Maine Maritime Academy

Maine Maritime Academy
Established	March 21, 1941
Type	Public
President	Dr. William J. Brennan
Dean	Dr. John Barlow
Undergraduates	800 students
Location	Castine, Maine, USA
Mascot	Mariners
Website	mainemaritime.edu

Maine Maritime Academy is a public post-secondary college and nautical training institution with approximately 800 students, located in Castine, Maine, United States. The Academy was established by the 90th Maine Legislature on March 21, 1941. Maine Maritime Academy is a public college. Costs of admission are comparable to the nearby University of Maine. Unlike federal service academies, a congressional recommendation is not required to attend this state school. Students are not obligated to go to sea or into the military after graduation, and a large portion of the graduating class chooses shore side employment, often in maritime related fields or the power generation industry.

Maine Maritime Academy is one of six maritime training colleges in the United States, and one of only two of these maritime academies which fields a Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) unit. The college is affiliated under the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Maine Maritime Academy is the only business, residence, or organization to receive mail at the US ZIP code 04420.

Maine Maritime Academy, Castine ME

History

US Merchant Marine

Proposals for an institution devoted to nautical training began in Maine in the 1930s. Educational and civic leaders throughout the state led by Senator Ralph Leavitt of Portland prompted the creation of Maine Maritime Academy by an act of the 90th Maine Legislature on March 21, 1941.

The original class of 29 students reported on October 9, 1941 to Rear Adm. Douglas Dismukes, a veteran of World War I who came out of retirement to head the fledgling school. Classes met on the campus of the Eastern State Normal School, with students lodged at Castine’s Pentagoet Inn. The MATTIE, a coastal schooner out of Camden, Maine, served as the first training ship. World War II required a rapid build-up of the U.S. Merchant Marine, with a critical need for new deck and engineering officers. The Academy met that challenge, producing more than 300 officers who served at sea during the war in every theater of operations. Three gave their lives in service to the nation, and many others were wounded in action. By war’s end, Maine Maritime had graduated 384 men.

In the post-war era, the program was expanded from the original concept of a three-year course leading to a bachelor of science degree. In the 1960s and 70s, Rear Adm. Edward Rodgers led a multi-million dollar development program, culminating in full membership in the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In recent years, the college has grown steadily and now offers a total of 17 undergraduate and graduate academic majors, modern training labs and expanded student services.

Academics

The academy offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees with a choice of 11 different majors:

• Marine Engineering Operations (MEO) (Regiment Required)
• Marine Engineering Technology (MET) (Regiment Required)
• Marine Systems Engineering (MSE) (Regiment Required)
  • 4 Year Design Track (Regiment Required 1st Yr)
  • 5 Year License Track (Regiment Required)
• Marine Transportation Operations (MTO) (Regiment Required)
• Power Engineering Technology (PET)
• Power Engineering Operations (PEO)
• Small Vessel Operations (SVO)
• International Business & Logistics (IBL)
• Marine Biology
• Marine Science
• Interdisciplinary Studies

The academy offers two-year associate degrees in:

• Small Vessel Operations (SVO)
• Small Craft Design

Schooner Bowdoin

The academy also offers three graduate level programs in Global Supply Chain Management, International Business and Maritime Management leading to a Master of Science through its Loeb-Sullivan School of International Business and Logistics.

Maine Maritime Academy has aggressive co-op and internship programs. Students from all engineering majors and the Marine Transportation Operations major are required to complete at least one co-op. Some majors are required to complete two co-ops. Students in Regiment of Midshipmen have the opportunity and/or requirement to participate in two cruises with the Training Ship State of Maine (TSSOM). Students in the Small Vessel Operations major have the opportunity to sail with the schooner Bowdoin on its yearly training cruise.

Maine Maritime Academy has recently been ranked as one of the nation's top baccalaureate colleges in the 2009 edition of America's Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report. For the second consecutive year Maine Maritime was placed as 10th overall in the listing of public and private colleges located in the northern region, a region defined by the publication as spanning the eastern coast of United States from Maryland to Maine.

Student life

MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY is committed to the belief that learning takes place both in and out of the classroom. Accordingly, the college is structured to maximize the potential for such learning.

Maine Maritime Academy has an average student population on its Castine campus of 850 full-time undergraduate students and 10 – 15 graduate students in residence. In addition to these students, approximately 100 students are enrolled in the A.S. degree program at Bath Iron Works. A special feature of student life at Maine Maritime is the mix of students who live a traditional college lifestyle and those who participate in the Regiment of Midshipmen. Although students who become midshipmen wear military-style uniforms, Maine Maritime is not a military academy, and there is no military obligation after graduation. Traditional and regimented students live in the same residence hall, attend many of the same classes, and are eligible to participate in all campus clubs, activities, and athletics.

