PROPOSAL: Cadet Orientation

[Solomon Flax]

This is a brief outline of how a complete stranger to SFCSLQ will progress to become a fully fledged StarFleet officer. Once again, like all proposals on this forum, it is tentative and liable to change and comments are welcome.

As yet there has not been a time set for the introduction of these new procedures.

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1. Visitor gets the application form and decides to sign up to StarFleet. Personnel subdivision will be responsible for distributing these forms.

2. New recruit is processed
- run by a Personnel Officer
- enrolls them into StarFleet Academy SLQ (All personnel officers are SFA Admissions officers)
- adds them to StarFleetCommandSLQ Chat
- gives them their Cadet Uniform
- gives them their standard issue equipment
- FlipTitle
- trek consol keyboard
- Cadet Handbook
- NO WEAPON or SHIELD or SHUTTLEPOD
- informs them of SFA Basic Training class schedule
- instruct them to sign up to the webforum and start a self-titled thread in the "New Cadets" subboard in the Academy Boardroom, e.g. 'Solomon Flax'
- the Personnel officer informs the Commandant of the new Cadet's arrival

3. New Cadet sits Basic Regulations Class AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
- provided by an accredited Academy instructor
- topics to include:
- Galaxy/Aeon Sim regulations
- SFCSLQ group history
- Officer courtesy
- Proper conduct
- Uniform rules
- Command structure, i.e. ranks
- (sub)Divisions structure
- submit to an examination
- encourage them to attend Equipment, Flight, and RP training
- instructor posts confirmation of course completion on the Cadet's webforum thread

3a. Cadet attends (optional) Basic Equipment Training
- run by Tactical subdivision
- issued hand phaser, phaser rifle, death shield, team communicator
- learn how to operate the above equipment (c.f. our existing weekly pre-Tactical Training)
- target practice
- mock skirmish
- instructor posts confirmation of Cadet's equipment proficiency to the Cadet's webforum thread.

3b. Cadet attends (optional) Basic Flight Training
- run by Academy Air Corps
- issue shuttlepod or other craft
- basic flight lesson
- navigation
- racing
- instructor posts confirmation of flight training completion to the Cadet's webforum thread

3c. Cadet attends (optional) Roleplay (RP) training
- run by Activities subdivision
- issue RP uniforms
- aboard a training ship/bridge
- give overview of how each station responds
- learn basic RP technique and etiquette
- instructor posts confirmation of Cadet's RP competency to the Cadet's webforum thread.

4. After completion of Basic Regulations (and optionally the Equipment, Flight, and RP courses) as confirmed by instructors' posts on their webforum thread, the Cadet is assigned an officer mentor.

5. The mentor posts onto the Cadet's forum thread of his intention to mentor him/her and offers advice about choosing a subdivision. Initially, Cadets will be limited to joining just one subdivision.

6. The Cadet approaches the appropriate subdivision lead officer and applies to join that subdivision as a Cadet. The lead officer will provide a list of requirements for their full entry into the subdivision as an officer (Ensign).

7. The Cadet submits to the officer assessment as defined by the subdivision lead officer. This may include returning to the Academy to train their skills/pass the relevant course to fulfil those subdivision officer requirements.

8. Once attaining the subdivision's requirements, as authorized by the subdivision Lead on the Cadet's webforum thread, the Cadet is promoted to Ensign and graduates from the Academy.
- Cadet added to StarFleetCommandSLQ group, removed from StarFleet Academy SLQ group.
- issued with appropriate uniform
- file photograph taken and sent to Admiralty/Personnel

9. The new Ensign can now continue to train in the Academy as an officer, no longer a Cadet. e.g. become a DO.


There is the suggestion of including another step in this progression:

X. Once the Cadet has completed their basic training, they ask to be briefed on their sim orientation mission. The purpose of this mission is to get them exploring the sim (and as always, encourage webforum use).

e.g. give them some starting coordinates and the some subsequent instructions and directions, then using their shuttlepod fly to the target location, land at the target and pose for a self taken snapshot. Post the snapshot onto the webforum under their name as proof of completion.

[Halogen Plasma]

/me applauds. Bravo! Bravo!

[Rachel Aldrich]

I really like this too

Only one comment.... a lot of section 3 is currently undertaken by Personnel Officers during the initial processing (section 2). I think this should continue as present, as the section contains some important points that really need to be imparted to the applicant at that stage. The ASAP that you recommend may be a very little time, but it could be days or even weeks before the schedules of the Cadet and Class coincide, and that could lead to some unnecessary altercations if the Cadet is unaware of some of the rules. If the Cadet is disciplined by an officer, he/she may very well consider that their ignorance of the rules was not their fault, and take exception to the reprimand and decide to leave SFC.

I realise that this is a proposal, and hope that with a little tweaking in conjunction with the Personnel Senior Officers, a good balance can be achieved.

To echo Halo, 'bravo!'

[erichplunkett]

Hello,

as a new cadet who was told by my induction officer to attend classes at the Academy I find this a bit frustrating as I have not seen anyplace where classes or times are posted. When asking in world I was told that there really are no classes to take, so if this is the case why the two-week wait? I am not a newbie to SL, in fact have probably been online longer than some of the flag officers, and so some of us don't really need to wait for a couple of weeks. However I can wait, that is ok, but it would be nice to actually have something to do rather than walk around aimlessly.

Respectfully,

Cadet Erich Plunkett

[Rachel Aldrich]

Erich,

Welcome to SLQ

I can understand your frustration, as I can remember the two weeks I had to spend as a cadet being the longest two weeks I've ever known, hehe.

But it is a good opportunity for you to get to know others in the group, and for the group to get to know you. As well as physically exploring the sims, explore the divisions and sub-divisions too. See if you can find people from the different departments and ask them to tell you about them, what they do etc. I know there are some that just go off elsewhere for the two weeks until they can take the exam, but this really achieves nothing.

I'm continually amazed at the number of Cadets that have these great ideas which they propose to the senior officers and end up getting their own shiney new department going BEFORE graduating and becoming ensigns. And this is because they've spent the time getting know, and being known by, the officers.

The Fleet Admiral distributes a weekly events notecard to all detailing that week's events and any announcements about meetings etc. If you didn't receive one for this week, ask an officer for a copy.

I hope you enjoy your time here with us.