 1,800 by 2028, while preserving our institutional identity and ensuring equitable access to all.

Strategic Rationale

The Strategic Plan for Racial Equity calls for all Massachusetts institutes of public higher education to enhance economic and social mobility for all citizens, with particular focus on those that have historically been underserved and underrepresented throughout all levels of education. By leveraging the Academy’s Special Mission, specialized majors, with high rates of Return on Investment (ROI), Massachusetts Maritime Academy is uniquely positioned to contribute greatly to social mobility for students of underserved communities. To achieve this goal, we shall:

  1. Strengthen our distinctive identity as a state university that combines educational opportunity with student engagement
  2. Achieve fiscally responsible enrollment goals that respect our mission and values
  3. Support equitable access, opportunity, and success for all students by creating a pathway for social mobility
  4. Improve student success, persistence and graduation.

Performance Metrics  

  • Explore alternatives to the current application process to minimize the burden on students and increase completed applications.
  • Develop and execute a marketing plan for the recruitment of students, including students of color, gateway cities, top-feeder high schools, and targeted out-of-region markets (NY, NJ, MD, VA, NC & FL), including releases on social media, connected TV, and print materials.
  • Develop and enhance Academy-sponsored summer camps for high school students, expand and strengthen relationships with community-based organizations that serve students of color in order to promote access to the Academy. (See also section 4.1)
  • Enhance efforts to ensure that all students, particularly BIPOC students, feel supported in the application, admissions, and enrollment processes, by examining each process and implementing necessary changes. (*4.1)
  • Increase new first-year enrollment by 2% each year.
  • Pursue growth in deposited students through increased completion of admissions applications, improved yield experience for admitted students, personalized communication plans, signature recruitment and yield events, and revised transfer credit procedures.
  • Explore holistic admissions practices and policies within the Office of Admissions. (For example, examine impacts and consider remaining SAT/ACT-optional as a permanent policy.)
  • Establish territory management and partner programs to support goal of 2% increase in BIPOC student applicants.
  • Support all degree-seeking students, particularly first-generation, Pell-eligible students and/or students with learning differences, through on-campus support programs like the SALT (Supportive Approaches to Learning Together) program, an advising/mentoring program designed to promote success.
  • Create a cross-divisional Enrollment & Student Success Working Group.
  • Examine retention rates of BIPOC students, identify disparities and explore processes to improve support, with goal of increasing retention by 2% annually.
  • In collaboration with Academic Resources, Intercultural Engagement, Enrollment Management, and Student Services/Regiment, create and implement a comprehensive transition model that is collaborative and seamless for all incoming students, from early college to the end of the first year.
  • Study on-time credit accumulation, as it relates to the federal policy requiring students to obtain 67% of all courses attempted, to ensure financial aid eligibility is not disrupted.
  • In collaboration with Academic Affairs, Financial Services, Registrar’s Office, and Office of Admissions, ensure that all students have an academic, career, and financial plan within their first two years at the Academy. (*4.1)

 

In collaboration with Academics:

  • Explore part-time enrollment options for selected majors.
  • Examine transferability rate of transfer credits.
  • Develop a transfer student recruitment plan.
  • Monitor transfer students for degree completion timeframes, and examine processes to address any deficiencies.
  • Develop a robust Early College program(s) that focuses on students of color. (*4.1)
  • Explore creation of 1-2 new majors to attract a more diverse pool of applicants.
  • Develop an inclusive academic student success model that supports all students. (*4.1)

In collaboration with Finance:

  • Investigate reducing or eliminating the application fee.
  • Complete review of process/guidelines for awarding institutional aid; implement newly identified initiatives and strategies, including any piloting initiatives/programs.  (*4.7)
  • Complete a multi-year, longitudinal financial model; conduct ongoing assessment of the alignment between institutional aid, enrollment (new and returning students), and net tuition revenue projections.

 

Undergraduate Enrollment Projections 2023-2028

Enrollment Projection Assumptions:

•      Orientation completion is 95%

•      1st to 2nd year retention improves 2% per year to 88%

•      2nd to 3rd year retention improves to 94%

•      3rd to 4th year retention improves to 98%

 

Incoming Students

Start of Orientation

Incoming Students

Census Sep. 15

Total Enrollment

Census Sep. 15

Total Undergraduate Enrollment FTE

Fall 2023

380

361

1243

1305

Fall 2024

400

380

1232

1293

Fall 2025

430

409

1317

1383

Fall 2026

450

428

1415

1486

Fall 2027

460

437

1493

1568

Fall 2028

460

437

1547

1624

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Table 1. Enrollment Management, Equity & Inclusion - Enrollment Projections

Strategic Goal
Enrich the workforce through recruitment, promotion, tenure, reward and recognition of diverse and supportive faculty & staff who are equity-minded.

