Mailbag: Are we doing this right?

Recently we got a comment on our post on the most Black women ever to graduate USMA: Thank you for sharing your analysis. From one academic to another, I would recommend that you add a section discussing the strengths and weaknesses of your research method and design. There are a couple of weaknesses with your … Read more

Pay for Diversity: Most Black Women Ever Graduate USMA

A record number of African American women recently graduated from West Point, the United States Military Academy in New York. This was lauded as a historical accomplishment in many major news venues: Black women are set to make military history on Saturday, as the West Point military academy graduates its class of 2019 with its highest-ever … Read more

Class Year Data

The previous posts have been most edifying to put together, but we’ve been a bit short on time lately to build on them. There is additional analysis that can be done on activities (in particular, deeper dives into test and GPA by corps squad teams, analyzing the extent of test score advantages for various groups, … Read more

On Diversity as Strength

Reminder: LTC Heffington’s letter  and  Superintendent’s responses: The Academy leadership says, in response to LTC Heffington’s concerns about a degraded Academy, of the cadets: They are the most diverse group in the history of West Point and we are stronger for it. This is something of a non-sequitur to the issues of conduct and performance in … Read more

On Maintaining the Honor Code

Reminder: LTC Heffington’s letter  and  LTG Caslen’s letter The Cadet Honor Code is one of the most cherished institutions at West Point. It states “A Cadet will not Lie, Cheat, Steal, or tolerate those who do.” Heffington states that The cadet honor code has become a laughingstock. Cadets know they will not be separated for violating … Read more

On Admissions Excellence

Reminder: LTC Heffington’s letter  and  Supe’s letter LTC Heffington says that The Superintendent refuses to enforce admissions standards or the cadet Honor Code, while the Academy responds Our current Corps of Cadets is comprised of the finest young men and women we have ever gathered here at the Academy as evidenced by their performance in the … Read more

STAP Claim

LTC Heffington claimed, as in the first post of this series, that STAP (Summer Term Academic Program) is also now an accepted summer detail assignment, so retaking a course during the summer translates into even more summer leave for the deficient cadet. This (“also now an accepted…”) implies that it has become commonplace where before … Read more

Why We’re Here

In late 2017, LTC (USA, Ret) Robert Heffington, a former professor at the United States Military Academy, wrote an open letter to the Academy community. In it, and stating his loyalty to the ideals of West Point, he proceeded to air a number of grievances against what he perceived the Academy has become, (and partially … Read more