Frequently asked questions
Q: How do I attend SCUSA?
A: Contact your academic advisor at
your college or university to
discuss your interest in SCUSA.
Q: How do I get to West Point?
A: The SCUSA cadet staff will
arrange transportation for
delegates arriving at Newark
International Airport and Penn
Station, New York. Delegates may
drive to West Point from their
college or university if they choose.
Q: Where will I stay?
A: Delegates will be housed in the
cadet barracks on the West Point
campus.
Q: How much does SCUSA cost?
A: The registration fee is $150.
Delegates should contact their
academic advisor regarding
scholarship and transportation grants
that their school may provide.
What Others say About SCUSA
“My participation in SCUSA as a cadet
was one of the most informative
experiences of my life and led directly to
my decision to join the United Nations and
later the Department of State where for
a total of 15 years I worked relief,
development, conflict response and polmil policy issues from a variety of
perspectives in over 75 countries..”
The 64th Annual
Student conference
on us affairs
West Point, New York
7 - 10 November 2012
- Richard G. Kidd IV
Dep. Assistant Secretary of the Army
“SCUSA is the single most important
civil-military relations event at west
point each year; thinking about u.s.
foreign policy with my peers from other
schools has helped me grow immensely as
both a leader and a scholar.”
- Cadet Rob Delaney ‘13
Q: How do I prepare for SCUSA?
A: After registering for the
conference, delegates will be informed
of their roundtable assignments.
Delegates should read the roundtable
paper provided and come prepared to
discuss the key issues in their policy or
regional area.
Leading in Lean Times:
Q: What is the dress code?
A: Delegates should bring business
casual wear for daytime use and casual
dinners. They should also bring formal
attire for the banquet and reception.
Weather in New York is breezy and cool
in mid-fall; a warm winter coat is highly
recommended.
Q: Will there be an opportunity to
tour West Point while I am attending
SCUSA?
A: Yes; time is set aside in the SCUSA
schedule for tours of the Academy.
There is also an interactive display of
weapons and military equipment.
Assuring Accountability and Assessing American
Contact Information
Priorities in an Age of Austerity
Executive Secretary
Sponsored by:
Major Jim golby
The George and Carol Olmsted Foundation
607 Cullum Road
Room LHB123, 845-938-2748
james.golby@usma.edu
The USMA Class of ’71
Conference Coordinator
Mr. Carlton Smith
845-938-6401
Carlton.smith@usma.edu
http://www.westpoint.edu/sosh/SitePages/SCUSA.aspx
What is SCUSA?
The United States Military Academy at West
Point hosts SCUSA every fall. It is the largest,
oldest, and most prestigious conference of its
type in the world. Approximately 200
undergraduate students from over 100 colleges
and universities worldwide attend SCUSA.
Many delegates use their passion and
experiences honed at SCUSA to pursue a career
in public service. SCUSA is more than a fourday conference, however; it is a year-long
leader development experience – the West
Point Leader Development System in action!
A forum for new ideas
Throughout the conference, the student
delegates will discuss and debate the impact of
past and recent events on the national political
strategy of the United States and attempt to
formulate policy recommendations for the
future.
A unique interaction with America’s military
While attending SCUSA, delegates will get a
unique glimpse into the daily life of the United
States Corps of Cadets – the Army’s future
officers. Delegates interact with cadets at their
roundtables and with staff and faculty
throughout the conference. They will be hosted
by cadets in the barracks and dine in the cadet
mess hall.
Mentorship beyond the classroom
SCUSA draws policy experts from academia and
government to facilitate roundtable discussions
and guide delegates in developing a series of
policy recommendations for their policy area.
Dynamic guest speakers have included:
Dr. Rajiv Shah
Admiral James G. Stavridis
Dr. Leslie H. Gelb
Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad
SCUSA 64 Roundtable Topics
The SCUSA 64 roundtables are a unique blend of
regional and general foreign policy problems.
The Dollars and Sense of American Grand Strategy
Costless Wars? Drones, the All-Volunteer Force,
and Challenges to Political Accountability
Long Live COIN? Dealing with Internationalized
Conflicts on a Budget
Foreign Policy Challenges in 3D: Diplomacy,
Democracy, and Development
Trade, Globalization, and the Intl. Economy
Responsibility to Protect? Norms, Interests, and
Humanitarian Intervention
Consumption without Consequence? Energy,
Climate Change, and National Security
American Security in a Networked World:
Emerging Challenges in Cyberspace
Can’t Stop da Bomb? Arms Control & Proliferation
Tis the Season? US Democracy Promotion After
the Arab Spring
Beyond 2014? US Priorities in South & Cent. Asia
Pivot or Pirouette? Challenges and Opportunities
in Sino-American Relations
A Fate Worse than Debt? Accountability, Austerity,
and the future of the Euro
The View from Alaska? Accountability in Russia
Latin America: Drugs, Crime, and State Fracture
Africa: Failed States, Terrorism, and Security
Disorder at the Border? Federalism and the
Challenge of Homeland Security
How does SCUSA work?
Key conference events
November 7th –
Registration, welcome, and opening senior
panel discussion of the conference theme.
November 8rd –
Roundtable sessions, a tour of West Point, an
evening reception, banquet, and keynote
address.
November 9th –
Roundtable sessions, weapons and equipment
interactive display, policy address, and delegate
social.
November 10th –
Closing report session and presentation of policy
recommendations to the conference.
Delegates should prepare themselves to
discuss their roundtable topic in light of the
conference theme
Austerity offers an opportunity for US leadership
as much as a challenge to it. Delegates of SCUSA
64 are charged to consider what form US
leadership, however austere it may be, can and
should take across a range of policy areas
including grand strategy, ways and means, global
challenges to accountability, regional issues, and
domestic sources of US foreign policy. Lean
times demand and enable leadership.