Strategic Rationale 
To create an inclusive and safe learning environment where faculty and staff feel welcome and contribute to a culturally responsible community. Diversity, equity and inclusion require more than a numeric count of faculty and staff to ensure that students of all backgrounds feel that the MMA campus is welcoming and supportive.

Performance Metrics

  • Achieve 18% faculty and staff race/ethnicity diversity and 45% gender diversity of Academy faculty and staff by casting a wider net in hiring and posting positions in more targeted ways. Include a DEI module to current screening committee training.
  • Collaborate with the Chief Diversity Officer and the Cuffe Center to develop strategic recruiting plans to identify and coordinate partnerships, both on and off campus and, that contribute to inclusive hiring and faculty/staff engagement. For example, MMA forwards employment opportunities to the Wampanoag tribe (both Mashpee and Herring Pond), NAACP Offices (Cape & Islands, Martha’s Vineyard, New Bedford, Providence, Cambridge and Boston) and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.
  • Expand collaboration with the Cuffe Center to explore insights from the 2023 campus climate survey and leverage campus inclusion initiatives. The survey was the same as the one used by most other MA state universities, with a few additional MMA-specific questions.
  • Increase faculty and staff training opportunities:
    • How to handle mental health issues
    • Safe Harbors
  • Review new employee retention over the past 5 years.
    • Re-evaluate entry level pay and review comparisons between divisions, APA as compared to MSCA.
    • Re-evaluate relocation support policy, including temporary housing.
  • Add DEI component to new hire on-boarding.
  • Maintain the campus-based funding for the workforce:
    • Continue to offer faculty travel in support of professional development ($15,000) with a focus on enhancing inclusive, anti-racist, and culturally responsive curriculum development, and teaching pedagogies. (*4.1)
    • Continue to support professional development for administrators/APA union employees ($15,000).
    • Continue to support professional development for AFSCME union employees ($15,000).
    • Continue to support professional development for non-unit employees ($15,000).
  • Work with the Office for Institutional Research to provide training and support for faculty and staff on institutional assessments and the analysis of data to monitor the success rate of underrepresented students. For example, the Academy will purchase modules designed to help faculty understand and conduct assessments, from an entity such as the Teagle Foundation, which provides resources to support students.
  • Establish resources, such as the “Get Inclusive” DEI module for faculty and staff, promote a supportive community.

Strategic Goal
Maintain high quality academic programs and embrace the Academy’s status as the “Commonwealth’s Leadership University.”

Strategic Rationale
While the pandemic caused disruptions to our academic program, it has also resulted in some positive change and progress toward our goals. Like many colleges nationwide, our enrollment has dipped slightly since 2020, making the need for a high-quality educational experience and strong return on investment more relevant and significant than ever. Key factors in drawing the top talent depend on delivering specialty programming that results in jobs; attracting all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender; maintaining our low student-to-faculty ratio; and continuing to explore pedagogical innovations in experiential learning. To ensure mission fulfillment, we continue our data-driven analysis of student achievement with our institutional shared learning outcomes, success in meeting targets of other related performance indicators, and advancement of institutional performance measures.

