Strategic Goals & Objectives

Develop midshipmen in mind, body, and character to lead effectively as naval officers

Our Nation depends upon young men and women who answer the call to serve and pursue the rigors of the Naval Services’ premier officer education and leader development program. The qualities of each incoming class strengthen the foundation upon which the Naval Academy develops midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically. Through a 4-year journey, they are forged into leaders of character with a warrior ethos, ready to serve as officers in the Navy and Marine Corps.

Objective 1: Attract and admit a talented Brigade of Midshipmen who represent the diversity of the nation and whose race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and lived experiences are valued and leveraged to best fulfill the mission.

• Refine early engagement and strategic processes to identify and expand the pool of candidates prepared to meet the academic, athletic, and leadership rigors of the Naval Academy.
• Strengthen the Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS) into a model program providing the moral, mental, and physical groundwork for success at the Naval Academy.

Objective 2: Develop a strong foundation as selfless leaders of character, committed to the mission and team.

• Integrate ethical leadership and character development efforts across the entirety of the midshipman experience, including living in Bancroft Hall as well as all academic, professional, athletic, and extracurricular programs.

Objective 3: Foster moral courage with a bias for action to uphold what is right.

• Strengthen developmental opportunities and methods by which we encourage midshipmen to demonstrate moral courage so that hard choices and actions become second nature.
• Leverage existing physical crucibles as deliberate educational opportunities in the development of moral courage, and reinforce these lessons when culminating and celebrating USNA’s rites of passage.
• Formalize the connection between moral courage and physical courage as manifestations of the same virtue through a common understanding across the institution.

Objective 4: Strengthen the environment within the Brigade to be more inclusive, where all are treated with dignity and respect and in which our diversity makes us stronger leaders, better shipmates, and more productive citizens.

• Seek, instill, and continually reinforce the critical leadership skills that draw upon various perspectives, cultural backgrounds, and lived experiences.

Objective 5: Create a culture that is fully committed to the prevention of destructive behaviors, including alcohol abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment.

• Develop and implement an evidence-based prevention education plan that is comprehensive, targeting multiple risk and protective factors across all levels of the social ecology and including policies, programs, and practices.
• Conduct continuous assessment and systemic evaluation of prevention programs to ensure efficacy.
• Continue to provide the Brigade as well as faculty and staff the highest level of response support for all destructive behavior areas in order to promote help-seeking and minimize barriers to reporting.

Objective 6: Strengthen the toughness, grit, resilience, and well-being of the Brigade.

• Promote and enable opportunities to educate midshipmen on healthy nutritional and sleep habits and support these practices through increased availability of healthy food options and achievable scheduling loads.
• Implement modern techniques and evidence-based practices essential to mental and physical wellness.
• Expand opportunities for midshipmen to confront challenges in mentally and physically demanding events.
• Sustain a steadfast desire and expectation to win and a commitment to excellence through a successful intercollegiate athletics program.

Objective 7: Provide midshipmen an environment that incorporates relevant, complex, real-world issues while promoting a continuous commitment to learning.

• Expand innovative educational and training methods, technologies, and opportunities for professional and experiential development to prepare midshipmen for the challenges of the future.
• Increase opportunities for independent inquiry within USNA programs and model continuous learning to teach midshipmen to be intellectually and ethically prepared officers.
• Enhance opportunities for midshipmen to improve foreign language skills, gain understanding of world regions, and develop better appreciation for other cultures and points of view.

Cultivate a vibrant and inclusive community of role models, continuous learners, and leaders who develop the Brigade and contribute back to their professional communities

People are the Academy's most important resource. The diversity of our team’s backgrounds, lived experiences, and perspectives reflects the strengths and talents of our nation and are leveraged to develop the Brigade of Midshipmen.

Objective 1: Attract a highly qualified, diverse cadre of faculty, staff, and coaches who model the highest professional standards.

