Message posted on Stardate 05092.0 at 0455 hours
Posted by Captain Jack Dipper (STF President).
Edict #22
After much debating in the Academy we have the new Academy Edict. Thanks Joe for sorting it out ;)
Jack
- SUPERCEDENCE OF PREVIOUS EDICTS
Edict Cramer #9 is hereby rescinded and superceded by this edict.
- ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ACADEMY DEPARTMENT
The Academy Department shall serve as a resource to the membership on matters relating to ongoing training and development in STF.
The daily activity of the Academy Department shall be overseen by the Academy Commandant, who shall be appointed by the President. The Academy Commandant is a cabinet position, and is equal in power to other departmental directors and Fleet Commanders.
The Vice Commandant shall be appointed by the Academy Commandant. The Vice Commandant answers directly to the Academy Commandant, and is responsible for departmental decisions in the event the Academy Commandant is not available. Additional responsibilities are at the discretion of the Academy Commandant.
The Academy Commandant and the Vice Commandant must have Academy experience, preferably as a current or previous XO or CNS on an Academy Ship, however, experience as a DH on an Academy Ship may be also be considered acceptable. Additionally, they must currently hold the member rank of Lieutenant Commander or above, and currently or previously have held an XO position or above on a mainstream ship. The Academy Commandant may delegate any of his duties enumerated in this Edict or any other responsibilities incumbent upon him as a result of another Edict to another named member of the Academy Department.
- ESTABLISHMENT OF ACADEMY COURSES
Starfleet Academy shall maintain a set of courses, which must at least include a course for Engineering, Gamemaster, Medical, Science, and Security. Additional courses are at the discretion of the Academy Commandant. These courses are on a voluntary basis and should a member pass one of these tests they will then be certified as qualified personnel and should be considered for a position as a DH (Department Head). Passing one of these courses does not guarantee a promotion to Lieutenant (Junior Grade) however. Promotion of someone who passes the test is left to CO of the mainstream ship’s discretion.
- ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ACADEMY FLEET
A new Fleet is hereby established, under the name “Starfleet Academy”. This Fleet shall house all Academy Training Vessels as well as the Academy administrative areas.
The Academy ships shall be staffed in a different way than standard ships within STF. The staffing of the Academy ships will include, in order of Chain of Command, with the first listed being the highest on the chain:
XO (Executive Officer) - The XO is appointed by the President of STF, consulting with the Academy Commandant. The XO outranks the CO, on issues of ship administration. The XO is second in command in an RPG sense only. The XO, regardless of member rank, will always hold a rank of Commander on the training ships. Academy XO’s must currently, or in the past, have held the position of XO or CO on a mainstream ship, or have held the position of CNS or XO on an Academy Ship.
CNS (Counselor) - The CNS is appointed by the XO, consulting with the Academy Commandant. The CNS is 2nd in command on issues of ship administration. The CNS is third in command in an RPG sense only. The CNS, regardless of member rank, will always hold a rank of Lieutenant Commander on the training ships. Academy CNS’s must currently, or in the past, have held a DH position in the Academy, or failing that, be a DH on a “mainstream” ship, with positive comments from their Commanding Officer(s).
GM (Gamemaster) - The Gamemaster is appointed by the Academy Commandant, subject to the veto of the XO of the ship in question. The Gamemaster of an Academy ship must be an experienced GM preferably holding the classification of Full Gamemaster, however, GM’s with a classification of “Junior Gamemaster” may be considered at the Academy Commandants discretion.
CO (Commanding Officer) - The CO is appointed by the Academy Commandant, consulting with the President. The CO must be an XO from somewhere in the fleet, for the purposes of assisting to train for a CO spot. The only exception to this rule is if there are no available XO’s in the fleet that do not have a CO spot, or if there are no XO’s that are willing to take part in the training program. In the case of the above exception, then the Academy Commandant, consulting with the President, may select someone who does not currently hold a XO spot, HOWEVER, this person must currently hold the member rank of Lieutenant Commander to be considered.
If no one can be found who holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander that will participate in the program, then the rank will be decreased to Lieutenant, and so on, until someone willing to participate in the program can be found.
The “CO in training” will be granted the honorary rank of Captain, but this rank does not extend beyond the Academy, and the “CO in training“‘s member rank will also not be extended this privilege.
Department Head spots (with the exception of Counselor), may be filled in one of two ways, at the discretion of the XO, notifying the Academy Commandant.
1) A Lieutenant Junior Grade “graduated” Cadet in that department.
2) A Lieutenant- grade experienced officer
Preference for filling Department Head positions goes to (option 1) a Lt. (Junior Grade) Graduated Cadet, however an exception may be made if all graduated Cadets were found DH positions on “mainstream” ships, or, if in the opinion of the XO and the Academy Commandant, the field of “graduated” Cadets are not strong enough to handle the responsibility of a DH role, and thus training incoming Cadets. In this instance, an experienced Lieutenant-grade DH from a “mainstream” ship can be used instead (option 2).
The Commandant is responsible for setting an AWOL/LOA policy in an “Academy Mandate”. This policy should be maintained on an Academy page, and linked from the main Academy MOTD and the ship’s MOTDs.
