In mid October 2006, the Loeb-Sullivan School submitted a self-study to the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), the premier professional accreditor for business programs in student-centered colleges and universities throughout the world, for accreditation consideration. This was our first attempt at programmatic accreditation for the business school. IACBE evaluators visited us on February 13 and 14, 2007. Last month, Prof. George Schatz, acting chair of the Loeb-Sullivan School of International Business, announced MMA has been awarded it accreditation. Well done!

Beginning fall of 2008, MMA will be offering two new majors:

• Power Engineering Operations, a bachelor of science degree program concerned primarily with the operation and maintenance of industrial steam and gas turbine power plants and with related electrical systems, and
• Small Craft Systems, an associates' degree program offered in cooperation with the Landing School of Kennebunkport, ME, that emphasizes the interface of marine systems with boat design and construction while practicing the actual installation of these systems in a real world setting.

MMA’s schooner Bowdoin, which was built in 1921 for Arctic exploration, will return to the Arctic once again. Under a plan developed entirely by students, the National Historic Landmark vessel will set sail on June 1, 2008 for a two-month cruise that will take her to ports in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador and Greenland, crossing the Arctic Circle on or about June 30th.

This will be her 29th crossing of the Arctic Circle, 26 of which were under the command of her original owner, RADM Donald MacMillan. The last two were in 1991 and 1994, under the MMA flag. Crew complement will consist of 11 MMA students and 5 professional crew, most of whom will also be MMA students or graduates.

The Office of Career Services reports that it was booked solid with company recruiter visits. Check out a sample of employers visiting campus.

After a semester full of learning, students in the Corning School of Ocean Studies marine chemistry course recently "relaxed" with a day cruise aboard MMA's research vessel Friendship on Penobscot Bay. Small courses and hands-on learning are the norm at Maine Maritime and this class – of just six students – was no exception. In-class activities ranged from writing computer models of the marine cycles of elements such as zinc to lab investigations of how gases such as carbon dioxide enter and leave the oceans.

"These students were so willing to work hard and learn all semester," says Prof. Joceline Boucher who taught the class, "that I eased up on their final cruise. We had only one cruise goal (testing a new method to measure dissolved nitrate) and spent far more time than usual enjoying the scenery and a beautiful April day!"

Keep abreast of the Corning School's news and events by reading the department's electronic newsletters.

Each year the Arts and Sciences Department hosts a common book program, selecting a text we believe will be of general interest to the campus community. We do this to encourage discussion of major issues, and we generally bring in speakers or stage an event of some kind to bring the discussion to a deeper level. Our choice this year is Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth".

This spring, Capt. John Worth and a group of students worked on an independent project to enhance Z-Drive tug boat training for our students. With the assistance of MMA's donation program, the group took a 19-foot motor boat and redesigned it with stern tubes to accommodate electric 360 degree motors and built an "in the water" simulator. The boat runs on 36 volt batteries with a small generator to charge them (you might call it a hybrid).

The tug industry is rapidly replacing their ship assist tugs with this type of drive system and it requires a new skill set for our graduates. This boat, coupled with our simulator, will give students more experience as they go out to companies with these units. Many pilot and tug organizations contributed to the funding and the waterfront staff and facilities made it a reality.

It was a fun project because it was student run and allowed them to research and design this vessel. Check out the the before and after photos of the Zeeboat. We will be using it fall 2007 in tug and barge classes and ship handling.

On May 5, 2007, in a ceremony on the lawn in front of Leavitt Hall, three Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps midshipmen and one officer candidate were commissioned into the Navy, and four Merchant Marine Reserve midshipmen were commissioned into the Navy Reserve.

Congratulations to our newest ensigns: Ian Austin, Daniel Gardner, Nolan Lucas, Dillan Masellas, Joseph Burba, Joshua Fogg, James McManus, and Jeremy Schisler.

For information about the NROTC and MMR programs at MMA, visit http://nrotc.mma.edu/ or contact the NROTC unit at mmanrotc@mma.edu.