Cementing a long history of intercollegiate cooperation, officials from St. John’s College and the United States Naval Academy (USNA) have signed a memorandum of understanding that establishes a connection between the St. John’s Graduate Institute and USNA’s Graduate Education and Teaching (GET) and Junior Permanent Military Professor (JPMP) programs.
“We are so excited to see this agreement come to fruition,” said St. John’s College Annapolis campus President Panayiotis Kanelos. “The connection between the Graduate Institute and the USNA’s Graduate Education and Teaching and Junior Permanent Military Professor programs is a wonderful opportunity for us to make our rewarding decades-long partnership official.”
Kanelos and Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Admiral Walter E. “Ted” Carter Jr. met April 29, 2019 to sign the memorandum on the St. John’s College campus. The document explains an agreement which allows GET and JPMP applicants to enroll in the St. John’s Graduate Institute’s Master of Arts in Liberal Arts (MALA) program at a discounted rate, which will then be covered by the USNA.
“This is a historic opportunity for our two institutions to come together in ways other than as rivals on the croquet court. In this academic setting, incoming military faculty and staff members will be educated in a graduate level program in Liberal Arts, who will then influence the future leaders of our Navy and Marine Corps,” said Vice Admiral Carter.
The signing took place immediately following a weekend of events that celebrate the relationship between St. John’s and the Naval Academy: the annual Annapolis Cup croquet match, a well loved event that has become a staple of the Annapolis community, and the Erik S. Kristensen Memorial Lecture, which honors the eponymous fallen alumnus of both institutions who was killed in the line of duty while leading a search and rescue mission in Afghanistan in 2005.
“We’re very excited to welcome incoming military faculty to the Graduate Institute,” says Dean Emily Langston. “Our classroom discussion is enriched and deepened by the participation of military students and the important perspective they bring to the texts we read together. Through this partnership, members of our two communities will have the opportunity to come to know and learn from one another as we engage in civil discourse about foundational books and fundamental questions.”