Performance Metrics - Undergraduate Program

  • Continue our partnership with Architect Design firm Ellenzweig and the Massachusetts Department of Capital Asset Management (DCAMM) in the construction phase of the newly approved STEM Building, relocation of the Aquaculture lab, and renovations of existing buildings to optimally serve our student population.
  • Continue the conduct of program reviews, in accordance with the June 2021 release of our Program Review Timeline, to ensure systematic evaluation of each major on a regularized basis. As part of this work, Departments should examine course sequencing and prerequisites, research credit hour requirements, analyze 4-year and 6-year graduation rates, evaluate academic program assessment report data and consider opportunities for degree plan updates consistent with changing industry needs. Program Reviews for Facilities Engineering and Science and Mathematics will take place in AY 2023-2024, and for Marine Engineering and Social Science in AY 2024-2025.
  • Engage with Academic Departments to ensure departmental titling matches current and aspirational curriculum.  Investigate creation of potential "Schools" out of our existing structure to develop additional majors and achieve efficiencies where possible.  Following consideration by the Academy All University Committee, submit any new major proposals through the Department of Higher Education for their approval. 
  • Expand and refine the multi-level Mariner Credentialing course sequence, where licensed cadets will register for and complete STCW assessments not captured in regularly scheduled courses.
  • Operationalize our software, CourseDog, to create the College Catalog and track the internal governance items.
  • Maintain high quality assessment processes, including artifact evaluation, rubric usage and programmatic improvement based on data collected, as consistent with NECHE, ABET and IACBE requirements.  
  • Continue support for General Education Task Force examining our existing core curriculum with the goal of curricular development in social justice, leadership, and cultural competence, while ensuring student preparedness for their majors. As part of this work, the Task Force should benchmark against academic best practice at peer institutions, conduct curricular mapping of the general education courses to our Shared Learning Outcomes, and research overall credit hour requirements.
  • Examine potential innovations in our academic curriculum creating a new undergraduate major, which will continue to attract top high school talent, broaden the pool of potential students, and ensure the vibrancy of our academic program.
  • Explore opportunities to expand the Experiential Learning opportunities among non-licensed majors aboard the TS Patriot State II. Review existing experiential learning opportunities, considering venue safety and linkages to academic program and cost.
  • Reinvigorate each major’s Advisory Board to elicit feedback on our curriculum and partnerships with industry; incorporate Career Services and External Affairs into interactions to receive full benefits for students and alumni.
  • Continue pursuit of equity-minded pedagogical approaches in our courses and academic programming; provide development and training opportunities to support faculty in their commitment to creating welcoming and inclusive classrooms.
  • Collaborate with the Enrollment, Equity and Inclusion Division to ensure Academic program is optimally suited to attract and retain diverse student body, focusing on robustness of Faculty Liaison program across all majors, disbursement of prospective candidates equitably across all majors, and examination of major titles, as related to SIP codes.
  • Collaborate with Operations Division on replacement for the aging M/V RANGER.
  • Prepare for the US Coast Guard’s audit of our Mariner Credentialing program in Spring 2024.
  • Prepare for STCW audit in 2024: conduct internal audit in 2023; adopt new software program to assist in tracking assessments delineated by course as well as student achievement in those assessments.

Performance Metrics – Academic Resources

  • Continue to improve student support processes by monitoring ARB-reviewed students, offering intentional, high quality Academic Advising, supporting students with learning differences, and ensuring all students capitalize on tutoring services on campus. As part of this work, consider existing Writing Center structure to identify possible improvements.
  • Partner with Division of Enrollment, Equity and Inclusion to create smooth pathways for all matriculating students by examining accessibility of Accuplacer testing, approach of Maritime Academy Preparatory Program (MAPS), opportunities for Dual Enrollment courses and ease of transfer student processes to enhance admission of all prospective candidates.
  • Work with Enrollment, Equity and Inclusion Division to develop an Early College program, which will create opportunities for prospective students across the Commonwealth and expose them to the Academy campus.
  • Collaborate with the Enrollment, Equity and Inclusion Division to examine academic programming, focus on retention, and properly support our student population.
  • Streamline and reorganize the College Catalog to make information easily accessible. Examine the Academic Standards to ensure clarity in communicating the meaning of satisfactory academic progress and outcomes for students who neglect to meet those standards.
  • Collaborate with the Enrollment, Equity and Inclusion Division and Office of Institutional Research to better understand factors influencing 4-year and 6- retention rates, disaggregated by gender, race and ethnicity. This inquiry should also include impacts of major transfers, course failures, and credit hours.
  • Partner with General Education Task Force, Academic Department Chairs and Office of Enrollment, Equity and Inclusion to ensure academic policies recognize learning interruptions of recent years and best support first year students, through possible examination of general education curriculum, grade forgiveness policies and complexities of course sequencing and prerequisites.
  • Promote a culture of data-driven decision making and continuous improvement at the Academy through the planning, coordination, and implementation of institutional research and assessment practices. Specifically, oversee the collection, analysis, and distribution of institutional data to support strategic planning, decision-making, program development and review, accreditation, and assessment of student learning.
  • Continue to support the Assessment Committee as they institutionalize high impact practices throughout our academic program. As part of this work, work with Office of Institutional Research to assess achievement gaps of various student subgroups and encourage academic departments to continue assessing shared learning outcomes, with a focus on student achievement and learning.
  • Continue pursuit of equity-minded pedagogical approaches in our courses and academic programming.  As part of this work, seek development and training opportunities supporting faculty commitment to creating welcoming and inclusive classrooms and consider institutionalization of teaching center to support this goal.

