The federal-government shutdown that began on Tuesday is having severe effects on the nation’s service academies, forcing sweeping furloughs and class cancellations.
At most of the nation’s colleges and universities, the lapse in federal funds is more cause for curiosity than concern, yet another sign of the dysfunction gripping Washington. In the short term, at least, the shutdown’s impact on student aid and federal research is expected to be minimal.
But for the cadets and midshipmen at the nation’s five federally financed undergraduate service academies—and the professors who teach them—the shutdown has had an immediate effect. Athletic competitions have been canceled, civilian employees have been told to stay home, and their military counterparts are picking up the slack.
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, which is financed by the Department of Transportation, has “closed for normal operations,” according to a notice posted on its Web site. Some 720 midshipmen remain on the New York campus, but they will have the option of going home if the shutdown lasts longer than a few days, said Meghan Keck, a spokeswoman for the department. The 225 midshipmen on four- and eight-month training cruises will remain at sea.
Because the Merchant Marine Academy operates year-round, it will be difficult to make up more than a few lost days of classes, Ms. Keck said. A prolonged shutdown could “endanger the academy’s accreditation,” she warned.
At the U.S. Naval Academy, where more than half of the 508 faculty members are civilians, military instructors are substituting for civilian professors whenever possible. But some science laboratory classes have already been canceled, as well as some language classes in Arabic and Chinese. The library remains open, on a reduced schedule, but only to students and faculty and staff members. Books and other materials may not be checked out.
An ‘Army of One’
Nearly 650 Naval Academy staff members have also been furloughed, prompting the closure of a safety office and housing-referral services. The Maryland institution’s public-affairs office, which normally has a staff of 14, is operating as an “army of one,” said Cmdr. John Schofield, the sole survivor.
A soccer game, scheduled for Tuesday night against Howard University, was canceled, according to the Associated Press. The fate of Saturday’s scheduled football game against the U.S. Air Force Academy will be announced by noon on Thursday.
The Air Force Academy, meanwhile, has furloughed 1,000 civilian employees, more than two-thirds of its total. Twenty percent of classes on the Colorado campus have been suspended, and the library and other study centers are closed. The cadet chapel is closed, but the academy plans to hold a Sunday service. Some information-technology systems have been shut down, affecting grade entry and administrative management, among other things.
At the U.S. Military Academy, in West Point, N.Y., where 70 percent of the faculty members are military personnel, classes haven’t been affected yet. But the commissary, the visitors’ center, and the museum are closed; tours have been canceled; and academic travel and sporting competitions are “at risk,” according to a news release. Operations involving safety and security will continue, it said.
Classes continue uninterrupted at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the smallest of the service academies, though some facilities on the Connecticut campus are closed to the public, according to Lt. Paul Rhynard, a spokesman. He said 277 civilians work at the academy, but he didn’t know how many had been furloughed.
Correction (10/2/2013, 10:35 a.m.): The Navy-Air Force football game that may be affected by the shutdown is scheduled for Saturday, not Sunday. The article has been updated to reflect this correction.