- ACADEMY SERVICE AND GRADUATION
Cadets who serve on the Academy ships shall hold the member rank of CADET. Additionally, Cadets who serve on the Academy ships are not eligible for rank promotion while they take part in their training. Also, due to the high demand for Academy spots, Cadets on the training vessels, (who have not graduated, or are not in the process of graduating) can only be transferred or offered a position on another ship with the consent of the Academy Commandant.
Furthermore, any cadet that leaves the academy training ship prematurely has to wait 120 days before they can be promoted to Lieutenant (Junior Grade). In the event that a Cadet should leave the Academy early, their name will be placed on a list maintained by the Academy, and an “Academy Commandant’s Mandate” shall be placed in Command, letting CO’s know that said Cadet left the Academy early, and stating the exact date that the Cadet is eligible for rank promotion.
Additionally, the Academy Commandant is responsible for contacting the CO of the ship that the Cadet went to when they originally left the Academy, and providing the CO with this information as well. Additionally, all CO’s are requested to keep themselves familiar with this list in some cases, early graduation may be granted, ONLY at the discretion of the Academy Commandant, and based on his/her own judgment. In these cases, the Cadet will be granted all the rights and privileges of a proper graduation, and will not be restricted from promotion as in the case of a cadet leaving the program prematurely.
Should it be discovered that Command Staffs of mainstream ships are offering positions to Cadets before they graduate, the Academy Commandant has the right to remove that ship from the list of ships that receives Academy graduates either on a temporary or permanent basis, at the Academy Commandant’s discretion. This matter will also be taken to the current President, and punishment shall be determined at the discretion of the President, which may include a verbal/written warning, temporary reduction of rank, reduction of rank until next promotion, or removal of command of a vessel (serious repetitive cases).
At the end of each mission, Cadets shall be graded on a pass/fail system by the Academy Staff and presented to the Academy Commandant for final approval. Cadets who pass will be promoted to the rank of Ensign, and positions will be found for them on “mainstream” ships, cadets who are determined to exceed basic promotion/graduation requirements may be asked to stay on board the academy ships in acting DH capacity for further training and promotion to Lt. (Junior Grade).
Should a Cadet receive unsatisfactory marks, they will be asked to remain in the Academy for another mission, on a DIFFERENT ship than their original Academy ship. Should the Cadet agree to remain for additional training they will once again be graded on a pass/fail system by the Academy Staff which will be presented to the Academy Commandant for final approval. Should the Cadet pass their second time around, they will be promoted to the rank of Ensign, and a position will be found for them on a “mainstream” ship. Should the cadet decide not to remain on the academy ship they will be placed on a mainstream ship with the rank of Ensign. It is suggested that they seek a mentor for further assistance and the CO and XO of the ship will be notified that they were placed without graduating the academy.
Should a Cadet receive unsatisfactory marks a second time, they will be asked to remain in the Academy for another mission, on a DIFFERENT ship than the previous ships they have served on. Should the Cadet agree to remain they will once again be graded on the same pass/fail system by the Academy Staff which will be presented to the Academy Commandant for final approval. Should the cadet pass their third time around, they will be promoted to the rank of Ensign, and a position will be found for them on a “mainstream” ship. Should the cadet decide not to remain on the academy ship they will be placed on a mainstream ship with the rank of Ensign. It is suggested that they seek a mentor for further assistance and the CO and XO of the ship will be notified that they were placed without graduating the academy.
Should a Cadet receive unsatisfactory marks for a third time, they will be placed as a new member on a “mainstream” ship (an Ensign, with all the rights and privileges that come with that rank). Should a CO receive an “Ensign” in this fashion, they are required to receive a letter from the Academy Commandant explaining this, so that the CO may pay special attention to this crew member, in order to help them out in any way possible.
Serving on any training ship is optional. New members may either join as an Ensign on a regular ship, or serve on the Training ship before going to the mainstream ships as an Ensign. Cadets who join the Academy program, thinking that it is mandatory, may approach the Academy Commandant and request to be placed on a “mainstream” ship, so long as they do so immediately upon finding out that the Academy is NOT mandatory. The Academy Commandant is required to give such requests due consideration. Upon the Academy Commandant’s approval, the Cadet may be placed on a “mainstream” ship as an Ensign, with all the rights and privileges that a new member who is placed on a “mainstream” ship has.
An Academy mission lasts for 3 months (90 days). A mission shall be GMed by one GM, of Junior Gamemaster classification or higher. In the case that a GM shall go AWOL or be removed in mid-mission, the mission shall be continued without interruption by a qualified replacement, which may be the Academy Commandant, XO of the said ship, or CNS of the said ship, regardless of whether the said person holds the classification of Junior Gamemaster. A properly qualified GM should be found to fill the open GM spot within 2 weeks (14 days) of the spot opening.
Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the XO and GM of the academy ship, concurrently, to notify the Academy Commandant of the date which a new mission starts.
Whenever a DH spot on a “mainstream” ship opens up, and the CO of that ship has no qualified officer in that department on his ship to fill the hole on his own, the CO is requested, but not required, to contact the Academy Commandant to see if there are any cadets who are ready to graduate to fill said Department Head vacancy.
- DISPUTES
Any dispute involving any member of the Academy shall be moderated by the Academy Commandant. Should any of the involved parties be the Academy Commandant, the dispute shall be moderated by the Vice Commandant. Should the dispute involve the Commandant and Vice Commandant, the dispute shall be moderated by the President.