Lt. Gen. Furness Highlights 'Outcome-Driven' VMI in Va. Senate Budget Hearing

On December 1, 2025, the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and the University of Virginia (UVA) appeared before the Virginia Senate Committee on Finance and Education to present their institutional priorities and defend recent decisions at their respective campuses. Representing VMI, Superintendent Lt. Gen. David Furness delivered a straightforward, mission-focused briefing, emphasizing VMI's operational needs, cadet development initiatives, and ongoing efforts to balance tradition with modernization. His remarks focused on measurable outcomes, disciplined resource management, and the Institute's role in supporting the Commonwealth's leadership pipeline. What follows is the full transcript of Lt. Gen. Furness's appearance, along with a link to the UVA Interim President's presentation, allowing readers to compare the two institutional approaches in full context. The full video of the Furness and Mahoney presentations, together with the Committee leadership's opening remarks and concerns about Virginia College and University Board operations and members, is available with the online versions of this article on The Cadet website at www.cadetnewspaper.com. Senator Locke (D): Good morning. Good morning, and welcome everyone to the Subcommittee Meeting, Education Subcommittee of [the] Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, and thank you for being here this morning. We are getting an early start for the Education Subcommittee for the 2026 session. Today's agenda will include our traditional review of the SCHEV [State Council for Higher Education of Virginia] budget proposals and requests from the Council of Presidents. Virginia's higher education institutions are nationally recognized and strongly supported by Virginia citizens. As we discussed at the annual meeting, they are one of the biggest components for the Commonwealth, scoring highly on being the best state for business. However, there have been recent actions at multiple institutions by their board members that could endanger the world-class nature of these institutions. In addition, these actions could have both direct and indirect financial impacts. Therefore, today I have asked both VMI and UVA to present to the subcommittee with the blessing of our chair, Senator Lucas, whom you just heard, who is joining us virtually. We have also invited Senator Deeds to join us. Unfortunately, the rector and vice rector of UVA were unable to attend today. Therefore, we are arranging for their attendance at a meeting prior to the start of the 2026 session in January. I also anticipate that additional institutions will be invited to that meeting. I'll move to an update on institutional leadership and finances from VMI and University of Virginia, starting with [the] Superintendent from Virginia Military Institute. Lt. Gen. David Furness: Madam Chair, distinguished members of the subcommittee, good morning. My name is Lieutenant General Dave Furness. I have the privilege of being the 16th superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute [VMI]. I thank each of you for the opportunity to be here today and for the warm reception you and your colleagues have given me since I assumed the role, and for that, I am truly thankful. I will meet with Governor-Elect Spanberger later today. Naturally, there are many across all of state government that I look forward to meeting in the weeks and months ahead. During my first 10 weeks as superintendent, these engagements have been invaluable as I work to gain the full understanding of the priorities of the Commonwealth and the expectations each of you have for VMI. Growing up, my family moved frequently, eventually settling in Richmond during my final year of high school. After learning about VMI from a neighbor, I applied but was immediately turned down because I was just not a very good high school student. After a second rejection, I enrolled at VCU [Virginia Commonwalth University], determined to find a way to become a VMI cadet because I knew that what VMI offered was unlike anything else in the nation. I knew I wanted to be an officer in the United States Marine Corps, and with the influence of my VMI neighbor, I was convinced that VMI was the best place to get an education and prepare myself to serve our nation. When I was finally accepted, the experience was everything I had hoped for and even more. With the help of dedicated faculty members who took me under their wing, VMI transformed me and changed the trajectory of my life. The institute has shaped every part of my professional life and personal character. The discipline, the rigor, the accountability, and camaraderie I found in barracks stayed with me throughout my Marine Corps career and well beyond. The Institute gave me not only an education, but a way of living, one based on integrity, leadership, service, and an unwavering commitment to the mission. Everything I have done since traces back to those early formative years in Lexington. Therefore, it is an honor of a lifetime to return now as superintendent and to serve the Corps of Cadets in the Commonwealth of Virginia. What I found upon my return to VMI continues to deliver exceptional results for Virginia and the nation. 