Board meets at academy to discuss issues

  • Published
  • By Butch Wehry
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  The U.S. Air Force Academy's Board of Visitors met here July 24 and 25 to discuss a variety of issues affecting the institution. The board is required to meet at least annually to review morale, discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical education, fiscal affairs, academic methods and other matters relating to the academy.

Issues during this visit included reviews of the athletic department, the results of an academy faculty and staff organizational climate survey, and basic cadet training programs.

"There is no reason to change how the academy's athletic department is doing business," retired Gen. Mike Ryan told the board after completing a review of department’s operations for Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche. "(The athletic department) should remain within the NCAA Division 1."

General Ryan said there have been innuendos about recruited athletes receiving preferential treatment, but his review showed athletes are basically on an even par.

"Seventy-five percent of the recruited athletes have 5 percent lower SAT scores than nonrecruited athletes," said the general. "That's pretty close."

The review also showed that academy-recruited athletes are getting promoted and are performing almost as well as nonathletes in the Air Force.

Last year, the athletic department was moved under the commandant of cadets for organizational purposes.

"We told Secretary Roche to put (the department) back in a separate organization," General Ryan said. "Maybe directly under the superintendent."

Board members were also briefed about a survey of the staff and faculty that suggests the overall culture and climate at the academy is healthy, though not without problems.

While 58.9 percent of the staff and faculty surveyed said there was good communication between mission elements of the academy, 79.8 percent said the school’s culture contributes to cadet cynicism, and 82 percent said cynicism in the cadet wing is widespread.

Management policies, entrenched people and practices, change-implementation issues, perceived religious bias and perceived discrimination bias against whites also surfaced during the survey. Survey findings have been provided to academy commanders.

Academy officials also noted other upcoming changes at the service academy.

Lt. Gen. John Rosa, academy superintendent, told the board that the academy will start sending cadets out for more days with the operational Air Force. Currently, the academy sends most cadets out for 26 days during their four years, compared to West Point sending cadets to active units for 80 days.

Along with the briefings, board members visited with basic cadets undergoing basic training in Jacks Valley. Board members witnessed first hand the training practices of molding the new cadets into future officers.

Within 60 days, by law, the board will submit a written report of its actions, views and recommendations regarding the academy to the president of the United States.

The board is composed of 15 members. The president, vice president and specified members of Congress can appoint board members.

Besides academy senior leaders, the following BOV members attended the meeting: Gov. James S. Gilmore III, board chairman and former governor of Virginia; U.S. Senator Larry Craig, R-Idaho; U.S. Representative Kay Granger, R-Texas; U.S. Senator Wayne Allard, R-Colo; Dionel Aviles, board vice chairman and president of Aviles Engineering Corporation; Dr. Candace de Russy, a board trustee for State University of New York; John Kidde, vice president of Ventura Foods of California; Dr. Susan Schwab, professor at the School of Public Affairs, University of Maryland; and Winston Wilkinson, a consultant for RG2 Technologies.