A record low number of Naval Academy freshmen decided to leave the academy despite the rigorous "plebe summer" this year, school Superintendent Vice Adm. John R. Ryan told the academy's Board of Visitors yesterday.
Ryan said that 67 of about 1,220 freshmen inducted in July left, compared with an annual average of 80 to 100 plebes.
Based on those figures, plus an increase in applications from high school students and progress in the school's initiative to renovate deteriorating buildings, Ryan said the state of the academy is "excellent." He urged the board, which oversees the academy, to keep congressional funding coming for several other renovation projects.
Ryan also told the board about a new rule that gives freshmen an extra hour of sleep. In the past, upperclassmen could wake freshmen at 5:30 a.m. to give them tasks or make them run drills - leading faculty members to complain that the plebes had difficulty staying awake in class. Now, despite some grumbling, Ryan said, upperclassmen must wait until 6:30 a.m.
School officials released the results from this year's student survey, in which 90 percent of students said they were satisfied overall with the academy. But the survey also revealed many students feel that the school's conduct and honor systems, which dole out punishments, are often arbitrary.
Forty-three percent of students said the disciplinary action for breaking academy rules was "inconsistent."
