Can the Virginia Military Institute thrive as a college?

The impending "enrollment cliff" refers to a projected sharp decline in traditional college-aged students enrolling in U.S. colleges and universities, particularly at the undergraduate level. This decline, driven by demographic, economic, and social shifts, is expected to significantly impact institutions, especially those heavily reliant on tuition revenue. A key factor is the sharp drop in birth rates following the Great Recession (2007-2009), which is now manifesting in the number of high school graduates. The number of high school graduates in the U.S. is expected to peak in 2025 before beginning a steady decline through 2027. Rising tuition costs also prompt many students and families to pursue alternative education pathways, such as vocational training, community colleges, or directly entering the workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated these trends by delaying college enrollment, reducing international student numbers, disrupting K-12 education, and influencing students' readiness for and decisions regarding higher education. The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) approaches the "enrollment cliff" not from its historic position as a military institute secure in its core values, mission, and founding principles but as one college among many. In the first of a series of articles justifying the foundation of the Institute's creation, J.T.L. Preston established that the new school "uses a military establishment, and be at the same time, a Literary Institution for the education of youths." [emphasis added] The focus was on education. In 1838, a full year before the first cadet sentinel John. B. Strange assumed his post, and VMI began; Preston defined what the Institute would be by its very name. According to Jennings C. Wise's Sunrise of the Virginia Military Institute, Preston personally chose Virginia Military Institute:"' Virginia' implying a state institution; 'Military,' its characteristic feature; and 'Institute,' something different from either 'college' or 'university.' Later, Preston would point out that the three names implied a pyramid of which the sides would rise to whatever height the whole structure would attain." VMI's first Superintendent, Maj. Gen. Francis H. Smith reinforced this distinction in his History of the Virginia Military Institute: "The work of the Virginia Military Institute, as an educational establishment, was exceptional and distinctive. It was a departure from the long-established routine of collegiate education." [emphasis added] Having watched and studied the Institute flourish and evolve from Preston's vision and foundation, Wise wrote in 1958," In face of all this, it is utterly futile to assume today that the Institute was designed to compete with the existing colleges in the state rather than to meet the existing special military need." The term "Institute" has a specific and vital meaning defined in the Oxford Dictionary: "a society or organization having a particular object or common factor, especially a scientific, educational, or social one." VMI's strength and durability were grounded in its strong military structure, a corps run by the Corps, an uncompromising Honor Code and system run by cadets, and a blend of humanities and sciences. All Rats had to take calculus at one time, and all science majors had specific core English and liberal arts courses. As legendary VMI Commandant Col. William "Buck" Buchanan once observed, "Anyone can recite history or learn sciences, but not many people can write to communicate their vision and actions." VMI's Strategic Plan, Forging 21st Century Leaders, Strategic Plan 2024 – 2034, establishes a course away from these principles: "The VMI vision is to be the premier small college in the nation, unequaled in producing educated and honorable citizen-leaders, with a global reputation for academic excellence." [emphasis added] VMI was never intended to be "for everyone." The new Strategic Plan, based on the One Corps, One VMI Unifying Action Plan, has a single focus to fundamentally change as is "…recasts the VMI experience, traditions, and culture, to be inclusive and honorable for all VMI Cadets, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends. Should the Institute fail to change, it risks altering or eliminating the pillars of its proven unique educational model." [emphasis added] The Corps is told "Retention is the mission," and some Cadets pass through VMI overweight and/or unable to pass a simple physical training test through their four-year cadetship. Institutes are where single fields are taught, and polytechnic institutes are where similar subjects are taught with a broader scientific foundation. A military Institute, as the founders built it, is where a blend of specific fields are taught within a military structure to transform ordinary young men and women "pressing up the hill of science" into something else – Citizen soldiers who are "ready in every time of deepest peril to vindicate her honor and defend her rights." Few faculty and staff are alums. Most have little to no military experience. Key positions such as the Dean, Chief of Staff, Director of Communication, Executive Officer to the Superintendent, Registrar, most of the faculty, and even the Chief Executive Officer of the Alumni Agencies are not alums. VMI is moving away from its core values producing to change leaders to those who blend into existing society as stated in the One Corps, One VMI Unifying Action Plan: "It is intended to achieve a single purpose – advance the VMI experience, traditions, and culture to be more positive and inclusive producing leaders prepared for the complex world we live in today and into the future." [emphasis added] Colleges provide a "wider array of student organizations and opportunities for social interaction across different academic disciplines." Institutes produce communities like the traditional VMI alums with unbreakable life-long bonds forged in a code of honor, while colleges produce alum graduates. The Institute's motto, "No ordinary