Ethical Standards for Midshipmen and Faculty at the U S Naval Academy Research Paper

policy guidelines and information about ethical responsibilities at the U.S. Naval Academy

Throughout its history, the U.S. Naval Academy has subscribed to the highest levels of ethical practice (HRPP Section I: Guiding principles and applicability, 2011).

The Naval Academy's current honor code for midshipmen students specifically stipulates that:

Midshipmen are persons of integrity: They stand for that which is right.

They tell the truth and ensure that the full truth is known. They do not lie.

They embrace fairness in all actions. They ensure that work submitted as their own is their own, and that assistance received from any source is authorized and properly documented. They do not cheat.

They respect the property of others and ensure that others are able to benefit from the use of their own property. They do not steal (Honor concept, 2015, para. 2).

SLIDE NO. 2: Existing policy guidelines and information about ethical responsibilities at the U.S. Naval Academy (cont'd)

In addition, all midshipmen attending the Naval Academy are also expected to exercise moderation in their use of alcohol and to avoid illicit drugs entirely (Tuition and financial aid, 2015). For instance, according to the Naval Academy, "As a future naval officer, you are expected to not abuse alcohol and to shun illegal drugs entirely . . . The use of illegal drugs is strictly forbidden and results in expulsion from the Academy" (Tuition and financial aid, 2015, para. 5). Taken together, the honor concept and this type of information provide midshipmen attending the Naval Academy with a set of straightforward guidelines that can help them navigate the rigors of attendance.

SLIDE NO. 3: Why ethical guidelines are necessary at the U.S. Naval Academy

Prior to the establishment of the U.S. Naval Academy in 1850, there was no standardized education or ethical guidelines for the U.S. Navy. For example, according to one naval historian, "Every captain and every civilian instructor had his own views on educating midshipmen. Civilian instructors taught what they wanted to teach or what they were capable of teaching" (Leeman, 2010, p. 236). All of this changed, though, when the Naval Academy was founded. At that time, "A new curriculum went into effect requiring midshipmen to study at the Academy for four years and to train aboard ships each summer. That format is the basis of a far more advanced and sophisticated curriculum at the Naval Academy today" (History of USNA, 2015, para. 4).

SLIDE NO. 4: Why ethical guidelines are necessary at the U.S. Naval Academy (cont'd)

Because the curricular offerings at the Naval Academy have changed in order to keep pace with innovations in military and maritime technologies, there has been a corresponding need to ensure that appropriate ethical guidelines are included to ensure that midshipmen receive the type of education they need to become moral leaders in their own right following graduation. In this regard, Edney (2009), an Academy graduate, emphasizes that, "Over the years, the Academy has made moral leadership an appropriate element of the curriculum [which] is in tune with the goal to provide today's midshipmen an opportunity to reflect on the most important aspect of their education: their moral motivation" (p. 5).

SLIDE NO. 5: Why ethical guidelines are necessary at the U.S. Naval Academy (cont'd)

Today, the Naval Academy is tasked with preparing midshipmen with the professional and academic training they require in order to become the best naval officers possible following their graduation (History, 2015). Indeed, the Naval Academy's formal mission statement clarifies this task thusly: "To develop Midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government" (Mission of USNA, 2015, para. 2).

To this end, the ethical guidelines that are in place at the Naval Academy are intended to inculcate these attributes in all of their midshipmen students. In this regard, the Naval Academy stresses that, "Naval and Marine Corps officers must be persons of honor and integrity; therefore, while training to achieve your commission you must abide by the Naval Academy Honor Concept. Your regimented daily schedule will challenge you morally, mentally, and physically" (Student life, 2015, para. 3).

SLIDE NO. 6: Why ethical guidelines are necessary at the U.S. Naval Academy (cont'd)

In addition, the ethical guidelines in place at the Naval Academy also serve as a framework in which midshipmen can gain the type of leadership experience they need to become effective leaders that can serve as role models during and following their graduation. As the Naval Academy points out, "Each year, you and your classmates assume more important roles in running your company, your battalion and the brigade. By the time you are a first class midshipman, you are making daily decisions affecting the morale and performance of other midshipmen" (Leadership responsibility, 2015, para.3).