97% of our graduates are employed within the first six months of graduation. Our commissioning rate for the Army and the Marine Corps leads the nation, second only to their service academies. We commissioned cadets into every branch of service, including the newly created Space Force and the United States Coast Guard. VMI graduates consistently earn national recognition, including seven Medal of Honor recipients and nearly 300 general and flag officers in the armed forces of the United States. We have a distinguished record of 11 Rhodes Scholars, two Gates Cambridge Scholars, four Fulbright Fellows, two Fulbright Scholars, [and] one Marshall Scholar, among them, among others. We remain in the top five in Virginia in graduation rates, and every one of our academic degrees provides a positive return on investment. In summary, we are an outcome-driven institution committed to excellence. These outcomes are not accidental. They result from a deliberate model of four years of leadership development that provides a 40-year return on investment. Four years in barracks cultivates discipline, resilience, courage, camaraderie, and the ability to lead and to follow. Cadets learn to care for one another, to be accountable, to place mission above themselves. They face rigorous academic demands while navigating the daily expectations of military life, and through all that, they learn who they are and what they can become. Our faculty are central to this success. As I mentioned, I am living proof of our faculty's investment in our cadets. With an 11 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio, they are deeply committed not just to teaching but to mentoring, encouraging, challenging, and walking alongside our cadets well beyond their four years in Lexington. On a recent walk-around post with my wife, I peered into the windows of our academic buildings well past dinnertime. I saw faculty who had returned to post to teach and mentor our cadets outside of normal class time or office hours. I was gratified to see that this same faculty focus on teaching and mentoring was what I experienced as a cadet, still prevails today. That is the kind of impact that defines the VMI experience. One of the greatest joys of my first months as superintendent has been my relationship with the Corps. I see them early in the morning during physical training. I eat with them in the mess hall, and my wife and I regularly host them for coffee and dinner at the superintendent's quarters. They are impressive, motivated, intelligent, diverse in background and ambition, and grounded in the values that have long defined VMI and our great nation. I'm especially proud of our current cadet leadership, depicted on the screen here. Some are selected purely by peers, while others have input from senior leaders within the institute. With me today is our regimental commander and cadet first captain, Devin Auzenne. He has immense responsibility and, along with the first-class president, leads a bi-weekly meeting of cadet leaders where he experiences firsthand the mantle of leadership in briefing our senior institute leaders on plans, operations, and activities of the Corps. I hope you will get a moment to visit and talk with him today. VMI occupies a unique space in Virginia as a state agency, a military college, an institution with a daily system of traditions and expectations. As superintendent, I recognize the need to navigate multiple constituencies and stakeholders, the governor who serves as our commander-in-chief, the general assembly who provides our appropriations and resources, the board of visitors who are my direct supervisory body and who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the general assembly, parents and alumni who invest significantly in the VMI experience, and the cadets who are our mission and our reason for existence. With these constituencies in mind, VMI will always comply fully with state and federal laws while continuing to deliver a strong leadership-focused program. My experience in the Marine Corps included recruiting initiatives that helped secure a general officer corps that matches the diversity and excellence of our republic. I intend to do the same thing of the VMI Corps cadets while I'm superintendent. VMI strives to operate from the center, nonpartisan, steady, balanced, and leading along the center line, as I often say. That is where VMI belongs and where it will remain under my leadership. VMI has had some recent success in the area of socioeconomic diversity through the Pell Initiative funding provided by the Commonwealth and this committee. This support has allowed us to expand access by attracting more Pell-eligible cadets and ensure that VMI remains a place of opportunity for talented cadets from across all communities of Virginia. It is one of the most impactful initiatives we have undertaken, and its results are already evident as we have seen more than a 5% growth in Pell-eligible matriculants and have instituted measures that are expected to secure future success. While access is important, outcomes are what matter, and our Pell-eligible cadets graduate at a higher rate than the current state average. Like all institutions of higher education, we face real challenges in enrollment and affordability. Two areas require particular attention. Assuring VMI remains competitive and accessible by building into base budgets funding to support affordability. And second, the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, which provides crucial benefits to families who have borne the cost of national service. These programs require stable, sustainable, and ongoing funding to support predictability in operating budgets and for families and institutions budgeting for college. Our alumni support is extraordinary. They contribute 30% to 40% of our annual operating budget, and their dedication is unmatched. But philanthropy alone cannot meet the full scope of our affordability challenges. Looking forward, my priorities as superintendent are, recruitment of the very best young men and