Message from the Superintendent

Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85

As we prepare to begin the 184th year since the founding of the Institute, there is much for us to be proud of and grateful for. Each and every step forward brings achievements attained, lessons learned, and bridges crossed. It is when we speak of our advances and discuss future objectives that our conversation repeatedly turns to how we can best support cadets in all their endeavors. They are a stellar group of young adults with a strong sense of purpose and great opportunities on the horizon. Our focus is to reach a new level of excellence in all programs, activities, and athletics while maintaining VMI’s unique method of education. The Institute staff is hard at work developing a strategic framework that will build on the many achievements of Vision 2039. By surrounding ourselves with the very best critical thinkers, experienced advisors, and Institute leaders, we hope to launch the next strategic plan in spring 2023. This continued pursuit of excellence and first-class education would not be possible without the crucial undergirding of support from the generous VMI alumni family. The VMI Alumni Agencies reports Fiscal Year 2022 as one of the top fundraising years in our history in dollars raised. The vast contributions by VMI alumni and members of the VMI family are remarkable, and I am most appreciative on behalf of our Corps of Cadets. I also would like to thank the many alumni volunteer leaders who support maintaining a strong alumni network and also help cadets reach their

Wins ’85 goals. Thank you for your dedicated service. And, thanks to a favorable investment from the Commonwealth of Virginia, beginning in the 2022-23 academic year and for a variety of capital projects, we are able to further bolster faculty and staff compensation, enhance academic support programs that benefit all cadets, and begin detailed planning for a new Moody Hall and CLE Phase II (Peay Hall). It will also provide additional staff support to accommodate a third battalion, which presents more opportunities for cadet leadership experiences within the regimental system.

This fall, we are celebrating a significant milestone in the Institute’s history: The 25th anniversary of women at VMI. Twenty-five years ago, in August 1997, VMI first embraced a coeducational experience. Since their arrival, women have flourished at VMI, commanding platoons, companies, battalions, and the regiment. They’ve served on the Honor Court, General Committee, and as team captains. Female cadets wear academic stars, conduct cutting-edge research, and have earned prestigious scholarships and successes well beyond VMI. Our female graduates have taken their leadership experience to high levels of the military, boardrooms, and their communities. The Institute is, without question, a much better place because of their presence within the Corps, and this is a milestone most worthy of celebration.

I also want to welcome members of the matriculating class and their families. While each of you has different reasons for coming to VMI, you will become unified by your shared experiences and, ultimately, form a common bond with your brother rats and upperclass cadets. You will forge lifelong friendships as you pursue your goals, objectives, and purposes for coming to VMI. From the day you arrive until the day of graduation, remain focused on the personal goals that define your “why” you chose VMI.

VMI’s national reputation remains strong. Money magazine recently ranked VMI as No. 5 out of 623 public and private four-year colleges in the nation and, in the last year, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education Ranking listed VMI as No. 40 among the top 100 public universities in the U.S.

As we look to future matriculating classes, we are aware of the challenges ahead. Admissions pools are diminishing across the country as fewer young people choose a college path. Cost is becoming more of an issue for families, and competition among peer institutions continues to rise. It is imperative that we cast a broader net, let more young people and their families know of the many advantages of a VMI education, reach out to prospective cadets earlier, and broadly support them throughout the admissions process. We must further demonstrate the fulfillment of our mission of graduating individuals who are valued by all segments of society, who appreciate the benefits of our loyal and strong alumni network, and who are committed to lives of honor and service on every level.

The Institute’s robust programming allows cadets to pursue their passions in undergraduate research and self-study, military leadership, and athletic prowess. Off post, our cadets are demonstrating the VMI difference as they attend study abroad activities, officer candidate schools, and summer military programs, as well as internships with corporations and government services. Our cadets are competing to win.

Lastly, I invite you to return to post and engage with our cadets. You will assuredly be inspired. Each opportunity I spend with cadets and speak with alumni, I am further bolstered in the knowledge that what we do here matters; it matters in the lives of cadets who will move into their futures prepared to excel. It matters to the platoons they will lead, the organizations they will support, the families they will raise, and the communities in which they live.

As I have shared often during my tenure, my goal No. 1 for cadets is that they demonstrate the very best of who they are as VMI cadets both on and off post. Goal No. 1 and the top priority of the VMI faculty and staff is to educate and train while attending to the health, welfare, and morale of the young leaders we exist for: Cadets.

I, along with VMI’s leadership team, remain steadfast in preserving the core components of the VMI experience and the reputation of our Institution and appreciate the key role played by everyone in the VMI family in building and graduating the strongest Corps of Cadets we can imagine.

Thank you for your continued confidence and gracious support.