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MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME ACADEMY PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION The gathering of MMAPA began with a time of light refreshments from 6:00 – 6:30 pm. The meeting was officially called to order by President, Chris Mucciarone at 6:40 pm after experiencing some technical difficulty with the teleconference line. The following 24 parents were also in attendance: Carole & Bob Courcy, Margaret Chickering, Beverly & James Goodrich, Liz Knott, Jane Rabesa, Linda Inkley, Marie Burchfield, Joe Seminara, Bob Fleming, Judy Kelly, Rick McNeil, Karyl & Brian Wong, Jennifer & John Garanito, Paul Gray, Lori Neil, Mark & Jane Robinson, Kevin & Kim Schouler and Sheila Austin. Also attending the meeting as guests/speakers were: Adm. Richard Gurnon, Capt. Bushy, Capt. Rozak and Kristine Esdale. Admiral Richard Gurnon spoke on the following topics: The Mess Deck - Upgrading & reconstruction have been delayed & behind schedule due to a number of unexpected obstacles that were encountered along the way. After having found that some of the pipes in the original construction of the mess deck are now illegal, the entire month of January was spent in locating & trenching the pipes & then resuming the plan as first outlined. This extra work set the project back so that the cadets were not able to enjoy the facility after having returned from Sea Term, but have been “incredibly patient” in returning to the ship for their meals. Admiral Gurnon projected the opening of the New Mess Deck around March 21 and is confident that everyone will enjoy the finished product. The Information Commons – Adm. Gurnon was happy to report that the construction of the Information Commons is ahead of schedule & below budget. The new facility will be dedicated & opened this coming September after the summer is spent moving the old library into the new Commons. It is in the Commons where the $1.2 million state of the art bridge simulator will be located. During next fall & sea term the old library will be renovated to accommodate administrative, regimental & faculty offices as well as some retail space. The areas that are freed up will then be used for dorm space thus reducing the number of triples, but not eliminating all of them. Other Upgrades/Improvements to the campus include the installation of an elevator in the gym, construction of a de-centralized power plant and re-locating the boat donation facility among others. Finances - Adm. Gurnon spoke of the decrease in the state’s allocation which is down by 22% which led the Board of Trustees to recommend a 4% increase in tuition. This move is necessary since the state’s contribution will go from $14.2 to $12.3 million. Unfortunately, he stated, MMA has gone from “state funded” to “state assisted” and now to “state located”. Even with all this news, it is still less expensive than most other colleges in the state. The Admiral also stated that there would a small $25.00 increase in the parking fee for students. Orientation Mini Cruise – Admiral Gurnon announced that it has been decided that there would be an Orientation Mini-Cruise this coming summer for the incoming class of cadets. Enrollment - Adm. Gurnon stated that MMA plans on accepting 350 incoming freshmen for this upcoming orientation. He also stated that no class is 100% fully occupied at this time. Therefore in response to this projection of increased student population the administration is going on a “hiring binge” to attract more faculty, support staff & administrators. He commented on the fact that the server is now near capacity and that there is a plan to buy more band width to service the increase in demand. Employment – Adm. Gurnon spoke on the topic of the prospects for our graduates’ employment once they leave the academy. He stated that all majors have been given great job offers as he shared the data that was obtained through responses to a Pre-Graduation Survey (June 2010) and the Follow up Survey (Jan. 2011). He also spoke of the caliber of companies that are eager to hire MMA grads. (After the meeting Adm. Gurnon gave the secretary a copy of the results of the surveys which were later made available to parents on the MMAPA googlegroups forum.) Career Fairs - Thus far this year MMA is expecting at least 50 companies on campus to interview our cadets March 31 for the Career Fair. They will be bringing with them the possibility of filling 200 jobs from among our ranks. These companies don’t hesitate to say that they come here first to hire for these positions. Coast Guard Exam – Adm. Gurnon informed the parents that there have been some changes to the rigors of the Coast Guard Exam. For those who were not aware, he informed us of the importance & duration of this 10,000 question exam. Usually about 89% who take it pass it on their first try, while the rest can repeat it to achieve a passing grade. It is of crucial importance since all Marine Transportation and Marine Engine majors MUST pass it in order to graduate from Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Capt. Bushy gave a brief summary of Sea Term 2010. Total steaming distance was 7,947 nautical miles, burning 10,065 barrels of fuel. At a cost of $86.00/barrel he suggested we do the math to determine the total cost of fuel for this recent voyage. Capt. Bushy was happy to report that there were 