Two years after a blistering independent investigation found entrenched sexism and racism at the Virginia Military Institute and a subsequent drop in enrollments, this fall the number of first-year students has increased significantly. Women are 14.5 percent of the incoming class.
A Virginia statute makes it illegal for a university to punish a student for a drug or alcohol offense that comes to light during a report of sexual assault. The statute applies to every public institution in the Commonwealth, with one notable exception: Virginia Military institute.
The Virginia Military Institute enrolled its first women cadets enrolled in 1997. Today, women make up only 14 percent of the student body. A new report finds that sexual assault; incidents of gender inequity; a culture of not taking women seriously; double standards for women on matters of dress, social behavior, and sexual behavior are all problems on campus.