Virginia Law

A. The board of visitors of Virginia Military Institute (the board) is a corporation under the name and style of "Virginia Military Institute" and has, in addition to its other powers, all the corporate powers given to corporations by the provisions of Title 13.1 except those powers that are confined to corporations created pursuant to Title 13.1. The board shall at all times be under the control of the General Assembly.

B. The institution shall be known as Virginia Military Institute (the Institute).

C. The Institute shall be grounded in a strict code of honor and high academics, shall uphold a strict military structure, and shall remain solely an undergraduate degree-granting institution of higher education. All cadets shall participate in one of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programs at all times while attending the Institute.

D. The Institute shall continue to demonstrate its commitment to contributing to the elimination of sexual violence in the military and shall develop reasonable policies and procedures to demonstrate such continued commitment.

E. There shall be paid out of the public treasury such sums as shall be appropriated by the General Assembly for the support of the school.

Code 1919, § 834, § 23-92; 1968, c. 719; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 1047.

A. The board shall consist of 17 members, of whom 16 shall be appointed by the Governor and one shall be the Adjutant General, who shall serve as an ex officio nonvoting member. Of the 16 members appointed by the Governor, (i) 12 shall be alumni of the Institute, of whom eight shall be residents of the Commonwealth and four shall be nonresidents, and (ii) four shall be nonalumni residents of the Commonwealth.

B. The alumni association of the Institute may submit to the Governor a list of not more than three nominees for each vacancy on the board, whether the vacancy occurs by expiration of a term or otherwise. The Governor may appoint a member from the list of nominees.

Code 1919, § 835, §§ 23-93, 23-94; 1930, pp. 81, 82; 1936, p. 262; 1944, pp. 400, 401; 1945, pp. 49, 50; 1946, pp. 414, 415; 1960, c. 187; 1968, c. 719; 1975, c. 111; 1978, c. 453; 1979, c. 17; 1980, c. 648; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 1047.

A. The board shall meet at the Institute at least once a year and at any other times and places as determined by the board, the superintendent of the Institute, or the president of the board. Special meetings may be called at any time by the superintendent of the Institute or the president of the board. Notice of the time and place of each meeting shall be provided to each member.

B. Six members shall constitute a quorum.

C. The board shall appoint from its membership a president and shall appoint a secretary to the board.

D. The board may appoint a president pro tempore or secretary pro tempore to preside in the absence of the president or secretary.

E. Vacancies in the offices of president and secretary may be filled by the board for the unexpired term.

F. The board may appoint an executive committee for the transaction of business during the recess of the board, consisting of at least three and not more than five members, one of whom shall be the president.

Code 1919, §§ 835, 836, 837, §§ 23-96, 23-98, 23-99; 1930, p. 82; 1936, p. 263; 1944, p. 401; 1945, p. 50; 1946, p. 415; 1954, c. 154; 1987, c. 143, § 23-95.1; 2014, c. 367; 2016, c. 588.

The Institute, or the board on its behalf, may receive, take, hold, and enjoy any gift, grant, devise, or bequest made to the Institute or its board for charitable or educational purposes and use and administer any such gift, grant, devise, or bequest for the uses and purposes designated by the donor or for the general purposes of the Institute if no such designation is made.

1956, c. 254, § 23-100.1; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 1047.

In addition to the authority provided elsewhere in this Code, a majority of the board may remove professors for good cause.

Code 1919, § 842, § 23-103; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 1047.

The board shall prescribe the terms upon which cadets may be admitted, their number, the course of their instruction, and the nature and duration of their service.

Code 1919, § 844, § 23-104; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 1047.

A. The Institute may admit annually as state cadets upon evidence of fair moral character individuals selected from the Commonwealth at large who are at least 16 but not more than 25 years old.

B. The board shall provide financial assistance equal to a state cadet applicant's demonstrated need up to the Institute's prevailing charges for tuition, mandatory fees, and other necessary charges.

C. Each state cadet who remains enrolled in the Institute for two years or more shall (i) teach in a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth for two years within the three years immediately after leaving the Institute and report in writing to the superintendent of the Institute on or before the first day of June of each year succeeding the date of his leaving the Institute until he has discharged fully such obligation to the Commonwealth, (ii) serve an enlistment in the National Guard of the Commonwealth, (iii) serve for two years as an engineer for the Commonwealth Transportation Board, (iv) serve for two years as an engineer with the State Department of Health, (v) serve on active duty for two years as a member of some component of the armed services of the United States, or (vi) with the approval of the board, serve two years in any capacity as an employee of the Commonwealth.

D. Any cadet who fails to fulfill his obligation pursuant to subsection C shall repay all funds received from the Commonwealth. The board may excuse such cadet from any or all of these obligations in such cases as it determines is appropriate.

Code 1919, §§ 845, 849, §§ 23-105, 23-107; 1924, pp. 170, 214; 1928, p. 1227; Michie Code 1942, § 845a, § 23-106; 1952, c. 482; 1958, c. 569; 1973, c. 83; 1997, c. 788; 2006, c. 810; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 1047.

A. The Institute may admit annually as Virginia National Guard scholarship cadets individuals who are at least 16 but not more than 25 years old.

B. The board shall provide financial assistance to such Virginia National Guard scholarship cadets for tuition, mandatory fees, and other necessary charges entirely from federal funds, Virginia National Guard funds, or private gifts. The federal funds, Virginia National Guard funds, or private gifts shall have no matching requirement.

C. Each Virginia National Guard scholarship cadet shall agree to serve as a commissioned officer in the Virginia National Guard for a term in accordance with Guard policy and regulation. Any cadet failing to fulfill his obligation to serve shall repay all funds received in support of his cost of education. The board, in consultation with the Virginia National Guard, may excuse such cadet from any or all of these obligations in such cases as it determines is appropriate.

2006, c. 810, §§ 23-107.1, 23-107.2; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 1047.

A. The cadets shall be a military corps under the command of the superintendent and constitute the guard of the Institute.

B. The arsenal and all its grounds and buildings shall belong to the Institute, and the board shall guard and preserve the arsenal, all its grounds and buildings, and all arms and other property in its grounds and buildings.

Code 1919, §§ 838, 847, § 23-109; 2016, c. 588.

A. The Governor, the board, the superintendent, and the faculty of the Institute may confer a degree upon any qualified graduate.

B. As a board of a military institute, the board shall not confer honorary degrees.

Code 1919, § 848, § 23-110; 1926, p. 718; 1927, p. 201; 1952, c. 272; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 1047.

The superintendent may enlist musicians for service at the Institute to be paid out of the annual appropriation provided for in § 23.1-2500.

Code 1919, § 851, § 23-112; 2016, c. 588.

The Institute may acquire pursuant to Title 25.1 such springs, lands, and rights-of-way as may be necessary to procure a supply of water.

Code 1919, § 852, § 23-113; 2016, c. 588.