women of Virginia and the nation, success of the Corps academically, physically, morally, and professionally, good order and discipline and accountability, reinforcing the standards that have long defined the Institute for 186 years, and a deep commitment to stewardship, making the best possible uses of the resources entrusted to us, managed within a framework of transparency and accountability to the cadets, parents, our alumni, the governor, and to you, the legislature. VMI desires to be transparent, open, and engaged. Together, the Board of Visitors and the Institute Administration will continue to emphasize clear communication and accountability. I invite you all to visit the post this academic year, join us in the mess hall, and talk to the cadets, walk through barracks, see firsthand what your investment is producing. We also look forward to bringing a group of Virginia cadets to Richmond for Legislative Day in mid-February, a highlight for them and an important opportunity to deepen relationships with the Commonwealth's leadership. In closing, I thank you again for your time, your partnership, and your commitment to higher education and public service in the Commonwealth of Virginia. VMI stands ready to be a reliable steward of resources you provided, a strong partner in developing leaders of character, an institution that reflects the very best of Virginia. I look forward to answering all your questions. Senator Locke (D): Senator Lucas, your question? Senator Lucas (D): No. I don't have a question. This is a statement, because I really appreciate his centerline approach and the fact that he acknowledged that the General Assembly confirms the board appointments. That was really refreshing to hear. Senator Locke (D): Thank you, ma'am. Senator Deeds (D): Madam Chair. Senator Locke (D): Senator Deeds. Senator Deeds (D): General, the 97% employed within six months is an impressive figure. Your first year, there's significant attrition. I want to know... what's your attrition in the first year, and how that compares to the other military programs we fund at Virginia Tech and Virginia Women's Institute of Leadership? Lt. Gen. Dave Furness: I can get you that specific data, sir. I know right now, year to date, we have lost 7% of the current Rat class. Senator Deeds (D): Is that typical? Lt. Gen. Dave Furness: That's in line with averages year to date. Senator Deeds (D): Okay. Lt. Gen. Dave Furness: Our experience is that frequently coming back from Christmas furlough is a difficult experience for some. So we will lose a little bit more then. We'll do our best not to, but some people have a semester in the books, "hey, I tried it, it's not for me, I'm not going back." And their parents allow that to happen. We hope that they would stay to Breakout and then become a member of the class of 2030. But that's up to them. Senator Deeds (D): Okay. Thank you. Senator Locke (D): Other questions? Uh, my question has to do with the role of your board to whom you are responsible. How do you see that role of your board of visitors? Lt. Gen. Dave Furness: My relationship to my board? Senator Locke (D): Correct. Lt. Gen. Dave Furness: Well, they are my, what I would refer to as my "higher headquarters." They're appointed by the governor, confirmed by the legislature, and they're going to direct me in the daily prosecution of my duties. I'm responsible to them fiscally and for matters of good order, discipline, and accountability. So I have daily interaction with them. I mean, believe me, I get emails from them. I also talk to my president every week, I try to keep them informed what's going on within VMI on post. So I think that's the way the relationship is now, and I hope it would remain in the future. Senator Locke (D): You mentioned that alumni support is in the range of 30% to 40%? Lt. Gen. Dave Furness: Of our total operating budget, Madam Chair, yes. Senator Locke (D): That's significant. Given that percentage are alumni, I don't want to use this word, how "impactful" are alumni in discussing issues relative to the operation of VMI? Lt. Gen. Dave Furness: I understand the question, I believe. Madam Chair, I will tell you that the great thing about VMI is we have passionate and committed alumni. The bad thing about VMI is we have passionate and committed alumni. So if there is something that is going on on-post that they don't agree with, believe me, I'll hear about it. I get emails every day. I get phone calls every day from alumni who are concerned about this or that. I tell them, and my experience has been since I've been on post, most of what they hear is not backed up by the facts on the ground, what I see. Lt. Gen. Dave Furness: There are certain issues that we have, and I call them first-world issues. There are minor tweaks that have to be made to accountability, to good order and discipline, and things like that. But I've been very pleased with what I have seen. I tell them my experiences, and you know, and I'm up at 5:00 AM every day. I PT [physical training] every morning. I see the cadets out there. I eat chow with them during lunch and dinner about three to four times a week. So I'm out and about. I'm not in my office very often, and I interact with them frequently. So I have a sense of kind of what their experiences are, so I can help navigate with the commandant and create the best process to produce the best graduates that we can for the taxpayers of Virginia. Senator Locke (D): Senator Obenshain. Senator Obenshain (R): Thank you very much. General, I appreciate you being here, and thank you for your comments. To follow up on the questions about board, I had the privilege of serving on a college board for