Every Mariner Builds A Respectful Culture (EMBARC) U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) Policies & Procedures

The mission of the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) is to educate and graduate leaders of exemplary character who are inspired to serve the national security, marine transportation, and economic needs of the United States. As USMMA educates and trains the next generation of leaders, it is committed to ensuring that all members of the Academy community learn and work in safe and supportive environments.

Realizing these goals depends on fostering a community of mutual respect, support, and accountability. Accordingly, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Maritime Administration (MARAD), and USMMA require all U.S.-flag vessel commercial operators to adopt and follow the Every Mariner Builds a Respectful Culture (EMBARC) Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment (SASH) Prevention Mandatory Standards (EMBARC Standards)— a set of policies, programs, procedures, and practices to help strengthen a culture of SASH prevention and support appropriate responses to incidents of sexual violence and sexual harassment and other forms of misconduct—and complete enrollment before embarking any cadet.

The policies, procedures, and culture of DOT, MARAD, and USMMA must support effective implementation of the standards outlined in EMBARC. Therefore, DOT, MARAD, and USMMA are revising policies and procedures for Sea Year to enable midshipmen to safely obtain the sea time needed to qualify them to sit for their licensing examinations. Specific policies and procedures already under development are described in more detail below.

DOT, MARAD, and USMMA are committed to ongoing evaluation and improvement of the EMBARC standards to incorporate emerging best practices and will engage closely and regularly with USMMA cadets and other stakeholders to assess implementation and discuss options to further strengthen the EMBARC program. Similarly, DOT, MARAD, and USMMA will continue to evaluate and strengthen USMMA’s policies and procedures regarding implementation of Sea Year, including closely and regularly engaging with USMMA cadets and other stakeholders regarding the design and implementation of these policies and procedures.