The codification of the ethical guidelines that midshipmen are expected to follow during their attendance at the Naval Academy serves as the foundation for developing these leadership qualities, an outcome (together with 5 years of active duty) that is expected in return for 4 years of full room and board and tuition-free attendance (Tuition and financial aid, 2015)..

SLIDE NO. 7: The role and ethical responsibilities of teachers and educational leaders at the U.S. Naval Academy

Today, the U.S. Naval Academy employs approximately 600 officer and civilian instructors in approximately equal numbers who serve 2 to 3-year rotating assignments (Faculty information and resources, 2015). All of the instructors are expected to conform to the high ethical standards established for the operation of the Naval Academy. For instance, according to the U.S. Naval Academy Faculty Handbook (2015), "Naval Academy faculty members are expected to support the mission of the Naval Academy in all its moral, mental, and physical dimensions" (p. 2). The U.S. Naval Academy Faculty Handbook provides comprehensive guidance concerning the role and ethical responsibilities of all faculty members, and underscores the need to lead by example.

SLIDE NO. 8: The role and ethical responsibilities of teachers and educational leaders at the U.S. Naval Academy (cont'd)

The faculty organization at the Naval Academy specifically includes several positions that are assigned a role in overseeing and adjudicating the ethical responsibilities of teachers. Although the Superintendent of the Naval Academy is responsible for the overall direction and administration of the Academy, there are several principal assistants who are responsible to this individual for various programs and operations including one that is specifically tasked with the oversight of ethical responsibilities for teachers. According to the Naval Academy, "The Director, VADM Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership is the principal advisor to the superintendent for the ethical development of current and future military leaders" (Organization, 2015, para. 6).

SLIDE NO. 9: The role and ethical responsibilities of teachers and educational leaders at the U.S. Naval Academy (cont'd)

Interestingly, some observers argue that professional educators at taxpayer-supported educational institutions, including the U.S. Naval Academy, have a fundamental ethical responsibility to fulfill their teaching contracts without resorting to brinksmanship tactics such as strikes (Blume, 2009). In other words, educators at these educational institutions should voluntarily resign instead of striking over human resource issues such as the rate of pay. For instance, one critic argues that, "Professionals do not strike. If a professional is unhappy with his work situation his ultimate recourse is to resign and go elsewhere. Public employees in general ought not to have a right to strike" (cited in Is it OK for teachers to go on strike or should they employ other means?, n.d., para. 3).

SLIDE NO. 10: REFERENCES

Blume, H. (2009, May 13). Judge prohibits L.A. teachers strike: He grants a restraining order against the walkout planned for Friday, saying it defies the United Teachers union contract. Los Angeles Times, p. A4. Retrieved http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may / 13/local/me-lausd-strike13.

Edney, B. (2009, November 28). Ethics and the next century's Navy. The Washington Times, 5.

History of USNA. (2015). U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved from http://www.usna.edu/About / index.php.

Honor concept. (2015). U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved from http://www.usna.edu/About/honor concept.php.

HRPP Section I: Guiding principles and applicability. (2011). U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved from http://www.usna.edu/HRPP/_files/documents/new-forms/.

Is it OK for teachers to go on strike or should they employ other means? (n.d.). In Debate.org. Retrieved from http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-it-ok-for-teachers-to-go-on-strike-or-should-they-employ-other-means.

Leadership responsibility. . (2015). U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved from http://www.usna.edu / Student-Life/Leadership-Responsibility.php.

Leeman, W. P. (2010). The long road to Annapolis: The founding of the Naval Academy and the emerging American Republic. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.

Mission of USNA. (2015). U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved from http://www.usna.edu / About/mission.php.

Organization. (2015). U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved from http://www.usna.edu/Viewbook / organization.php.

Student life. (2015). U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved from http://www.usna.edu/Student-Life/index.php.

Tuition and financial aid. ( 2015). U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved from http://www.usna.edu / Student-Life/General-Information-for-Midshipmen.php.

U.S. Naval Academy Faculty Handbook. (2015). U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved from http://www.usna.edu/Academics/_files/documents/rules-regs/ac-inst/AcDean Inst%205400.2%20Faculty%20Handbook%2020140402.pdf.