Performance Metrics - Training Ship Patriot State II

  • Continue collaboration with the US Maritime Administration, training ship master and crew and licensed faculty, as we prepare to receive TS Patriot State II in January 2024.  Work with Operations Division to ensure shore side capacity will meet vessel needs.
  • Engage with non-licensed majors to create sea term opportunities for all—regardless of major. Partner with ship’s master and student services to ensure that all aboard the vessel are productively incorporated into the ship’s daily routine.
  • Ensure the ship’s crew are properly trained and are able to safely operate the new NSMV systems.
  • Team with Student Services and ship’s crew to continue safe Sea Terms, which address cadet wellness, mental health and training needs. As part of this work, ensure Sea Term Council and governance committees are fully integrated into discussions.
  • Re-examine and revisit past Sea Term III to determine feasibility and viability of re-implementation. As part of this and in consideration of TS Patriot State utilization, explore current academic calendar, including timing of sea terms, for possible updates.
  • Continue to foster a safety culture aboard the training ship through the existing Safety Management System (SMS) that promotes and protects all onboard. Ensure that all critical personnel conduct continual risk assessment on changes to the plant, ship readiness or changes to physical condition of the Patriot State.
  • Following Patriot Sate’s delivery, continue partnership with MARAD and Tote Services to ensure evaluate ship systems, make necessary repairs, and follow the preventative maintenance schedule.

 

Performance Metrics - Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey

  • Work with Academic Departments to development academic programming to capitalize on the potential opportunities for seamanship, science and engineering aboard Schooner Ernestina, including potential concentration and elective opportunities. 
  • Seek opportunities to highlight the value of the historic sailing ship across all academic departments and the campus.
  • Work with Ernestina Captain and Dean of Undergraduate Studies to identify Tall Ship and community events and balance those opportunities with campus presence and commitment. 
  • Team with Enrollment, Equity and Inclusion and External Affairs to explore use of vessel in student recruitment programs; design programming opportunities for K-12, with a goal to introduce opportunities in local area in 2023.

 

Performance Metrics - Continuing Education Programs

  • Team our Graduate Program Administrator with Academic Department Chairs to continue to highlight the 4+1 path/program for motivated 1/C cadets to matriculate into one of the three Academy Masters degrees.
  • Progress in graduate program reviews and implement changes flowing from those studies, with the goal of updating programs resulting in improved learning experiences for our Masters students.
  • Assess opportunities for additional graduate programming including new master’s programs or professional doctoral programs.
  • Draft STCW firefighting program using mix of virtual & practical practices, which capitalize on the Academy’s unique expertise as a maritime community and Academy.
  • Examine other opportunities for the Center of Maritime Professional Training for partnerships with industry partners in the maritime realm. 
  • Establish a Maritime Center for Responsible Energy (MCRE) business plan to examine opportunities for growth in offshore wind, fire-fighting, helicopter training, etc.

Strategic Goal
Ensure that MMA is a welcoming, inclusive, and safe campus environment, which prepares cadets for a career in which leadership is one of the foundational skills required.

Strategic RationaleThe regiment at Massachusetts Maritime Academy provides cadets with the structure to learn leadership and civic engagement through practice and by example. Just as the student population has grown, so have student leadership positions, reflecting the growth in interests and needs of the student body and the creation of a two-battalion regiment. The student experience is enhanced by an active Division III athletic program which offers 15 varsity sports and a robust Student Government Association (SGA) which sponsors a wide variety of campus events and clubs. The Health Services department at MMA adds an additional dimension to the students’ education by assisting cadets in counseling, maintaining good health, and well-being. A vibrant student life program is invaluable to any successful residential university campus. Our undergraduate experience includes a nearly 100% in-person, regimental life program, where we strive for continuous improvement in enriching the student experiences on campus.