Students often participate in the Castine community. MMA students have opportunities to volunteer for the local fire department, rescue squad, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the Adams (Elementary) School, and daycare. The local churches, clubs, and historical society welcome students and provide an opportunity to become a part of a small but vibrant community. Bangor and Ellsworth, both about 55 minutes away by automobile, are the closest cities. Acadia National Park is just over an hour’s drive away, and ski areas are two hours distant.

Regiment of Midshipmen

Maine Maritime Academy Regiment of Midshipmen

Regimental Preparatory Training (RPT) on board the State of Maine.

All candidates for a U.S. Coast Guard unlimited license as a Third Mate or Third Assistant Engineer are required to be members of the Regiment of Midshipmen. The majors leading to an unlimited license, and thus requiring regimental participation, are Marine Transportation Operations, Marine Systems Engineering (License Track), Marine Engineering Technology, and Marine Engineering Operations. Marine Systems Engineering (Non-License Track) requires first-year students to participate in the Regiment, including the first-year cruise. For all other majors, membership in the Regiment is an optional but valuable experience that can help students to build job-related skills regardless of career path.

Although modeled after Navy and Coast Guard traditions, the purpose of the Regiment is not to produce military officers, but to provide leadership and management training for students desiring careers in the U.S. Merchant Marine and in science, engineering, and business. The Regiment does this by providing a structured training environment where students develop time management skills and self-confidence, enhance their personal value system, and are instilled with the Regiment's core values of honor, loyalty, and devotion to duty. Applicants for a U.S. Coast Guard unlimited license must meet the requirements governing physical condition, citizenship, and prior preparation, as outlined in the Admissions section.

The Regiment is a leadership program with a disciplined lifestyle designed to positively affect all aspects of a student's life at Maine Maritime Academy. Members wear military style uniforms, learn professional courtesies, and become familiar with shipboard life within a few days of reporting for first-year orientation. This rigorous lifestyle is challenging and rewarding; in particular, while learning how to follow in order to better lead, the student makes new lifelong friends. Over the four years, midshipmen are given more and more responsibility until, as seniors, they become the regimental leadership.

During the academic year, studies receive first priority. Midshipmen have ample time for personal study and research, as well as time to engage in recreational activities, such as varsity sports, after class. Weekends are usually free, unless the student is assigned to a watch or a maintenance responsibility aboard the training ship. Immediately following the first- and third-year spring terms, midshipmen in the license programs participate in a 60-day training cruise* aboard the training ship, State of Maine. These are exciting times as the students cruise the Caribbean or European waters, making several ports of call while receiving hands-on training in all aspects of ship operation. During the summer following the sophomore year, midshipmen in these programs are assigned to merchant vessels as cadets* to further familiarize them with shipboard procedures.

Independent students

Students not participating in the Regiment of Midshipmen follow a schedule and way of life similar to students at other colleges. They often have classes with students belonging to the Regiment, particularly general-education classes such as Composition and Humanities.

Extracurricular activities

Many campus events take place throughout the year, including films, lectures, concerts, and plays, providing a full range of cultural involvement for the entire community. More than 30 organizations operate on campus, under the jurisdiction of Student Government. Some of these groups include:

• Activities and Bands Committee (ABC)
• Alpha Phi Omega (co-ed community service fraternity)
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
• Band
• Drama Club
• Drill Team
• Outdoor Adventure Club
• Propeller Club of the United States
• Rugby Club
• Schooner Crew
• Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME)
• Student Business and Logistics Association (SBLA)
• Student Environmental Activists (SEA)
• Students Living in Christ Everyday (SLICE)
• Weightlifting Club

Athletics

Maine Maritime teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Mariners are a member of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC). Men's sports include basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, sailing and soccer; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, sailing, soccer, softball and volleyball.

Campus

Pentagoet, a tugboat of the Maine Maritime Academy

The college has a 35-acre (14 ha) campus overlooking Castine Harbor, with residential, academic, and shore-based training facilities. Its docks host a fleet of three major vessels, including the historic Arctic schooner Bowdoin, the Training Ship State of Maine (TSSOM) and tug Pentagöet, as well as various minor vessels for training purposes. A major expansion took place from the 1960s–1980s, resulting in a modern campus which complements the town's architecture.

• MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY’s 35-acre, 17-building campus occupies the tip of a peninsula at the head of majestic Penobscot Bay, close to Acadia National Park, Deer Isle, and other notable Maine attractions.

• Settled in 1613 and named for the French nobleman and trader, Baron de St. Castin, Castine is rich in history, natural beauty, and maritime tradition. Castine is a small coastal village of 7.9 square miles, yet it is only 38 miles south of Bangor, the state’s third largest city and the site of an international airport. The year-round population of Castine of roughly 1,300 includes 850 college students attending Maine Maritime Academy. With summer residents, and visitors by land and sea, the population at least doubles from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

• Specialized laboratories—including state-of-the-art simulators—bring lessons of the classroom to life. Advanced teaching facilities include research vessels, marine science labs, power plant and navigation simulators, a 1,200 hp diesel engine, a liquid cargo system simulator, wet lab, multi-media lecture halls, and classrooms with wireless access for laptop computing.