• Develop and employ innovative recruiting techniques in order to assemble talented thinkers and educators that will enhance USNA’s mission and culture.
• Attract high-performing military personnel with the appropriate skills and experiences to serve as faculty and staff while supporting their professional career paths.
• Improve USNA’s ability to attract diverse talent from industry and higher education communities to serve in civilian support roles within laboratories, programs, and services.
• Recruit coaches and physical educators who model excellence, instill a warrior ethos, and understand their direct role in developing future professional naval officers.

Objective 2: Develop and retain faculty, staff, and coaches who educate and inspire the Brigade.

• Increase professional development opportunities for USNA team members to learn and apply best practices in pedagogy, coaching, and support services and to advance as experts in their fields.
• Expand and strengthen mentoring, networking, and affinity programs that facilitate increased integration and sense of belonging within the USNA community.
• Ensure a competitive total rewards system, including compensation, benefits, recognition, and career growth programs which strengthens USNA as a desirable, long-term career option.
• Promote healthy work-life balance; e.g., affordable childcare.

Objective 3: Foster strategic relationships with alumni, supporters, and key organizations that contribute to the Naval Academy’s success.

The Naval Academy is more than a military installation, a prestigious college with 33 competitive Division I Athletic Programs, and a national historic landmark. It is the embodiment of the ideals of honor, courage, and commitment; a physical manifestation of the spirit of the Navy and Marine Corps. The institution must not only facilitate the effective moral, mental, and physical development of the Brigade of Midshipmen, but also attract the best and brightest students, faculty, coaches, and staff who are committed to the mission. Additionally, with over two million visits per year, the Academy is one of the few public sites that preserves and projects the Navy’s past, present, and future.

Objective 1: Ensure sufficient staffing and operational resourcing.

• Rebaseline USNA’s OM,N budget.
• Collaborate with the Naval Academy Foundation to emphasize the strategic importance of philanthropy that provides margin of excellence support.

Objective 2: Enhance and maintain state-of-the art facilities that inspire and support the pursuit of academic, professional, and athletic excellence. Among the most pressing priorities:

• Optimally support the Brigade’s physical mission requirements; e.g., renovate Macdonough Hall, address inadequate NAPS physical fitness facilities.
• Align and improve existing academic spaces to enable best practices in teaching, learning, and research; e.g., complete the academic realignment plan, modernize Nimitz Library.
• Address long-standing deferred maintenance to rectify safety, health, and quality of work challenges; e.g., renovate Ward Hall and Leahy Hall.
• Maintain the health, well-being, and quality of life of the Brigade through regular investment in critical facilities; e.g., commence recapitalization of Bancroft Hall.
• To best support professional development and training, address failing maritime infrastructure; e.g., repair North Severn Waterfront and Farragut Seawall.

Objective 3: Continue to address the current and forecast impacts of water intrusion to ensure the safety of personnel, sustain operations today and into the future, and protect USNA’s capital investments.

• Develop a Coastal Flooding and Stormwater Area Development Plan that will result in preliminary design plans, funding requirements, and an execution strategy for specific courses of action for USNA and the North Severn Waterfront.
• Address the most pressing current water intrusion areas on the Yard; e.g., Ramsay Rd and the Columbarium, McNair Rd, and areas in vicinity of Porter Rd and Gate 1.

Objective 4: Support continuous improvement processes and adopt best practices in higher education, government, and industry to attract talented candidates and meet the evolving needs of the Navy.

• Seek out and appropriately employ new and evolving practices and technologies that improve USNA operations.
• Create cohesive curricula in emerging areas of strategic importance.
• Establish periodic feedback from naval leadership and/or the Fleet to ensure the 47-month developmental program best meets the emerging needs of the Naval Service.

Objective 5: Transform operations and modernize Information Technology infrastructure, services, and support to keep pace with the digital revolution.

• Restore life cycle replacement of computer and network components to stabilize the IT environment and enable future modernization.
• Ensure USNA is postured to take advantage of and contribute to future digital transformation advances; e.g., 5G.

 Objective 6: Identify and address the traditions, policies, and practices at USNA that support systemic biases.