Performance Metrics - Regiment of Cadets and Student Life

  • Collaborate with Enrollment Management/DEI and Academic Affairs to meet/exceed the annual undergraduate major enrollment and retention targets. (*4.2)
  • Prioritize recruitment and selection for leadership positions with emphasis on increasing representation of women and BIPOC cadets in leadership roles. (*4.1/4.2)
  • Establish Policy/Practice Review Committee that proactively updates policies and practices to ensure inclusion and the elimination of barriers in support of Inclusive Excellence. (*4.1/4.2)
  • Diversify cadet representation on Student Affairs Committee to include sophomores and juniors, with goal of establishing multi-year continuity.
  • Evaluate efficacy of Dining Services with focus on hours of operation, food quality for dinner and weekend service, and uniform requirements for accessing Mess Desk.
  • Further develop petty officer and squad leader training and development, including augmenting DEI training modules. (*4.1)
  • Continue to collaborate with SGA and partners in the Division of Finance to review SGA bylaws related to organization funding and ensure transparency in communications and approach.
  • Begin the review, modify and establish a robust implementation plan for the MMA Leadership Laboratory: Cadet Training Standard Operating Procedures.
  • Identify additional co-curricular options to include weekend programming, expanded intramural offerings, and programming priorities, to then collaborate with SGA and other clubs and organizations to deliver programming for cadets, by cadets.
  • Support and monitor annual participation in civic engagement and community service offerings to use in establishing annual targets for expansion/improvement. (*4.1/4.2)
  • In partnership with Technology and Library Services (TLS), continue to evaluate, select and implement technological solutions to support student services efficiencies: examples include conduct/case management, Title IX and Clery efforts, as well as housing selection and assignments that enable professional staff opportunity to more fully focus on student engagement and development rather than on the current manual process administration.

 

Performance Metrics - Health & Wellness

  • Continue health education programming for cadet leadership and all cadets with focus on orientation and sea term pre-excursion and onboard wellness education and prevention programs.
  • Continue flu vaccination programming.
  • Expand 3rd party billing to include EMS transports.
  • Further develop and refine the Care & Action for Students Team (CAST) program with priority placed on Team composition and training of team members and ongoing communication about the team to increase referrals.
  • Increase staffing in the Counseling Center.

Performance Metrics - Varsity Athletics, Club and Intramural Sports

  • Partner with Enrollment/DEI and Academic Affairs to meet/exceed student-athlete retention benchmarks (within sport and within the Academy) and establish annual targets for improvement. (*4.2)
  • In partnership with Academic Affairs, develop a communication plan that outlines student-athlete schedules.
  • In partnership with Enrollment Management, develop a formalized recruitment plan based on past yield rates, targeted demographics and geographic areas, the DHE’s Equity Agenda, and the department of admissions recruitment plan. (*4.1/4.2)
  • Prioritize NCAA training and growth with professional development and job-related conferences.
  • Collaborate with Programs & Events and Enrollment/DEI to offer sport-specific prospect camps and programming that leverage Academy resources in off season to meet enrollment targets. (*4.2)

Strategic Goal
Provide the highest quality physical, safety and support activity resources to our Academy community that effectively meet the present and future needs, while supporting a welcoming, inclusive and safe campus.

Strategic Rationale

Well-maintained, appropriately lighted and modernized spaces significantly contribute to the success of any higher education institution. High-quality spaces impact student learning, assist in the retention of faculty and students, and improve wellness and mental health. The Academy recognizes that excellent facilities and support functions are one of the cornerstones of an outstanding education. To continue our pursuit of a high-quality, well-maintained campus, we shall:

  1. Maintain safe, secure and compliant facilities, and strive for continued improvement of existing infrastructure. 
  2. Pursue new construction, consistent with fiscal responsibility and academic need. Review and update the Ten- Year Master Plan with a focus toward continued growth, inclusive facilities, and overall resiliency.
  3. Create a campus culture that is committed to environmental sustainability at all levels by implementing innovative conservation policies and energy systems.
  4. Maximize the synergistic opportunities amongst the different departments and divisions to make the most of the limited resources entrusted to the Academy.
  5. Provide maximum opportunities for all external agencies to utilize the Academy’s facilities, enhancing avenues for future student membership and promoting the Academy in major, academic, social and business functions.

Performance Metrics – Operations and Maintenance

The Operations and Maintenance department is responsible for facilities upkeep, overall infrastructure improvement, adherence to state building regulations, and new building on our campus. We continuously review campus plans and apply personnel to maximize our achievement of these responsibilities to:

