Dr. Andrew Phillips. USNA file photo.

That sentiment is reiterated by Dr. Andrew Phillips, a former computer science faculty member of the Naval Academy, who recently returned to the place where he started his academic career – this time as the Academic Dean and Provost.

‘‘Some things are the same (since returning),” said Phillips. ‘‘There are many of the same academic programs. There’s the same basic structure to the Naval Academy, the same basic mission. But there are two most obvious differences.

‘‘The physical facilities have vastly improved,” he added. ‘‘When I went into Michelson and Chauvenet, I got lost because it was so dramatically different from the way it used to be. It’s so much better now than the way it was, so that the physical design of the place is really extraordinary.”

According to Phillips, the transformation of the Academy did not stop there. It carried over into a complete change of attitude in the faculty, staff and Midshipmen.

‘‘In the era in which I started,” he said, ‘‘the model of education here was what we call the attrition model. It was that old ‘look to your left, look to your right, one of the three of you won’t be here by the time of graduation. We bring 1,200 Midshipmen in and only 800 of you will graduate – by design.’”

Dean Phillips acknowledges change will produce better Naval Officers to the Fleet Marine Force.

‘‘The new model is more progressive in its thinking, and that is ‘you’re all bright Midshipmen. You competed intensely to get here. We believe that you can make it. We don’t have to try to run you out. After all, you should be able to make it.’ So, it’s more of a developmental model. Some folks won’t make it, but that will largely be because they chose not to make it.

‘‘It’s a change of attitude. We know you don’t come perfectly furnished with all the intellectual, physical and character skills. Nobody could. But, we’ll develop you over four years to get there.”

He sees that it is his responsibility to ensure that this philosophy is carried out, mostly by supporting the faculty in any way that he can.

‘‘Bottom line - my job is to support the faculty. The faculty are the ones that deliver the quality academic programming. My job is to find the ways in which I can help them do their jobs, and the only way I can do that is to communicate and to listen really well to what they need, what their concerns or major issues are.”

Phillips plans to take a proactive approach to ensure communication lines with his faculty remain clear.

‘‘You don’t do that by sitting in this office while they’re working in their office,” he said. ‘‘So I’m inclined to get out of this office and go visit them in their spaces and have them tell me and show me what’s going on, find out where they need my help, and what can I do that would make a significant difference; as opposed to sitting here and pretending to imagine what those things would be.”

If he is able to ensure that the faculty has the proper resources, he’s sure that the Naval Academy will enjoy the same successes it has in past collegiate rankings and will continue to grow upon them.

‘‘With the number of credits that we require, the time limit we put on people, the success rate we’ve got, and the fact that about a hundred of those credits are required and balanced between technical and liberal arts, you’re going to end up in the top ten or top five in any category.

‘‘Stand that up against any other school in the nation,” he added, ‘‘and it’s really incomparable, I think. We ought to be top ten in pretty much every list.”