Maritime Education in the 21st Century at SUNY Maritime College by Elizabeth McCarthy
“Shipping is truly the linchpin of the global economy: without shipping, intercontinental trade, the bulk transport of raw materials and the import/export of affordable food and manufactured goods would simply not be possible. It is generally accepted that more than 90 percent of global trade is carried by sea, and that is why quality manpower supply is the most important factor driving sustainability in maritime transport. … A shortage of competent seafarers, particularly officers, to operate the increasingly sophisticated vessels is a challenge for the industry; high-quality engineering officers will be particularly in demand as tighter emission regulations require ships to burn lighter fuels in sophisticated new engine designs.”—International Maritime Organization1
international maritime organization
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ith advances in technology and continued growth of international commerce, demands on today’s professional mariners are changing rapidly. For those who educate and train the next generation of ships’ officers, the question is: Are we meeting the demands of this specialized industry as we release new graduates into the world of shipping? The education of the merchant mariner has changed extensively over the last 40 years and will continue on this path, as autonomous and semi-autonomous vessels are launched from shipyards and take to the high seas. How do we maintain high standards and emphasize the basics, while introducing a whole new level and spectrum of instruction to properly prepare our future professional mariners? America’s merchant mariners receive their training either at the college level by attending one of the seven public merchant marine academies2 where students earn their bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees in con-
The State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College is located at historic Fort Schuyler, on the Throgs Neck peninsula in the Bronx, where the East River meets Long Island Sound. It is one of seven public maritime academies in the country. junction with their merchant mariner’s licenses, or by working their way up the chain of command (what we commonly refer to as a “hawsepiper” in the industry). Both paths take hard work, discipline, and
a high level of intelligence to succeed. In this article, we will examine the merchant marine academy experience, specifically at SUNY Maritime College, where I am an alumna and assistant professor. There are two areas in which the students receive their licenses: deck and engine. Those working on deck aim to become mates and eventually captains; students focusing on work below deck are typically ship’s engineers, from assistant to chief engineer. People outside the maritime industry do not realize the level of effort that it takes to become a licensed merchant mariner, nor what the profession is like once they start shipping out. In my own experience as a merchant mariner (a “deckie”), I have come across plenty of people who cannot believe that I had to attend a college for four years to learn how to steer a ship. On more than one occasion, I have been confronted by the casual boater who, in conversation, remarks that they, too, have taken a course
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“International Shipping and World Trade Facts and Figures,” International Maritime Organization, October 2009. US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY, and six state maritime academies: California Maritime Academy, Maine Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Great Lakes Maritime Academy, Texas A&M Maritime Academy, and SUNY Maritime College. 2
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SEA HISTORY 166, SPRING 2019