  • Partner with Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) to:
    • Work with DCAMM/Ellenzweig on new STEM lab building and renovations to Harrington Hall 3rd Floor. 
    • Install new geothermal well fields in identified areas and provide low-carbon HVAC opportunities to the new STEM Building, Harrington Hall and Kurz Hall.
    • Begin process of certified study and schematic design of athletic center addition.
  • Partner with the Massachusetts State College and Building Authority (MSCBA) to:
    • Construct new pier for Patriot State II needs, including upgraded fendering, electrical and steam support and dredging requirements.  Relocate Aquaculture Lab to new location.
    • Continue dorm renovations.
  • Utilize Deferred Maintenance funding for:
    • Emergency vehicle garage in Transformer Switch Building.
    • Paint Kurz Hall concrete supports with elastomeric paint.
    • Replace roof/soffit in pier Rectifier Building.
    • Update Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) filter equipment.
    • Replace stairs at Keith Hartford Sailing Center (KHSC).
    • Remove underground storage tanks, relocate fuel farm in Facilities Parking Lot.
    • Renovate Alison Rollins Softball Press Box.
    • Pool repairs and restoration.
    • Replace Bresnahan Mitsubishi system.
    • Replace Student Services roof top unit.
    • Replace Bay State Conference Center (BSCC) Air Handling Units and equipment.
    • Replace campus exterior lighting with latest generation photovoltaic (PV) systems.
  • Use in-house resources for:
    • Determine long term need at Facilities & Marine Operations Center (FMOC). 
    • Develop a temporary location for the Energy Systems Engineering Maker Space.
    • Develop plans to renovate/add new addition to the existing 50-year-old gym, originally designed for six hundred male cadets, to a new athletic center with the flexibility to support a sixteen-hundred-plus diverse student body.
    • Renovate the Administrative offices in Harrington Building.
    • Install roll-down dividers in the “shark tank” area of the Mess Deck. 
    • “Frost” 2nd deck Kurz Hall windows.
    • Update all student lounges to maximize the welcoming atmosphere.
    • Ensure that all new construction will continue to meet or exceed the LEED Silver standard as applicable.
  • Develop and implement a transition plan for moving Facilities to FMOC while maintaining a presence on the campus grounds. Continue upgrades to FMOC as the present facilities/boat house are demolished for the new STEM building.
  • Maximize opportunities for student engagement through work study, co-ops, cadet rate duties, and independent study. These opportunities give cadets hands-on experience with facility management, marine operations, building management systems, facility audits, waste management, safety assessments, and energy management to augment their academic programs.
  • Continue to beautify the campus by improving landscape features in conjunction with the new Master Plan.

Performance Metrics – Marine Department

Responsible for the Academy’s active waterfront and KHSC that supports academic and training programs, the Marine Department will:

  • Develop and implement relocation plan of Marine Department to FMOC as Small Boats building will be razed in the spring of 2024.
  • Ensure that the T/V Ranger and numerous small craft such as tugs, barges, motor-whaleboats and monomoys are maintained and ready to support academics.  Maximize the longevity of the T/V Ranger (shaft, exhaust, overhaul engines and keel coolers replacement) and investigate replacement of the T/V Ranger. Secure any potential grant opportunity to alleviate cost burden.
  • Replace fendering for T/V Ranger on the canal face of the dock. 
  • Improve/replace 4 large Yokohama fenders and attachments on canal pier. 
  • Replace/upgrade existing zincs/anodes on the canal face of the dock.
  • Replace outdated hydraulic trailer.
  • Replace existing foam floats at KHSC with enclosed flotation units.
  • Review design for new stowage building at Herring Pond for shells, manned models and the “FJ” sailboats.
  • Evaluate the longevity/and continued applicability of the T/V Hercules, T/V Alert and barge for the towing program.

Performance Metrics – Event Management

Event Management oversees and maximizes the cross-functionality opportunities with the other departments while continuing to incorporate strategic partner development with Athletics and Admissions.

  • Refresh the focus of Event Management as a revenue-generating operation toward enhancing enrollment, particularly for BIPOC students, drawing from gateway communities nearby. Specific actions include:
  • Coordinate Athletics and Admissions personnel to maximize future enrollment of BIPOC students and seek other diversity, equity and inclusive opportunities​​​​​​​ersee all Academy-run residential camps during summer and winter periods, with a focus on revenue, as allowed by governmental regulatory restrictions. Strive for an increase of 10% strategic partners per annum. Add strategic partnerships, maximize relationship potentials with local, regional and national entities.
  • Continue to lock in three-year contracts with long-standing strategic partners.
  • Maximize revenue generations in FY2024 to the Academy after expenses, and continue to grow programs going forward.

Performance Metrics – Environmental, Health, Safety and Sustainability

The Academy advances an improved safety culture on campus, as it relates to physical security, environmental health and long-term sustainability. On-the-job safety for all employees is provided through campus assessments, monthly training, trade talks, and project analysis.

