To foster the welfare and success of cadets, numerous services are provided by way of academic assistance, personal and professional counseling, religious activities, and administrative support. (Cadet Life)
Academic Support Services
Academic Advising Program prepares cadets to make sound decisions and to set their own priorities. 4/c cadets must initially meet with their academic advisors every two weeks. As cadets progress through their four years at the USCGA, however, they take increasing responsibility for their own academic success. Advisors provide assistance to all cadets and help them develop study skills, set priorities, and obtain information on career opportunities. Additionally, academic advisors approve cadets’ course registrations, class schedule changes, and course adds and drops. Even though a faculty member may be assigned to a cadet as an advisor, cadets are free to consult with any faculty member. The faculty and staff are deeply concerned for the welfare and success of each cadet, and they will generously give their time to any cadet.
Cadet Academic Advisory Board (CAAB) provides a direct channel of communication between the Corps of Cadets and the Provost. The CAAB operates under the auspices of a faculty advisor who is assisted by the Charlie Company Academics Officer - the chair of the CAAB. Depending upon the circumstances, the chair of the CAAB may also be invited to participate in meetings held by the Provost’s Council.
Cadet Academic Assistance Program (CAAP) provides discipline-specific, voluntary evening workshops and tutoring to help cadets with course concepts, classroom assignments and test preparation.
4/c Cadet Academic Support Program (4CASP) provides mandatory instruction in selected subject areas to designated 4/c cadets who have been deemed to potentially benefit from directed, hands-on, supplemental academic work.
Early Warning System provides information to faculty and academic advisors concerning the academic performance of 4/c cadets so that intervention strategies can be promptly implemented to help cadets succeed at the Academy.
Fundamentals of Mathematics and Communication Program (FMCP) supports 4/c cadets whose SWAB Summer placement scores indicate they would benefit from assistance in the fundamentals of mathematics, English, and reading. Support includes placement in foundational courses in the fall semester and two classes during the summer before their 3/c year.
Hewitt Writing and Reading Center (HWRC) is located on the second deck of the Library in Waesche Hall. Mentors and tutors in the HWRC provide assistance to cadets in all class years and majors. The HWRC is open Sunday through Thursday evenings and during most business hours. Cadets can make an appointment and upload work through an online scheduling program. Faculty and civilians who are professional writers and educators staff the HWRC. Established in 1987, the HWRC operates, in part, from funds provided by the John and Erna Hewitt Endowment.
International Cadet Council (ICC) engages in activities in support of its cultural, social, and educational mission. The most important activities include an annual visit to the United Nations and/or Pentagon, the Royal Military College of Canada, and the U.S. Naval War College. Cadets also participate in the annual United States Naval Academy (USNA) International Ball. Through identification of host families and assessment of cadets’ interests and language skills, the coordinator of the ICC facilitates the assimilation of international cadets into the Corps of Cadets and introduces them to many aspects related to day-to-day living in the U.S.
Peer Tutor Program is comprised of 3/c through 1/c cadets who have performed well academically and have successfully completed training and certification. A list of peer tutors and the courses they support is posted on the Corps of Cadets Regimental Staff home page and on the peer tutor site located under Academic Resources on the Academic Division section of the portal.
The Cadet Command Religious Program
The Superintendent is responsible for the physical, moral, and spiritual well-being of all cadets, faculty, and staff. The Superintendent provides spiritual welfare through the Command Religious Program (CRP), managed by assigned Navy chaplains assigned to CGA.
Chaplains provide a robust ministry to cadets, faculty, staff, and family members. They facilitate the religious needs of all and provide liaison to civilian religious leaders, communities, organizations, and agencies. CGA chaplains care for all regardless of faith background or no faith background and offer complete confidentiality in counseling. Chaplains also advise leadership on issues of ethical and spiritual wellness and morale. Our chaplains provide weekend and weekday religious services during SWAB Summer and during the Academic Year, as well as religious education and sacramental preparation when the Corps of Cadets is aboard.