• There is no substitute for the practical experience students gain in cooperative education programs. Whether at the helm or in the engine room of the Academy’s 500-foot training ship State of Maine, in laboratory or industrial settings, students experience the world of work as part of the MMA program. Each spring the training vessel sails on a two-month cruise to domestic and foreign ports, as first- and third-year students enrolled in unlimited U.S. Coast Guard license programs apply what they have learned on campus. Sophomores are assigned to merchant ships in the Cadet Shipping Program for a minimum of 60 days for engine students and 90 days for deck students. Students in other majors also benefit from summer co-op experiences in Maine and other states, and from science and technical internships aboard research vessels and on land.

• The college fleet of nearly 60 vessels also includes the tug Pentagoet used in the only on-campus tug and barge program in the nation. The research vessel Friendship, equipped with side-scan sonar, a remotely operated vehicle, and a wide array of modern oceanographic instrumentation, serves the Marine Science program. The schooner Bowdoin, a National Historic Landmark and Maine’s Official Sailing Vessel, has taken MMA students on voyages as far north as Labrador and Greenland. Dozens of small sailboats, including Lasers, Mercuries, and 420s, for racing or recreational use, fill the Academy waterfront.

• Nutting Memorial Library holds more than 72,000 titles and 2,200 videocassettes, DVDs and sound recordings. The library, in Platz Hall, subscribes to more than 325 domestic and international periodicals, and has access to thousands more online. It also serves as a selective depository for U.S. government documents and for charts and maps of the National Ocean Survey and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.

• The Harold Alfond Student Center houses dining facilities and dining services and conferences offices, Dean of Student Services, and public affairs offices, conference rooms, graduate and undergraduate classrooms, the Waypoint Snack Bar, the campus post office, a multi-media lecture hall, and the Writing Center.

• Dismukes Hall houses the Registrar, classrooms, the Kennaday Planetarium, and laboratories for science, writing, and mathematics.

• Leavitt Hall houses administrative and faculty offices, network services offices, the continuing education department, Delano Auditorium, conference rooms, and guest rooms.

• Capt. Quick Alumni Hall contains the alumni affairs, career services, and cooperative education offices.

• Pilot House is the center for the Loeb-Sullivan School of International Business and Logistics and its administration.

• Margaret Chase Smith Building houses a gymnasium, locker rooms, and offices for coaches.

• Oakey Logan Alexander Physical Education Center contains a fieldhouse with basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts, a climbing wall, the Cary W. Bok Swimming Pool, racquetball and handball courts, fitness and weight training equipment, the facilities and purchasing office, and workshops.

• Harold Alfond Athletic Complex consists of athletic and recreational facilities, including Ritchie Field with its all-weather in-filled synthetic turf.

• The Bath Iron Works Center for Advanced Technology contains a navigation and shiphandling simulator, CAD lab and power plant simulator, small-scale operating steam plant, an electrical power lab, and a multi-media lecture hall for humanities instruction.

• Rodgers Hall houses classrooms, the machine shop, and engineering laboratories, as well as classrooms and laboratories serving the Corning School of Ocean Studies.

• Andrews Hall features a flow through seawater system and aquaria for biological research, and engineering and marine transportation lab space.

• Payson Hall includes classrooms, engineering laboratories, and boat repair and maintenance facilities.

• The Robert S. Walker Admissions and Financial Aid Center contains the admissions and financial aid offices.

• The Commons provides apartments for upper level undergraduate students.

• Curtis Residence Hall is the major residential complex on campus and includes a bookstore, security offices, residential life office, Commandant's offices, student health services, student lounge and recreational area, and student government and activities offices.

• Dirigo House provides offices for the Corning School of Ocean Studies and other faculty.

Sports

Men's sports

• Basketball
• Cross Country
• Football
• Golf
• Lacrosse
• Soccer
• Sailing

Women's sports

• Basketball
• Cross Country
• Soccer
• Softball
• Sailing
• Volleyball

External links

• Maine Maritime Academy — Official External Website
• Loeb-Sullivan School of Business — Official Website
• TS State of Maine — Official Website
• Bowdoin — Official Website
• Pentagoet — Official Website
• MMA Engineering — Official Website
• MMA Marine Transportation — Official Website
• Corning School of Ocean Studies — Official Website
• Maine Maritime Academy Regiment of Midshipmen — Official Website
• Maine Maritime Academy Athletic Department — Official Website
• Ray Henry (2009-04-18). "Maritime academies try to learn from recent attack". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2009-04-20.