0:22 >> and welcome everyone to uh this
0:24 subcommittee meeting education
0:26 subcommittee of Senate Finance and
0:28 Appropriations uh committee and thank
0:31 you for being here this morning. Uh we
0:33 are getting an early start for the
0:35 education subcommittee for the 2026
0:38 session. Today's agenda will include our
0:40 traditional review of the Chev budget
0:42 proposals and requests from the council
0:44 of presidents. Virginia's higher
0:47 education institutions are nationally
0:49 recognized and strongly supported by
0:50 Virginia's citizens.
0:53 >> Take it that way.
0:56 >> That's Senator Lucas. Um, as we
0:58 discussed at the annual meeting, they
1:00 are one of the biggest components for
1:02 the Commonwealth, scoring highly on
1:05 being the best state for business.
1:07 However, there have been recent actions
1:09 at multiple institutions by their board
1:11 members that could endanger the
1:14 worldclass nature of these institutions.
1:16 In addition, these actions could have
1:17 both direct and indirect financial
1:20 impacts. Therefore, today I have asked
1:23 both VMI and UVA to present to the
1:25 subcommittee with the blessing of our
1:27 chair, Senator Lucas, whom you just
1:30 heard, who is joining us virtually. We
1:32 have also invited Senator Deeds to join
1:35 us. Unfortunately, the director and vice
1:37 director of UVA were unable to attend today.
1:39 today.
1:41 Therefore, we are arranging for their
1:43 attendance at a meeting prior to the
1:46 start of the 2026 session in January. I
1:48 also anticipate that additional
1:50 institutions will be invited to that
1:51 meeting. I move to an update on
1:53 institutional leadership and finances
1:56 from uh BMI and University of Virginia
1:58 starting with superintendent from
2:10 Madame Chair, distinguished members of
2:12 the subcommittee, good morning. My name
2:15 is Lieutenant General Dave Fess. I have
2:17 the privilege of being the 16th
2:19 Superintendent of the Virginia Military
2:22 Institute. I thank each of you for the
2:24 opportunity to be here today and for the
2:25 warm reception you and your colleagues
2:28 have given me since I assumed the role.
2:30 And for that, I am truly thankful.
2:32 I will meet with Governor electburgger
2:34 later today. Naturally, there are many
2:37 across all of state government that I
2:38 look forward to meeting in the weeks and
2:41 months ahead. During my first 10 weeks
2:43 as superintendent, these engagements
2:46 have been invaluable. As I worked to
2:48 gain the full understanding of the
2:50 priorities of the Commonwealth and the
2:53 expectations each of you have for VMI.
2:55 Growing up, my family moved frequently,
2:57 eventually settling in Richmond during
2:59 my final year of high school. After
3:02 learning about VMI from a neighbor, I
3:05 applied, was immediately turned down
3:07 because I was just not very good high
3:09 school student.
3:11 After a second rejection, I enrolled at
3:14 VCU, determined to find a way to become
3:18 a VMI cadet because I knew that what VMI
3:20 offered was unlike anything else in the
3:22 nation. I knew I wanted to be an officer
3:24 in the United States Marine Corps. And
3:26 with the influence of my VMI neighbor, I
3:28 was convinced that VMI was the best
3:30 place to get an education and prepare
3:33 myself to serve our nation. When I was
3:35 finally accepted, the experience was
3:37 everything I had hoped for and even
3:40 more. With the help of dedicated faculty
3:42 members who took me under their wing,
3:45 VMI transformed me and changed the
3:48 trajectory of my life. The institute has
3:49 shaped every part of my professional
3:52 life and personal character. The
3:53 discipline, the rigor, the
3:55 accountability and camaraderie I found
3:57 in barracks stayed with me throughout my
4:00 Marine Corps career and well beyond. The
4:03 institute gave me not only an education
4:06 but a way of living, one based on
4:09 integrity, leadership, service, and an
4:12 unwavering commitment to the mission.
4:14 Everything I have done since traces back
4:16 to those early formative years in
4:19 Lexington. Therefore, it is an honor of
4:22 a lifetime
4:25 to return now as superintendent and to
4:27 serve the core of cadetses in the
4:33 What I have found upon my return to VMI
4:36 continues to deliver exceptional results
4:39 for Virginia and the nation. 97% of our
4:41 graduates are employed within the first
4:44 six months of graduation. Our
4:46 commissioning rate for the Army and the
4:48 Marine Corps leads the nation, second
4:51 only to their servicemies.
4:53 We commissioned cadets into every branch
4:55 of service, including the newly created
4:58 Space Force and the United States Coast
5:02 Guard. VMI graduates consistently earn
5:04 national recognition, including seven
5:07 Medal of Honor recipients and nearly 300
5:09 general and flag officers in the armed
5:11 forces of the United States.
