Students Express Overall Satisfaction with Academies, but Perceptions Vary on Some Quality-of-Life Issues

Although a majority of the 9,238 students who responded to our survey  at the three military service academies expressed overall satisfaction  with their academy, the students gave wide-ranging responses to a variety  of questions about quality-of-life issues. Their perceptions of discrimination and  harassment prevention and preferential treatment issues often varied  according to gender and race/ethnicity. Students’ Rating of Academic and Military Training Is High

As figure 3 shows, between 90 and 93 percent of the students at each  academy rated the overall academic program as good or excellent. 4). However, about  one-quarter to one-third of the students rated their academy’s performance  standards for developing military officers as generally or much too low  (see question 8, app. Additionally, between 83 and 87 percent of students who were  not recruited athletes believed that recruited athletes received preferential  treatment during the admissions process. However, differences  in student perceptions were generally between male and female students  and minorities and nonminority students. Faculty Generally Agree with Student Perceptions on Some Quality-of-Life Issues

The 1,586 faculty members who responded to our survey generally agreed  with student perceptions of aspects of student life at the academies, but  they were less likely than students to report that quality-of-life problems  at the academies are seldom openly confronted and/or solved. Faculty  perceptions varied on the practice of the honor code/concept and gender  and race-/ethnicity-based discrimination and harassment and preferential  treatment issues. Faculty Perceptions Varied on the Extent to Which Quality-of-Life Problems Are Addressed

Thirty-eight percent of the faculty at the Military Academy, 45 percent at  the Naval Academy, and 46 percent at the Air Force Academy reported that  quality-of-life problems are openly confronted and/or solved to some, little,  or no extent at the academies. By comparison, 59 percent of students at the  Military and Naval Academies and 71 percent of students at the Air Force  Academy held the same views. Faculty Perceptions of Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment Varied

Faculty were asked for their perceptions on the same gender-based and  race-/ethnicity-based discrimination and harassment issues as were  students. More than 90 percent of the faculty who had participated in the  admissions process in the last 4 years at the Military and Naval Academies  and 72 percent at the Air Force Academy responded that they perceived  recruited athletes as receiving preferential treatment during the admissions  process. For example,  the percentage of students and faculty that rated their academy’s  performance standards for developing military officers as being generally  or much too low suggests that this may be an area of concern. Agency Comments

DOD reviewed a draft of this report and had no comments. Scope and Methodology

To obtain student and faculty perceptions of aspects of student life at the  U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. To administer the surveys, we built six Web-based survey sites, two  for each academy (one for students and one for faculty). In the past 4 years, have you participated in the admissions process? Academy Preparatory Schools. Military Education: Information on Service Academies and Schools.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Army, Navy, and Air Force each operate an academy to educate and train young men and women to become leaders and effective junior officers in the military services. The approximately 4,000 students who attend each academy undergo a challenging 4-year program of academic, physical, and military education that culminates in a bachelor's degree and a commission as a military officer. In addition to completing academic course work, students must participate in rigorous military training and in mandatory athletic activities. In return for their free education, these students must serve on active duty for 5 years after graduation. In two reports, GAO reviewed all three service academies and their preparatory schools. In this report, GAO surveyed students and faculty to obtain their perceptions of various aspects of student life at the academies. GAO conducted a Web-based survey of 12,264 students and 2,065 faculty members at the three service academies on questions related to such student life issues as academic and military programs; gender- and race-/ethnicity-based discrimination and harassment; and preferential treatment. GAO's survey did not query students and faculty on specific incidents of alleged sexual assault at the academies. We are making no recommendations in this report. DOD reviewed a draft of this report and had no comments.

What GAO Found

The majority of students who responded to GAO's survey expressed overall satisfaction with their academy, although students gave wide-ranging responses to a variety of quality-of-life questions. About 59 percent of students at the Military and Naval Academies and 71 percent at the Air Force Academy reported that quality-of-life problems are openly confronted and/or solved to some, little, or no extent. Over 90 percent of students rated their academic programs as good or excellent. About a quarter to a third of students rated their academy's performance standards for developing military officers as too low. Most differences in student responses on academy emphasis on prevention of gender- and race-/ethnicity-based discrimination and harassment were generally between male and female students and minorities and nonminority students. Over 80 percent of students who were not recruited as athletes responded that recruited athletes receive preferential treatment during the admissions process. The faculty members who responded to the survey generally agreed with the students' perceptions of student life at the academies, but they were less likely than students to say that quality-of-life problems are seldom openly confronted and/or solved. About a quarter to a third of faculty agreed with student perceptions that performance standards for developing military officers were too low. Faculty perceptions varied on issues associated with gender- and race-/ethnicity-based discrimination and harassment and preferential treatment. More than 90 percent of faculty who participated in the admissions process in the past 4 years at the Military and Naval Academies and 72 percent at the Air Force Academy responded that recruited athletes receive preferential treatment during the admissions process.