Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 2, 1991 TAG: 9104020637
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: HARRY H. WARNER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
To those forces who would mandate the change in VMI's single-sex policy, the school is simply a symbol: It is all male, and therefore by definition must be changed. VMI is not "politically correct" in today's new social environment, and the goal of the PC advocates is to eradicate perceived male bias without regard to the consequences.
The PC doctrine is usually extended to white male bias, but this particular charge does not fit VMI, which, by the very system under attack, has been as successful as any college in the commonwealth in integrating minorities.
Those against VMI's policy invariably opine that, although women can receive equal academic and ROTC experiences at other state schools, VMI is state-supported and therefore cannot "discriminate." Discounting totally the principle that the state has an interest in maintaining a variety of higher-education choices and gets an above-average return on its investment in VMI, that argument is questionable.
In recent years, VMI has received 45 percent of its budget from tuition and fees, 35 percent from the state, and 20 percent from private sources. The single-sex "private" Virginia colleges receive between 5 percent and 10 percent of their budgets from the state's Virginia Tuition Assistance Grants, provided to any student who is a resident of the Commonwealth. In addition, these schools receive significant state and federal support through various programs and scholarship assistance.
It is difficult to understand how these schools can be "a little bit pregnant" with taxpayer support and avoid the charge of sex discrimination. If VMI is forced to change and these "private" schools aren't, it means that only the wealthy who can afford the higher tuitions of the "private" schools have the choice of single-sex education.
If, on the other hand, those colleges are subject to the same rules as VMI, the result could be the elimination of the choice of single-sex education in Virginia and thence the nation. In a pluralistic society of 250 million people, that is ludicrous on its face.
To those who oppose forcing VMI to become coeducational, the college is more than a symbol - it is an exceptional phenomenon. It is a school that for 151 years has produced good citizens and many leaders for the state and the nation. Frequently, the success of the VMI system is viewed in terms of its many military leaders and heroes. Most recently, in Operation Desert Storm, the commander of the 101st Division which successfully conducted the largest air assault in history was a VMI man, as were two of the eight Virginians killed in action.
Traditionally, however, only 15 percent of its graduates pursue the military as a career. The real payoff of the VMI system is that its alumni, whether military or civilian, are good citizens. One need not look any farther than any community in Virginia to find VMI men living as solid citizens, with many serving in varied leadership roles. The fact that their combined record of service is far out of proportion to their small numbers is apparent to all who want to recognize it.
Indeed, the VMI Cadet Corps represents only one half of 1 percent of the total student bodies at Virginia's public colleges and universities. It is hard to imagine how such a small school can be a threat, except as a symbol, to the forces who would homogenize all higher education.
The VMI system, which has evolved over its long history but basically remains true to the vision set forth by the school's founders, is far too intricate and has far too many components to explain fully here. Suffice it to say that the system at the institute is considerably more complex than just being "military."
One absolutely key element to the success of the system is its egalitarian nature. Every entering cadet is placed on the same level, in the same living quarters, in the same uniform, and - regardless of race, class, or wealth - is permitted to survive and prosper within the system only by his own merit.
In spite of what the PC advocates and feminists would have us believe, this critical element in the VMI system would be destroyed the day females are entered. By definition, males and females are different and cannot be treated equally in this intense, commingling experience.
The question of VMI's admission policy now before the court, and most likely will continue to be before our politicians, is not discrimination, sexism or wrongdoing. It is not a question of good ol' boys trying to protect their male-bonding turf, nor is it a question of whether women are as tough as men.
It is simply a case of common sense: The introduction of women to VMI would put at risk the heart of its unique, proven system. If that system is destroyed and a few women enter, bringing with them the inevitable litigation regarding their treatment, what in the final analysis will have been accomplished other than the elimination of a symbol of masculinity to a few extremists?
Those Virginians who stand by VMI as it fights for its principles deem the perpetuation of the values under attack as dear to our society as to VMI and its alumni.
by CNB