2008-2009 Catalog - United States Air Force Academy

what library facilities are available?
The Academy Library, with a collection of over 1.5 million volumes, supports the academic, research, and recreational needs
of all cadets and faculty members. The library has accumulated one of the most outstanding aeronautical collections in the
nation. Other useful features of the library are the current periodical and newspaper collections, the microform collections, and
listening rooms for musical and narrative records and tapes. With a seating capacity for one thousand readers, the library has
open book stacks to afford complete access to materials.
how does the academy’s academic program compare with other
institutions?
The Air Force Academy has instituted many new concepts in service academy instruction and is recognized as an outstanding
educational institution. Academy graduates have won an impressive number of Rhodes and Truman Scholarships, National
Science Foundation Fellowships, and other major competitive awards. We feel that this record reflects the excellence of
the Academy’s academic program. In 2006, Princeton Review’s “The Best 357 Colleges” rated the Academy a “best value”
undergraduate institution, while the US News and World Report’s: “Best Colleges 2008” ranking was #2 in the nation for
Aerospace/Aeronautics/Astronautics, for Best Undergraduate Engineering schools with a bachelor’s degree.
do all cadets participate in the athletic program?
Yes. All cadets are required to participate in the athletic program, which includes physical education courses and competitive
sports. Athletic participation contributes greatly to those attributes normally associated with the development of Air Force
leadership skills. Participation helps you develop courage, initiative, and the will to win. Most cadets find that they enjoy sports
as a release from academic schedules, and many become skilled beyond their expectations.
what does the athletic program include?
During your first summer in BCT, you’ll undergo strenuous physical training to develop strength, endurance, agility, and
coordination. Conditioning exercises, an obstacle course, and a confidence course are part of this training. During fall and
spring semesters, you’ll take physical-education courses, which are part of the curriculum. The physical-education instruction
includes six core courses, two core electives and two open electives, divided among academic, aquatic, combative and
developmental skills, as well as lifetime and team sports. All cadets also receive extensive instruction in competitive athletics
either through varsity athletics or intramural programs. Additionally, each cadet will take the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and
Aerobic Fitness Test (AFT) every semester.
can a cadet be disenrolled for poor athletic performance?
Yes. Cadets with a cumulative Physical Education Average (PEA) below the minimum 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale) are reviewed by a
Physical Education Review Committee (PERC). Deficient cadets are automatically placed on Athletic Probation and enrolled
in a rehabilitation program, but the PERC may recommend disenrollment to the Director of Athletics for cadets with multiple
deficient semesters.
does the athletic program differ for men and women?
All PE courses are coed except boxing for men and self-defense for women. All intramural teams are coed except boxing (men
only) and rugby (separate men’s and women’s teams). Women have their own intercollegiate teams in basketball, cross country,
diving, fencing, gymnastics, indoor and outdoor track, rifle, soccer, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. Women can also compete
for places on the varsity rifle team.
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