Dr. Michael A. Alfultis was named the 11th President of Maritime College by the SUNY Board of Trustees in June 2014 and appointed a Rear Admiral U.S. Maritime Service by the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration.

A retired U.S. Coast Guard captain with 28 years of service, Dr. Alfultis taught at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and subsequently served as the director and chief administrative officer of the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus.

Dr. Alfultis has more than 20 years of undergraduate teaching experience and 13 years of academic administrative responsibility at military and civilian institutions of higher education. His background includes service as an operations officer and navigator on a Coast Guard cutter; maritime safety and security; Coast Guard Academy faculty member and academic department chair; and senior administrator at a flagship university.

Dr. Alfultis graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1982 with a degree in Marine Science. He has a Master of Science degree from the University of Washington and a doctorate from the University of Rhode Island, both in Oceanography.  

A Message from the President

August 30, 2022

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

Since releasing the External Regimental Review Report to the College community in March 2022, I along with the Provost and the Regiment, including Regimental Staff Officers and Cadet Leadership, have invested considerable effort toward developing an action plan in response to the Review Committee’s recommendations.

You may recall Maritime College voluntarily elected to conduct an external review to strengthen and improve the Regiment as part of the College’s Strategic Plan. An External Review Committee comprised of eight individuals were charged with accessing the strengths of the Regiment of Cadets and identifying opportunities for improvement across five areas: Organizational Structure, Pride and Esprit De Corps, Leadership Development, Career Preparation, and Climate and Culture.

As a first step in developing an action plan, Cadet Focus Groups were held in which participants offered recommendations and suggested actions for improvement across four areas: INDOC, Leadership Development, Climate and Culture, and Traditions and Pride. Based on the input from the Regiment External Review Committee and these Focus Groups, we proceeded to develop an action plan framework.

Regiment External Review Action Plan Framework

Focus Areas

The action plan framework is based on three broad areas of focus:

1. Climate, Culture, and Traditions: Develop pride in being part of the Regiment of Cadets at Maritime College.

2. Cadet Professional Development: Implement a professional development program that focuses on professional behavior and success in the industry.

3. Leadership Development: Implement a progressive leadership development model that leads to 1/c management of the Regiment.

Priorities within Focus Areas

We next examined the more than 50 recommendations from the Regimental External Review Committee and Cadet Focus Groups to identify the following thematic priorities within each focus area.  Each focus area ends with a unity of purpose statement that describes the college-wide efforts required to make the necessary improvements in each area.

1. Climate, Culture, and Traditions: develop pride in being part of the Regiment of Cadets at Maritime College.

   1. Define a unifying mission and values for the Regiment of Cadets.

   2. Maintain traditions that lead to pride and esprit de corps.

   3. Implement a progressive model of cadet awareness and understanding of professional and respectful treatment of others.  4/c: Foundation/introductory DEI and SASH training.  3/c & 2/c: SASH training for shipboard environment.  1/c: case studies, scenario’s, discussion-based activities.

   4. Ensure Unity of Purpose: A healthy, safe, and inclusive campus environment, both ashore and at sea, where everyone is respected and valued.

2. Cadet Professional Development: Implement a professional development program that focuses on professional behavior and success in the industry.

   1. Provide transition and foundation for future development and success through a comprehensive Indoctrination Program.

   2. Build on foundation through a sequential and systematic training and mentoring programs that span the academic year and summer training.

   3. Ensure Unity of Purpose: Define standards and expectations of professional behavior.  Hold Cadets to highest standard of professional and ethical behavior.

3. Leadership Development: Implement a progressive leadership development model that leads to 1/c management of the Regiment.

   1. Define leadership roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

   2. Provide 3/c and 2/c appropriate leadership opportunities, training, mentoring, and performance feedback.

   3. Provide 1/c senior leadership opportunities, training, mentoring, and performance feedback.

   4. Unity of Purpose: Develop and maintain a climate of responsibility and accountability.

Next Steps

We are now working with the Regimental Staff and Cadet Leadership to identify and prioritize specific actions to address the recommendations of the Regimental External Review Committee and Cadet Focus Groups within these thematic priorities.

I would like to reassure the campus community that throughout this process, our priority has been to maintain an open dialogue and ensure transparency. Thank you to all who have dedicated their time, input, and expertise to this external review.

I am confident our efforts will result in a stronger, more reinvigorated Regiment that positively reflects one of the most unique aspects of the Maritime College experience.

RADM A