  • Oversee and maximize all utility purchases, looking for any and all applicable rebates/grants. Continue to work with Operations and Maintenance on maximizing opportunities to minimize energy use via DCAMM’s Commonwealth Building Energy Intelligence (monitoring sub-meter usage).
  • Complete lighting replacement project from fluorescent lamps and fixtures to LED lighting options. Maximize any grants/rebates/Clean Energy Investment Program (CEIP) opportunities.
  • Increase the total number of electric vehicle-charging stations to complement the electric vehicle fleet and provide adequate stations for staff.
  • Improve campus conservation through:        
    • Replace towel dispensers with electric hand dryers.
    • Installation of water bottle fill stations (new or adapted) in dorms and academic buildings.
    • Installation of laundry detergent dispensing devices on washing machines in dorms. 

Performance Metrics – Campus Police

Campus Police commits to campus-wide safety through a Campus Community Policing Program (CCPP) by developing strategies and community-supported approaches to assist with the campus needs and concerns.

  • Plan and execute on an annual basis emergency management training/table top event and a separate community safety exercise for the campus.
  • Implement best practices for inclusive community policing through ongoing training and professional development via Massachusetts Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (MACLEA).
  • Engage community members in ongoing discussions via outreach activities (such as Coffee with a Cop, Pizza with the Police, etc.).
  • Assist in updating Emergency Procedures Manual.
  • Assist with installation of license plate reader at Maritime Conference Center.
  • Continue Clery Compliance Committee, responsible for the implementation of the Clery Audit findings and annual Clery requirements.
  • Continue on going community policing efforts.
    • Student Government interactions and implement improved relationship opportunities.
    • Assist with successful comfort dog program as needed.
    • Interactions with local police departments.

Strategic Goal
To ensure immediate and long-term success of the Academy’s fiscal health.

Strategic Rationale
While MMA’s central mission is the education of students, the mission cannot be fulfilled without a concurrently strong financial performance. While the President directly oversees institutional finances, the entire Academy community holds collective responsibility for fiscal accountability. Through day-to-day engagement with financial indicators, we constantly and regularly monitor the Academy’s economic health. Our process ensures immediate identification of financial deviations requiring corrective action, which enable early warnings to the trustees—and meets the test of “no surprises.”

 

Performance Metrics

  • Receive an on-time unqualified audit, with the implementation of the new Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 87 (GASB 87) requirement.
  • Level-fund divisional budgets built on conservative enrollment projections.
  • Continue departmental budget self-service training to maintain controls on spending.
  • Increase internal budget monitoring in the Operations Division though the use of new software, “Self-Service,” which allows individual department heads to self-monitor with the support of the Business Office.
  • Continue Trustee monitoring of all investments.
  • Keep the Board of Trustees updated on budget scenarios, as well as fiscal results due to changing decisions and uncertainty, including the use of the unrestricted fund balance.
  • Support the BHE commitment to diversity and affordability, including the allocation of funds to support BIPOC students (*4.2) and continue to meet 100% of need for underrepresented students. (*4.1)
  • Develop a process to ensure financial aid packages are promptly delivered, so that families can plan accordingly. (Lead: Director of Student Financial Services.)
  • Investigate new financial aid model and award formulas with the intent of keeping out-of-state tuition competitive in order to meet enrollment goals and keep total per-year costs under $50K. (*4.2)
  • Implement debt ratios management per industry standards, including reviewing unrestricted reserves.
  • Due to a major increase in the number of and monetary awards for grants obtained by the Academy over the last several years, the grant management process will be reshaped in order streamline oversight and coordination.

Table 4. Financial Projections FY 2024-2028

 

 

Strategic Goal
Build upon our existing comprehensive advancement program to continue to engage the MMA community and to continue to develop a pipeline of financial capital.

Strategic Rationale
The continued success of the Academy relies upon the continued cultivation, exploration and expansion of fundraising areas specifically targeted toward meeting the ambitious goals of the Rising Tide Capital Campaign. When working with donors, the Advancement Division particularly focuses on the creation of scholarships and maintenance of an equitable process for their award. In addition to using a holistic review model, we also take special care to identify and address potential biases in any part of the scholarship process. In strong support of the Academy’s focus on expanding access to all potential students, Advancement gives preference to students who are first-generation college students, hail from Gateway Cities, or identify as BIPOC. (*4.1/4.2)

