VMI Admin Reacts to Pregnant Female Cadet
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Non-proni organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 14 Lexington, VA Cabet 24450 3^m inljepentientip bp tahet^ ifince 1907 $ 1 . 0 0 VOLUME X tlll Friday, February 16, 20(»1 Number 16 In This Issue VMI Admin Reacts to Pregnant Female Cadet by Kendra Russell Although the possibility of ca Copeland listed two situations military and athletic duties for a se with this thorny issue. In a commu in which VMI might be unable to ac mester or more. There has also been nity that contains a decidedly conser F riday tobct Editor-inrChief det pregnancy was discussed as VMI planned meticulously for the arrival commodate a cadet pregnancy. If a a cadet so overweight that he could vative majority, it will be interesting The Virginia Military of women, a clear policy on the is cadet, because of her pregnancy, were not wear the uniform trousers issued to see how VMI reconciles two poli Institute’s public relations office re sue has never been articulated. Even unable to perform her duties within to the rest of the Corps. He was fit cies that are likely to sit uneasily with cently confirmed reports of a preg given the present situation, VMI has the Corps, she would have to take a ted with a denim version of the uni many members of the VMI family. S p o r t s on page 4 nant cadet within the VMI Corps. yet to publish an all-embracing preg medical furlough. Examples form instead. By allowing pregnant cadets to re Although VMI would not release the nancy policy. As of now, VMI seems Copeland gave were an inability to A key feature of any policy de main within the Corps and yet for name of the cadet in question. Pub to be treating pregnancy as a purely wear the uniform and a Ratline preg- veloped, according to Copeland, is bidding its cadets to marry—both lic Relations Director Col. Mike medical matter. nancy Furthermore, a cadet might that it will have to be “administered within the Corps and without—VMI Strickler provided The Cadet and According to Institute physi pose a danger to herself or her child equally between men and women.” If will inevitably produce a small popu several other news agencies with a cian Dr. David Copeland, VMI’s cur by refusing to cooperate with ba allowances can be made to accommo lation of unwed single mothers. statement regarding VMI’s official rent attitude is the logical one. When sic medical precautions. In that date a male cadet with a long-term Whether VMI intends to pub reaction to the pregnancy. the topic came up during assimilation case, Copeland would feel obli injury or an inability to wear the same lish a policy that deals specifically According to the statement, the planning, Copeland wanted to treat gated to take whatever steps were uniform as the rest of the Corps, VMI with pregnancy or continue to ad cadet in question has been presented it as a medical matter. Copeland said, necessary to address the situation— will have a hard time justifying a dress pregnancy on a case-by-case with three alternatives. She may take “I wanted to approach it... as a confi to include the possibility of inform policy that does not accommodate medical basis is unclear. If a policy an “administrative leave of absence” dential matter between the cadet and ing the administration of the cadet’s women in the same manner. is ever settled upon, Copeland will until she is able to “resume full par the doctor.” pregnancy. On the other hand, living in be obligated to abide by whatever ticipation in the VMI experience.” Copeland said that he antici Many cadets wonder how far a separate quarters on Post is not an rules may be developed, but will She also has the option of staying on pates no medical difficulties with pregnancy would have to progress option typically offered to male ca also be bound by patient-doctor con Post in separate living quarters to being pregnant at VMI, as the Post to make a woman unable to partici dets, yet it was among the three al fidentiality. His predicament is avoid “the more structured environ facilities and nearby Stonewall Jack pate within the Corps. Within the ternatives that VMI presented to its symptomatic of the larger balancing ment of Barracks.” The third op son Hospital are capable of handling last four years, there has been at first pregnant cadet. act between the rights and privacy of tion—and the one the cadet chose to the routine pre-natal care and medi least one cadet with a long-term Questions about fair treatment the individual and the VMI tradition take—is to continue living in Bar cal follow-ups that a pregnant cadet physical disability that prevented are not the only uncertainties likely of fitting the individual into the racks. would require. him from participating in nearly all to plague VMI as it struggles to deal whole. ; ' - ^ v . ^ Profs' Perks Don't Compare Ave. Full Time Professor's Pay Stay Down! by Jason Mounts would think that VMI could afford to pay its full 90 Caliet Asst. News Editor time professors a higher salary than comparable What is it about a college that makes schools with fewer part-time faculty. Yet VMI has O p i n i o n on page it serve its purpose well? Is it the number of Ph.D.’s the lowest pay scale for full-time faculty of any of on the faculty? The student-to-teacher ratio? Or is the colleges listed .above. it perhaps the percentage of small classes tliat fa Another way in which VMI professors lose cilitate learning? Is it a combination of these and out is in teaching loads per semester. At VMI, the A Critical Response other factors that make up the measure of a col expected load is 4-4, i.e. 4 classes taught each se lege? Research these factors in our own and other mester. Most colleges expect a 3-3 or 3-2, and some to VAI; "It's Getting institutions of higher learning, and one finds that times even a 2-2 load of their faculties. The reason the Virginia Military Institute requires sacrifices for this is that VMI is one of the few colleges that B e t t e r A n from its faculty as well as from its cadets. does not expect faculty to enhance the prestige of VMI enjoys a relatively low sUident to fac their school by publishing work. VMI faculty are Alumnus Writes In ulty ratio (13/1) that is comparable to other engi expected to focus on teaching instead of research and neering schools such as Bucknell University (12/ other personal academic pursuits. 1) and Lafayette College (11/1) in Pennsylvania, A big perk in the academic community when ■ F e a t u r e s on page 5 and Union College (11/1) in New York. Among it comes to attracting appUcants is having a gener these schools, VMI has the lowest percentages of ous sabbatical program. Most schools afford their full-time faculty—that is, professors who claim faculty the chance to take sabbatical leave every 5, employment at VMI as their primary occupation. 6, or 7 years, and for pre-tenured faculty there are Given that part time professors are typically paid always leaves of absence given. VMI has 3 sabbati Comparison of Salary and Perks of VMI and comparable schools on a much lower scale than full-time faculty, one cal leaves available for the entire faculty annually. (L to R:VMI, Union, Lafayette, Bucknell, and W&L) Faculty-In-Focus Rank Applicants Scarce in '02 The new Commandant of Cadets, Col. Eric Modisett, the S-1 Captain, is in charge of W; by Vicky Ortiz News Writer Hutchings ’77 has essentially abolished the collecting rank packets for the second class. quid pro quo system of incentives and re He claimed that the online application This year’s rank selection for rising wards that certain cadets rankers previously packet that debuted this year m a^ things M ews Briefs first classmen has generated a great deal of had the power to administer. Where once difficult for cadets. One of the fonts used controversy. The source of this controversy Cadet Captains and GC Officers could grant turned out to be incompatible with the online is an unusually low turnout of second haydowns, optional BRC or SRC, and FT software and made the applications hard to classmen who desire positions of rank next details, these powers arc now tighdy con read. year. By the initial deadline, only 79 sec trolled by the Commandant’s Office. “I Modisett also claimed that certain ond classmen had submitted rank packets. only have the power to bone, not the power deficiencies in the second class itself were After the deadline was extended two more to reward. I can’t give people an incentive a contributing factor to the low numbers. days, the total peaked at 102. to do better,” said McGrady. “Right now, ‘The second class sucks. They have no This rank process fills the highest there is almost no distinction between an leadership potential and are unwilling to step positions within the Corps’ Regimental officer (in the administration) and a ranker. up to the plate and take on their responsi system. The low numbers have given Why would [rankers] do all this extra bilities,” explains Modisett. ‘This is an rise to a great deal of speculation about sftiff.