Since 1845, the Naval Academy has served as the Navy’s primary undergraduate institution for educating future officers of the Navy and Marine Corps. For the past 175 years, the Academy has developed midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically in order to graduate leaders dedicated to a career of naval service and who have the potential to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship, and government. These responsibilities are enduring and will continue to inspire our efforts.

Building on this history, this strategic plan charts a course for USNA as it continues to navigate and adapt to the challenges of the 21st century. The plan was developed through an inclusive process, led by a strategic plan committee that reflected on information, advice, and feedback from across the Yard in addition to Department of Defense, Navy, and Marine Corps guidance and directives. The plan begins with our mission, vision and values, and includes a series of goals, objectives, and action items. Our vision is for the Naval Academy to be “the premier leadership and educational institution for developing naval officers who will preserve peace and prevail in conflict.” This plan identifies efforts needed to achieve this vision.

It is important to note that this plan does not represent the sum total of all we are or will be doing to achieve our mission. There are numerous activities, programs, and efforts already underway across the Yard that support our mission. The initiatives within the plan are limited to those efforts needed to address strategic gaps identified during this planning process. In order for this plan to guide our actions, initiatives must be limited to those that can be plausibly implemented over the next ten years. This is to say that this document is not meant to be a catalogue of every program and initiative.

Finally, this plan does not spell out the “how.” That is the work for all of us to undertake, setting annual goals and taking actions that support this strategic plan as we collectively strive to make the Academy better and our graduates more prepared to serve our nation.