Performance Metrics

  • Launch public and final phase of Rising Tide - The $50M Campaign for Massachusetts Maritime Academy: The Homeward Run, which is slated to end in July 2025.
  • Identify 12-15 select hosts aligned with national event locations for mid-week VIP event to connect with alumni, industry VIPs, and major donors. Events will continue through close of campaign in June 2025. Locations already established in Long Beach and San Francisco, and all events will align with conventions/ trade shows in maritime/wind industry.
  • Increase Alumni giving participation to 5% in FY24 and increase by 2% each year thereafter.
  • Create 12-month calendar of opportunities for social media, press releases, mailings and review/update marketing and outreach materials to align with new Academy branding.
  • Host two open house events on the Training Ship Patriot State II, including one in Boston during Sea Term 2024.
  • Begin fund raising for the upgrade to the Clear Harbors Athletic Center with a goal of raising $15M in two years.
  • Boat Donations will continue to work with IT to develop branded online auction processes and more fully integrate new boat donors into outreach and events.

Strategic Goal

Provide effective technology and library services and support to the Academy community which enables and enhances the academic, research, and administrative functions of the Academy.

Strategic Rationale

In order to be effective, the Technology and Library Services (TLS) division must maintain existing computer systems while steadily expanding into new areas of technology.  The TLS division must position itself to deliver high quality systems and services by providing a computing infrastructure that is standardized, easily managed, and accommodates new technologies and protocols.  The TLS division must offer technology and library systems and services that provide tangible value to the Academy community. 

The TLS division will adhere to the following principles:

  1. Provide service excellence and technical innovation;
  2. Provide effortless, reliable and secure access to information, data and knowledge;
  3. Support faculty and enhance the teaching and learning process with the use of technology;
  4. Support the Academy staff and improve operational efficiency;
  5. Ensure TLS staff expertise and professionalism;
  6. Ensure cost effective use of library and technology-based resources.

Performance Metrics

  • Develop and begin to implement an overarching Digital Transformation (Dx) strategy to improve the student experience, better compete for prospective students, and improve the operational effectiveness of the Academy.
  • Create and execute a 3-year Information Security strategy which includes efforts to improve security awareness, risk posture and operations.
  • Continue to execute documented system recovery procedures to measure the effectiveness of the recovery plan and the ability to meet stated recovery objectives.
  • Develop a robust Incident Response Plan and execute a successful incident response tabletop exercise, involving a hypothetical ransomware attack.
  • Continue to address the priorities identified by the Physical Campus Security Committee to ensure a safer campus environment.
  • Develop and execute a Digital Signage strategy which defines the objectives, standards, and roles associated with this technology on campus.
  • Continue to investigate the use of cutting-edge technology for simulation training, such as cloud-based systems, virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI) and hardware/software virtualization. Support the creation of a Simulation Center along with the addition of new simulators.
  • Define and begin to implement the next generation of classroom and instructional technology to support the future of digital and distance learning.
  • Determine the costs, efforts and benefits of moving the campus VoIP system to the cloud.
  • Continue the campus-wide Data Management program, which includes Data Classification, Records Retention and Document Management components. Focus on the implementation of the Softdocs document management system.
  • Migrate from the Recruit Enrollment Management system to the Slate Enrollment Management system for undergraduate admissions.
  • Determine the costs and efforts needed to migrate Ellucian Colleague to a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) environment and complete the migration of Colleague to a SaaS environment.
  • Continue to support the Academy’s web-based and digital content to meet student enrollment goals and to support alumni engagement and solicitation activities.
  • Continue to support the student success and retention management efforts of the Academy by providing the necessary systems, technology and data in these areas.
  • Continue to support the use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) in the classroom, which align with MMA's diversity, equity and inclusion goals and to help reduce the cost of course materials for students.
  • Migrate from the SAILS circulation system to the HELM circulation system.
  • Complete an inventory of the hardcopy collection utilizing radio frequency (RFID) technology.
  • Continue to assess online databases, e-book and e-journal for relevancy to the curriculum and add/remove print and digital materials collections, as deemed appropriate.
  • Evolve and refine the Service Management model to ensure customer technical support needs are consistently being met.
  • Design and implement an effective information literacy plan that aligns with the Association of College & Research Libraries’ (ACRL’s) framework and with the Academy’s learning objectives for its undergraduate programs.
  • Select and implement a digital archive that provides electronic accessibility to digitized archival records and holdings.
  • Prepare for the arrival from MARAD of the Patriot State II training vessel and support her maiden Sea Term in 2024.
  • Continue to provide support for the construction phases of the new STEM building and complete the installation of technology needed for occupancy.