eight years with a very, let's say, "heavy handed"... No, "strong leader," at James Madison University, Dr. Kerry. I remember the first meeting of the board that I attended, Dr. Kerry, a point of saying, "in my 27 years as president of this university, not once has a single, not one time has a board of mine, ever rejected one of my initiatives. Moreover, in my 27 years, not a single dissenting vote has ever been cast by a board member of mine during my tenure, as president of this university." I guess there's a broad spectrum of relations between presidents of universities and boards, ranging from strong control by a president to micromanagement by a board. And maybe getting at the heart of some of the questions: how has your relationship and your relatively short tenure at VMI been with your board? Have they asserted operational control? Have they micromanaged your operation of the university? How has your relationship with your board developed? Lt. Gen. Dave Furness: Madam Chair, Senator Obenshain, it's a good question. I think I received fairly specific marching orders from my board when I was hired, and they wanted me to look at good order and discipline, accountability within the Corps of Cadets. So that's the first thing that I looked at when I came on post. I think the way we operate is [that] it's a discussion back and forth. I try to convince them of the validity of my opinions. I keep them informed of what I'm seeing. So I have transmitted to them " I hear what your opinions were of the good order and discipline of the corps of cadets." It's not to my level of satisfaction, but quite frankly, as a three-star Marine general, it's never gonna be, okay? You can always be perfect in those things, and we're not; we're far from perfect. So we're always gonna be working on that and working on the process. So I just keep them informed, and it's a give-and-take right now. Again, our board is made up, I think, right now I'm not even sure how many members are on it, but it's supposed to be, I think, 17, and I think 12 of those members are graduates. So when you're dealing with that many VMI graduates on a board, they understand the Institute, but they're also shaped by their four-year experience, and when they went through there. I try to tell members of the board when I'm discussing a certain issue is, different doesn't mean bad. It just means different. And so we're very tradition-bound. That's a good thing. I wanna maintain that. And sometimes in organizations that value their traditions and their ethos, like the Marine Corps, it's hard for us to change and make change. And so, if I'm gonna make a rudder steer, I've gotta make sure that I get everybody on board before I even turn the wheel. And so that's up to me to navigate and to shape those interactions with my board members. And so, I view the new appointees, the board that'll certainly come in January, getting to know them, defining a working relationship with them, and getting on with the business of making VMI the exceptional place for education that has always been for the benefit of the cadets. Senator Locke (D):...Senator Lucas, did you have a question? Senator Lucas (D): Several of us may have a different view of what "centerline approach" means. For me, that means more nonpartisan, but I'd kinda like just hear him speak a little bit on that centerline approach to how he manages the general. Lt. Gen. Dave Furness: Madam Chair, Senator Lucas, thank you for the question. To me, and I will look at this. So … I have federal guidelines that I have to adhere to, federal regulations coming outta the Department of Defense that affect our ROTC departments. We have the largest ROTC department in the nation, okay? Of all the services. So we have more students involved than almost any other educational institution in America. So if I'm gonna do something that's gonna get me crossed with the federal government, I gotta be very, very careful about that, okay? Because they can impact me in a very negative way. So if there's also on the other side of the aisle there's issues that can bring my alumni into a rage that then will impact the 40% of my budget that comes from their philanthropy every year. So I gotta navigate these polls very carefully. I think I do that by keeping you all informed, lots of discussions, talks about any kind of initiatives that are gonna pull us one way or the other. But I'm looking to stay right in the middle of all those, you know, issues that tend to polarize the American Body Politic. And I want to do my best to keep myself off of the front page of [The] Washington Post and, and just focus on cadets and what's good for them and what's good for the institution. That's what I refer to about being "on the centerline." And if there's obviously more discussions, Senator Lucas, I'd love to sit down and talk to you about that in greater detail. UVa Interim President Paul G. Mahoney issued a response following Lt. Gen. Furness's remarks. In contrast to Furness's mission-focused outlook, Mahoney's address offered a comprehensive, fact-based rebuttal to lawmakers' concerns, particularly regarding UVA's recent agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. He emphasized that the agreement did not indicate any misconduct, highlighted the financial and institutional risks associated with ongoing litigation, and maintained that the settlement represented the most prudent course of action to safeguard both the university's mission and its financial stability. A video recording of Mr. Mahoney's full presentation, including the subsequent question and answer session, is accessible in the online edition of this article at www.cadetnewspaper.com.