BARE COVE SAIL & POWER SQUADRON EVENTS
HINGHAM , MASSACHUSETTS
A Unit of United States  Power Squadrons^®

USPS® EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT NOTICE No. 76

EFFECTIVE ON AND AFTER 15 OCTOBER, 1999

CHANGE IN NATIONAL USPS POLICY REGARDING SEQUENCE IN WHICH ADVANCED GRADE COURSES MAY BE TAKEN

Historically, USPS Members enrolled in the Advanced Grade programs have been required to     take [and pass] certain courses in a particular sequence prior to enrolling in and testing for higher grades. For example:

Successful completion of both Seamanship and Piloting has been required before a student was permitted to take the final examination for Advanced Piloting;

Similarly, the successful completion of the examinations for each of Seamanship, Piloting and, Advanced Piloting have been required before testing for Junior Navigation and,

Completion of Seamanship, Piloting, Advanced Piloting, and Junior Navigation has been required before the sight folder could be presented or the final examination taken for Navigation.

The National Bridge has determined that the historic and traditional policy, which required specific courses to be completed in a particular sequence, may have placed an undue burden upon those Members who, for whatever reason(s), wished to go forward with their boating education before they have had the opportunity of completing a heretofore sequentially required course.

Effective immediately, any USPS or CPS Member in good standing may enroll in any course, or take any final (open or closed book) examination or submit a sight folder, for any USPS Advanced Grade course, without respect to whether or not a subordinate course has earlier been completed.

However, it shall remain solely the responsibility of each such Member to learn (and master, to the extent necessary) the applicable course material to prepare for the examination(s) intended to be taken.

Each student’s personal responsibility for adequate preparation is essential to this change in Policy as it is inconsistent with the role of the course instructor, and unfair to other students enrolled in a course, that foundation material which should have been learned by each student in a subordinate course be revisited at the expense of other students who are thus prepared.

AWARDS OF GRADES: This change in Policy does not alter the USPS requirements for the award of each Advanced Grade. Such awards are based on the completion of an entire program of study and, each respective Advanced Grade is awarded based on a Member having passed the following courses:

Seamanship: A closed-book examination in Seamanship

Piloting:  A closed-book and open-book examination in Piloting

Advanced Piloting: A closed-book examination in Seamanship, plus a closed-book and open-book examination in Piloting plus a closed-book and open-book examination in Advanced Piloting

Junior Navigation: A closed-book examination in Seamanship, plus a closed-book and open-book examination in Piloting plus a closed-book and open-book examination in Advanced Piloting, plus a closed-book and open-book examination in Junior Navigation and the submission of an accepteble JN Sight Folder

Navigation: A closed-book examination in Seamanship, plus a closed-book and open-book examination in Piloting plus a closed-book and open-book examination in Advanced Piloting, plus a closed-book and open-book examination in Junior Navigation and the submission of an acceptable JN Sight Folder, plus  a closed-book and open-book examination in Navigation and the submission of an acceptable N Sight Folder

Under this change in rule, a student may elect to forego the formalized classroom work for the courses in Seamanship, Piloting, Advanced Piloting, Junior Navigation, and Navigation, and elect to pursue the cumulative courses of study independently. Or, a student may enroll in any class in any order, and take each of the final examinations indicated above. However, each particular Advanced Grade will be awarded only upon the completion of the cumulative prerequisite courses.

Questions concerning this new USPS Advanced Grades Policy should be addressed to:

LDCR James Gorman, Bare Cove Squadron Educational Officer

This page revised August 11, 2002 Reviewed

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