Key changes are coming to the format and enrollment requirements of the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy (SEA), as detailed in Naval Administrative Message (NAVADMIN) 191/20 released July 6.

Beginning in Fiscal Year 2021, the distance-learning portion of SEA will be three weeks in length and students will no longer need to complete the Primary Professional Military Education (PPME) or Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education (SEJPME) I and II. Additionally, the SEA will begin a stepped-approach to increase annual student throughput from 1,296 to 1,782 senior enlisted leaders.

"The process for implementing these changes will be seamless to the Fleet, other than senior enlisted leaders having a better opportunity to attend," said Command Master Chief Jason Avin, SEA director. "The online portion will be shorter, redundancy will be removed, and the three week in-residence portion will remain the cornerstone of the educational and networking experience."

"Streamlining distance learning and eliminating pre-requisites were necessary steps in removing barriers for attendance," said Avin. "Keeping in line with the Navy’s culture of excellence, we also used the opportunity to conduct a thorough review of curriculum to ensure the SEA continues to provide students with the most relevant and up-to-date tools the fleet needs for senior enlisted leaders to be successful."

According to Senior Chief Quartermaster Henry Nicol, a faculty advisor at SEA, the curriculum is also being changed to help alleviate stress the former seven-week distance learning period had on students. 

"The SEA used fleet input, staff feedback, and student and alumni surveys to develop the next iteration of the Senior Enlisted Academy,” said Nicol. “Based on that feedback, the SEA reached out to the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) and our Board of Advisors to provide our recommendations of what we would like senior enlisted leaders to be educated on. The entire staff at SEA is involved in reimaging the curriculum to the most up to date readings, and to adjust the flow of topics to be in line with the feedback from the MCPON's leadership mess."

Avin goes on to commend the work that the SEA staff is doing to develop the new course.

"They have reached across domains, across services, into the civilian sector and even internationally to develop the most relevant and challenging educational experience possible for our future students," said Avin. "I am very proud of this team, and we are all excited to deliver the new curriculum to the chief’s mess and senior enlisted leaders across the globe."

For additional information, contact the SEA course director, at coursedirector.sea@usnwc.edu, (401) 841-4944, or the SEA lead faculty advisor, at LFA.sea@usnwc.edu, (401) 841-4471.

The SEA is a leader development program for active and reserve senior enlisted leaders from the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and National Guard, as well as from our international service partners, for increased leadership and career advancement. SEA focuses on management, leadership, national security and physical fitness.