596 cadets (with 320 freshmen) and 99 crew who sailed on board the TS Kennedy with all of them returning. He did report only 3 unfortunate incidences while the ship was underway due in large part to the stringent measures that helped to enforce discipline sending a strong message to the cadets. In his estimation, it was a very successful voyage in every way. Capt. Rozak also shared a few words about the success of the 2011 Sea Term. Christine Esdale of the Advancement Office gave the members an update & summary of the many scholarships that are available to MMA cadets. She informed the parents that the scholarship application period will open April 1, 2011 and that the cadets will be notified via maritime.edu email and on the Plan of the Day. Decisions for these scholarships (both declines and awards) will be made by May 2 and notifications will go out by email. As of the meeting, there are about 80 full or partial scholarships to award. Most are based on financial need, but not all. Some have specific major or GPA criteria. She summarized the information about the Emery Rice Scholarships which are awarded to incoming freshmen, renewable for each of the four years. The Alumni Association also awards another 20 or so scholarships amounting $35 - $40,000. The MMAPA also contributes money for Sea Term Scholarships. There is also a revolving loan fund, funded by the Class of 1954, which offers a competitive rate and encourages philanthropy after graduation. Secretary’s Report – A motion was made to accept the Minutes of the December Meeting and having passed, were then approved. These and other minutes are available for viewing on the MMAPA website. Treasurer’s Report The summary of the MMAPA finances were shared in the report as follows: Balance of November 30, 2010 $13,296.07 Balance as of February 28, 2011 - $18,129.04 A vote was taken on MMAPA Scholarship contribution for the fall which was approved. Also a motion was made and the Treasurer’s Report was accepted. Fundraising was also addressed with a suggestion to looking into other avenues to raise money for our MMAPA Scholarship Fund. Seeing that one of our largest fundraisers might be diminished, the board encouraged parents to seek out ideas from family members, friends and employers to come up with other ideas and sources for funds. Admissions Liaison’s Report - The report began with information that our Sea Bag Fundraiser may change. In the past 4 years, Follett’s contribution to MMAPA went from $2,000 to almost $7,000 this year. We will hopefully know the part that the Parents’ Association will play in the Sea Bag distribution by the May meeting. Open Houses - The last Open House which coincided with the return of the TS Kennedy was reported to be very successful with close to 100 students and families visiting the Academy. The final Open House for the 2011 academic year will be held on May 7th and parent volunteers are needed to greet visitors and answers questions they might have. Welcome Aboard Day - Saturday, April 2nd will be this year’s Welcome Aboard, running from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm at which time the Academy will welcome students who have been accepted for the fall of 2011. We will need many volunteers to greet and escort parents while their students participate in “hands-on” workshops. Mrs. Nahigian emphasized the importance of parent involvement in the success of all these events at MMA. She also reminded us that we have a lot of experiences to share in ways that will promote the Academy to students and their families. Sea Bag Fundraiser – By the end of May or beginning of June, we will start promoting the Annual Sea Bag Fundraiser at which time MMAPA works with Follett’s Book Store to gather and organize the many volunteers who help in the distribution of sea bags to the new incoming cadets for the fall. Old Business: Bylaws Update is being undertaken by a committee meeting to revise & amend the present MMAPA Bylaws which haven’t been updated since 2008. The committee will post the revised Bylaws on the website prior to the May at which time they will be voted upon for ratification by the parents in attendance. FAQ update will be undertaken by Chris Mucciarone and Bob Knott (MMAPA president & vice president) with the assistance of any other parent who offers to assist in its completion. Special thanks were extended to Wendy Nee and Pam Meoli for planning and making the arrangements for the Parents’ Welcome Back Dinner. Seventy people attended the dinner which was held at Lindsey’s Restaurant the night before the TS Kennedy returned to Buzzards Bay in February. New Business: Nominations for Officers - The president inquired about the intentions of the current board members to be nominated for another term. Two members will not be returning: Karen Nahigian will step down as Admissions Liaison after her son graduates this June and she becomes a parent of an alumnus, and Christine Gilbert will not be available as a Co-Treasurer. All other board members agreed to be re-nominated. Other nominations will be accepted up to the May meeting at which time the attendees will vote on the new MMAPA Board for the upcoming academic year. The March Meeting of the MMAPA was adjourned at 8:20pm. with the reminder to attend our final meeting in May (date and time to be announced). Respectfully submitted, |
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