college," is shared by scores of other colleges across the country that profess not to be "ordinary." VMI broadened its degree offerings to include Humanistic Studies, Modern Cultures, Economics and Business, International Studies and Political Science, and Psychology. While ROTC continues to provide the military component, inspections and other military duties were changed to deleted because they adversely impact the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and VMI's new motto shouted by banners across post as "Win." Changes to the Honor system, Ratline, Corps system, class system, and VMI's military structure come from the administration imposed on the Corps, not from the Corps itself. The vision is to expand to a 1700+ person Corps, adding graduate study programs and other objectives to generate more revenue and increase funding for NCAA sports teams. If this trajectory is not changed to realign with VMI's founding principles and what made the school a "military Institute," it will leave it facing the enrollment cliff as just another college that sees itself as "different."Restoring the power to the Corps requires managing and accepting risk by the administration while allowing cadets the "freedom to fail" in becoming leaders. The Corps running the Corps requires cadets to take that responsibility while holding themselves and their fellow cadets accountable. It requires moral courage to enforce the rights and privileges given and not just rant on Jodel or social media, expecting someone else to fix their problems. It means not expecting someone else to solve the issues in barracks but taking them to the cadet chain of command and then, if that fails, to the Commandant, the Superintendent, the Board of Visitors, and even to the Governor as VMI's Commander-in-Chief if necessary. Alums seeking to preserve the VMI experience for future generations must learn the issues, take a stand, and withhold their time and treasure until a positive change is made. Most of all, VMI must return to being the Military Institute it was founded to be, no matter how hard that is or how loud outsiders shout for us to be "like everyone else." The impending enrollment cliff poses significant challenges for colleges and universities across the United States. As the birth rate declined following the Great Recession, institutions are now bracing for a sharp drop in traditional college-age students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the number of high school graduates is projected to decline by approximately 15% by 2025, significantly affecting the pool of potential students. Military colleges using the traditional college model, relying on a steady influx of young recruits, are particularly vulnerable. A decline in enrollment directly affects tuition revenue, which constitutes a substantial portion of funding for most colleges. For instance, a study from the American Council on Education noted that a 10% decrease in enrollment could lead to a financial shortfall of millions, jeopardizing academic programs, staff positions, and campus resources. As institutions navigate these turbulent waters, strategic adaptations will be essential to attract and retain students in an evolving educational landscape. VMI was never perfect. Change is needed to give everyone who wants it, who will accept and embrace the opportunity to have their life changed by the VMI experience, the equal opportunity to experience it. This is both noble and right. However, some advocate for and force change on VMI away from its founding principles and structure as an Institute, so it is for everyone. It aligns with contemporary societal and cultural shifts. To remain relevant, VMI must reflect the values and diversity of the society the Institute serves – the general population. Critics of VMI's founders say this commitment to adaptation underscores VMI's efforts to create an inclusive environment that attracts a broader range of cadets. Enrollment at VMI dropped soon after the transition began, but this decline was incorrectly blamed on COVID and the media. Many cadets have left because VMI did not meet their expectations as a Military Institute. Additionally, the ongoing changes to the corps system and the lowering of physical and Ratline standards, aimed at ensuring that "no cadet is left behind," are unlikely to attract a sustainable pool of cadets seeking a proper military institute to fulfill their aspirations. Changing VMI from "no ordinary college" back to a "Military Institute" will again achieve the stature the Board of Visitors captured in their July 4, 1848 Report of the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military Institute. The state has made a successful experiment: she has substituted the educated and intelligent student, taken, in all cases, from among her own children, and made them the guardian of her means of defence… The moral power of an intelligent and disciplined corps of young men [and now women], annually sent forth to mix in the affairs of society, will exercise the greatest influence in maintaining respect abroad and peace at home. Young men [and now women] who are educated in a strong moral sense of the duties of patriotism will never desert the standard of the commonwealth, nor see its flag trailed in the dust; and educated for usefulness and trained to virtue, their influence on all the relations of society must be beneficent. If this is no longer the objective for J.T.L Preston's "… crowd of honorable youth pressing up the hill of science with noble emulation..", best we petition the legislature to change VMI to "Virginia Military College". The Cadet is the independent publication at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) founded in 1871 as one of the oldest independent colleges newspapers in Virginia. After being forcibly closed by the VMI administration cadets, with alumni support, re-started their newspaper in 2021 under The Cadet Foundation a 501c3 operated by cadets and alumni. The Cadet relies solely on donations to survive and speak truth to power. To support The Cadet donate at: https://givebutter.com/Gw0jQW