New Cadet Handbook 2021–22 Contents Preface . 1 Cadet Government . 18 VMI—An Overview . .3 Expectations for Cadet Conduct . .21 Pre-Matriculation . .5 Support Services and Information . .27 Matriculation Week. 11 Academics and Related Support . .33 The Rat Line and Life as a Rat. 13 Glossary of Common VMI Terms . .39 Cadet Life. 15 VMI Telephone Quick Reference List. 43 Preface The purpose of the New Cadet Handbook contact the Director of Intercollegiate is to provide information necessary for the Athletics at 540-464-7251. Information is transition from civilian life to life as a new also available at www.vmi.edu. cadet at Virginia Military Institute. It is The three major components to life intended to present information not found at VMI are academics, military, and in other VMI publications, such as the athletics. This handbook focuses on the VMI Catalogue, which is provided to cadets Corps of Cadets military component and, at matriculation. If you have detailed specifically, the Rat Line. It is important questions on academic programs and that you fully understand all aspects of the academic support, tuition and financial Corps of Cadets so that you can prepare aid, or the Reserve Officer Training yourself for success. New cadets at VMI Corps, please refer to the VMI Catalogue. embark on a road less traveled. Use this If you have questions regarding National handbook to plan your journey. Good luck! Collegiate Athletic Association sports, 1 Rat Mass of 2022+3, First and foremost, I wish to congratulate you on your pressure of the Institute is at its peak, you must remember appointment and commend you on your decision to that for 182 years before you cadets have been faced with attend the Virginia Military Institute. By accepting this the same challenges and have prevailed. The difficulty of honor, you have made a dedicated and deliberate effort the system we have will prove to be too overwhelming to set yourself apart from your peers. Your decision for some of you. However, some of you will distinguish exemplifies the depths of your maturity and character and yourselves as exemplary individuals who have the presents your desire to grow as a person of character and perseverance to succeed above and beyond initial as a servant leader. Your conscious decision is one of grit expectations. With that, you will be honored to earn the and dedication, setting yourself apart from the ordinary. distinguished title of a VMI cadet. It is these very successes that give our diploma its worth. A prosperous future is in Those who seek to attend VMI do so out of a desire to front of you, and the decision to accept the challenge is improve their sense of leadership and dedicate their up to you. lives to service and growth. With this being said, the Rat Line will push you mentally, physically, and emotionally, Your reward is a transformation that will set you up for beyond the normalcy you have experienced. Do not success not just at VMI, but for the rest of your life. Those falter from these hardships. Rather, use these adversities that have completed this transformation enter into the and hardships as motivation to be a better person: one permanent brotherhood of the Institute and its legacy of character, determination, and integrity. Use these of producing the best leaders and citizen soldiers in the moments of hardship to mold yourself into the image of a country. There is no other place like VMI in the world and VMI cadet, improving the standards for years to come. earning the title VMI cadet is an honor you have never experienced and one held with great pride and respect. The moment you enter barracks, your slate is wiped clean. The achievements you have earned in the past do not Stay true to the reasons why you chose VMI. The standards follow you here. Rather, you must generate your own you are expected to live by will consistently increase successes and accomplishments through the direct effort with each year. Maintain these standards, improve upon you put into the system and the cohesion you create with them, and never let yourself forget them. Consistently set your brother rats. The training you will receive does not goals for yourself that you can and will succeed. If you discriminate. It is in this adversity that you and your fellow have the privilege of joining the VMI ranks, prove to those classmates will be equals and will lean on each other to who do not know VMI why it is the most successful and succeed, as you cannot traverse this journey alone. There distinguished military college in the nation. I will never will be support to accomplish whatever you set your mind expect anything but the absolute best from each and to, but nothing will be given to you. You will be provided every one of you. a blank slate; you must decide how to fill it in. Your reputation will be marked by your willpower, integrity, and Very Respectfully, the tenacity you show during your cadetship. Cadet First Captain Kasey Meredith The path you choose to travel, the bonds you choose to Regimental Commander create, and the goals you set yourself to achieve from this point forward will define your success here. When the 2 VMI—An Overview The Mission of Virginia Vision 2039 Military Institute www.vmi.edu/vision2039 Virginia Military Institute, founded in In 2003 VMI began a journey that will th 1839 and now in its 182nd year, has remained culminate in the year 2039, VMI’s 200 true to its mission to produce educated birthday. This journey involves physical and honorable men and women by change in the form of renovation and new preparing them with an education for the construction. It also involves cultural future. VMI combines the studies of a full changes—a move toward more civility college curriculum within a framework of within the Corps of Cadets and across the military discipline, with emphasis placed VMI post. on the qualities of honor, integrity, and responsibility. VMI is a state-supported Academic Program college, organized under the laws of the A four-year undergraduate college, Commonwealth of Virginia. The Institute is VMI is recognized as one of the nation’s governed by a Board of Visitors appointed top institutions of higher education. by the governor. In accordance with the Acknowledging VMI’s total educational provisions of the Code of Virginia, the value as well as the high demand for VMI cadets constitute a military corps. Most graduates in the job market, major ratings of the members of the faculty and staff publications name VMI in their lists of are commissioned in the Virginia Militia top undergraduate programs. U.S. News (Unorganized) by the governor acting as and World Report consistently ranks VMI commander-in-chief. among the nation’s top five public liberal We at VMI believe that the measure of a arts colleges. college lies in the quality and performance Almost 100 percent of full-time faculty of its graduates and their contributions to hold either a doctorate or the terminal society. Therefore, it is the mission of VMI degree in their field. Over 1,700 cadets to produce educated and honorable men pursue B.A. or B.S. degrees in 14 major and women, prepared for the varied work fields of study: Biology; Chemistry; Civil of civil life, imbued with love of learning, Engineering; Computer and Information confident in the functions and attitudes Sciences; Economics and Business; of leadership, possessing a high sense of Electrical and Computer Engineering; public service, advocates of the American English, Rhetoric and Humanistic Studies; democracy and free enterprise system, and History; International studies and Political ready as citizen-soldiers to defend their Science; Applied Mathematics; Mechanical country in time of national peril. Engineering; Modern Languages and To accomplish this result, VMI seeks to Cultures; Physics; and Psychology. provide qualified young men and women Civil engineering, a subject rarely taught an undergraduate education of the highest in colleges and universities before 1839, quality, that embraces engineering, was the cornerstone program at VMI’s science, and the arts, all conducted in, and founding. The first industrial chemistry facilitated by, the unique VMI system of course in the South was offered at VMI, military discipline. and, in 1868, modern courses in physics and meteorology were developed. Today 3 the Institute’s engineering program to 1866 with the formation of a baseball remains nationally recognized for its team. In 1892, Cadet Walter H. Taylor quality. In fact, in its most recent rankings, served as captain and coach of the first U.S. News & World Report again ranked football team. VMI engineering among the nation’s best VMI fields 18 teams on the NCAA undergraduate programs. Division I level: baseball, basketball, VMI’s demanding academic program men’s and women’s cross-country, reflects the established needs and the football, lacrosse, men’s and women’s emerging trends of a constantly changing rifle, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and society on the local, regional, national, and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s international levels. VMI’s global outreach indoor track & field, men’s and women’s includes student/faculty exchanges outdoor track & field, women’s water polo with a number of foreign academies and and wrestling. universities, internships, numerous VMI also boasts a thriving club sports semester-abroad programs, and summer- program. While the sports vary from year abroad programs. Each year, more than 100 to year based on the interests of the cadets, cadets are involved in VMI’s international the standard sports include lacrosse, rugby, programs.