Center for Counseling & Development (CCD)
The CCD focuses on the developmental transitions and clinical mental health of Coast Guard Academy (CGA) cadets. The CCD strives to enhance resilience and leadership capabilities, support CG initiatives for the overall mental health needs of the CGA.
Licensed psychologists, who have particular expertise in the college-aged population, staff the Center. They are available to meet with Academy cadets who are experiencing personal or mental health concerns. Psychotherapy and supportive counseling sessions may address a variety of topics including stress management, interpersonal relationships, depression, anxiety, family matters, eating or body image concerns, sexual assault or other trauma, loneliness, self-esteem, motivation, academic difficulty, and life transitions.
Counseling and psychotherapy are confidential and do not become part of a cadet’s medical, academic, or military record. The CCD also serves as a confidential resource for cadets who experience sexual assault, whether or not they report it. Our office number is (860) 444-8520, and email is CGACounselingCenter@uscga.edu.
Coast Guard Academy Regional Clinic
The CG Academy Regional Clinic is the 2nd largest clinic in the Coast Guard. The Clinic includes an Outpatient Department, Dental Clinic, Pharmacy, Radiology, Physical Therapy, moderate complexity Lab, Physical Exam Department, Optometry and Psychiatry. The Clinic provides routine care for illness and injury to Academy cadets and active duty, as well as several local CG units in the region. A Duty Crew is available 24 hours a day, to include a medical officer and dental officer on call. The professional staff consists of U.S. Public Health Service officers detailed to the Coast Guard, Coast Guard active duty personnel, and civilian contractors. The staff includes physicians with board certifications in family medicine, flight medicine, preventive medicine and psychiatry. Also, on staff are board-certified physician assistants, pharmacist, doctoral level physical therapist, optometrist, and registered nurses. The dental clinic staff consists of three dental officers, two dental hygienists, and dental technicians. The Clinic has the capability to perform routine laboratory tests and x-rays within our facility. Prescribed medication is provided at an onsite pharmacy.
For specialty care, cadets are referred to civilian providers, and the Coast Guard pays for all necessary medical and dental care for you through the military health insurance system known as TRICARE. All specialties are represented nearby at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London and Backus Hospital in Norwich. For certain subspecialty treatment other facilities can be utilized, to include University of Connecticut Health, Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Library
The Library located in Waesche Hall, provides the resources, spaces, and services for academic success and to encourage lifelong learning. Library staff are available until 2200 five days a week to help with research, finding resources, and much more. Librarians collaborate with faculty to integrate information literacy skills into the curriculum. Access is provided to over 900,000 books and e-books and 200,000 full text journals and 69,000 streaming videos. Online resources, including subscriptions to over 250 academic databases, are available anywhere on-campus and off-campus. Items from other libraries can be requested through the interlibrary loan service. Materials related to the history of the Coast Guard are collected and preserved to support the Academy’s educational programs and to provide cadets with a connection to the traditions of their service. A wide variety of spaces are available in the Library for individual and group learning, including large tables, collaboration workstations, study rooms, small group tables, and individual carrels for quiet study.
Registrar’s Office
The Registrar’s Office is responsible for the development of the master schedule of courses for each semester, the enrollment of cadets in classes and the generation of all academic reports which relate to cadet academic records. The Registrar’s Office is also responsible for the compilation, evaluation, safe retention, and appropriate use of cadet academic records, the preparation and issuance of transcripts, and certification of selected data from the records.
Additional responsibilities of the Registrar’s Office include publishing the Academic Catalog (formerly known as the Catalog of Courses) and maintaining an electronic version that is accessible via the Internet. It lists courses of study offered for that academic year and each course’s description, credit value, format, and projected offering. It also includes the appropriate policies, procedures and other information deemed appropriate by the Provost and the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.
Admissions Division
The mission of the Admissions Division is to attract and appoint a uniquely prepared selection of prospective cadets who are suited to develop into future leaders of character and commissioned officers of the United States Coast Guard. The division is responsible for Recruitment: outreach, orientation, applicant pool generation and Selection: applicant pool evaluation and appointment decisions.
All policies, procedures and requirements for admissions to USCGA may be found in the Admissions section of the USCGA website: https://uscga.edu/admissions/