5:14 We have a distinguished record of 11
5:17 road scholars, two Gates Cambridge
5:21 scholars, four fullbrite fellows, two
5:24 fullulbright scholars, one Marshall
5:27 scholar among them among others. We
5:29 remain in the top five in Virginia in
5:31 graduation rates and every one of our
5:34 academic degrees provides a positive
5:37 return on investment. In summary, we are
5:39 an outcomedriven institution committed
5:42 to excellence. These outcomes are not
5:44 accidental. They result from a
5:46 deliberate model. Four years of
5:48 leadership development that provides a
5:51 40-year return on investment. Four years
5:53 in barracks cultivates discipline,
5:56 resilience, courage, camaraderie, and
5:58 the ability to lead and to follow.
6:01 Cadets learn to care for one another, to
6:03 be accountable, to place mission above
6:06 themselves. They face rigorous academic
6:08 demands while navigating the daily
6:10 expectations of military life. And
6:12 through all that they learned that who
6:15 they are and what they can become. Our
6:19 faculty are central to this success. As
6:21 I mentioned, I am living proof of our
6:24 faculty's investment in our cadetses.
6:27 With an 11:1 studentto faculty ratio,
6:29 they are deeply committed not just to
6:32 teaching but to mentoring, encouraging,
6:34 challenging, and walking alongside our
6:36 cadets well beyond their four years in
6:39 Lexington. On a recent walk around Post
6:42 with my wife, I peered into the windows
6:44 of our academic buildings well past dinnertime.
6:45 dinnertime.
6:48 I saw faculty who had returned to post
6:50 to teach and mentor our cadetses outside
6:53 of normal class time or office hours. I
6:55 was gratified to see that this same
6:57 faculty focus on teaching and mentoring
7:00 was what I experienced as a cadet still
7:02 prevails today. That is the kind of
7:06 impact that defines the VMI experience.
7:08 One of our greatest one of my greatest
7:09 joys of my first months as
7:12 superintendent has been my relationship
7:14 with the core. I see them early in the
7:16 morning during physical training. I eat
7:19 with them in the messaul and my wife and
7:20 I regularly host them for coffee and
7:22 dinner at the superintendent's quarters.
7:25 They are impressive, motivated,
7:27 intelligent, diverse in background and
7:29 ambition, and grounded in the values
7:32 that have long defined VMI and our great nation.
7:33 nation.
7:35 I'm especially proud of our current
7:38 cadet leadership
7:41 um depicted on the screen here. Some are
7:44 selected purely by peers while others
7:46 have input from senior leaders within
7:49 the institute. With me today is our
7:50 regimenal commander and cadet first
7:54 captain Devon Oun. He is an immen he has
7:56 immense responsibility and along with
7:58 the first class president leads a
8:01 bi-weekly meeting of cadet leaders where
8:03 that he experiences firsthand the mantle
8:05 of leadership in briefing our senior
8:07 institute leaders on plans operations
8:09 and activities of the core. I hope you
8:11 will get a moment to visit and talk with
8:14 him today.
8:17 VMI occupies a unique space in Virginia
8:20 as a state agency, a military college,
8:22 an institution with a daily system of
8:25 traditions and expectations. As
8:27 superintendent, I recognize the need to
8:30 navigate multiple constituencies and
8:33 stakeholders. The governor who serves as
8:35 our commander-in-chief. The general
8:37 assembly who provides our appropriations
8:40 and resources. The board of visitors who
8:42 are my direct supervisory body and who
8:44 are appointed by the governor and
8:46 confirmed by the general assembly.
8:48 Parents and alumni who invest
8:51 significantly in the VMI experience, and
8:54 the cadetses who are our mission and our
8:56 reason for existence. With these
8:58 constituencies in mind, VMI will always
9:01 comply fully with state and federal laws
9:04 while continuing to deliver a strong
9:07 leadership focused program. My
9:08 experience in the Marine Corps included
9:10 recruiting initiatives that help secure
9:13 a general officer corps that matches the
9:14 diversity and excellence of our
9:17 republic. I attend to do the same thing
9:19 of the VMI core cadets while I'm
9:22 superintendent. VMI strives to operate
9:25 from the center, nonpartisan, steady,
9:28 balanced, and leading along the center
9:30 line. As I often say, that is where VMI
9:32 belongs and where it will remain under
9:34 my leadership.
9:37 VMI has had some recent success in the
9:39 area of socioeconomic diversity through
9:41 the PEL initiative funding provided by
9:45 the Commonwealth and this committee.
9:47 This support has allowed us to expand
9:50 access by attracting more PEL eligible
9:52 cadets and ensure that VMI remains a
9:54 place of opportunity for talented cadets
9:57 from across all communities of Virginia.
9:58 It is one of the most impactful
10:01 initiatives we have undertaken and it
10:03 results are already evident as we have
10:05 seen more than a 5% growth in PEL
10:07 eligible metriculants and have
10:09 instituted measures that are expected to
10:12 secure future success.
10:15 While access is important, outcomes are
10:17 what matter, and our PEL eligible cadets
10:19 graduate at a higher rate than the
10:22 current state average. Like all
10:24 institutions of higher education, we
10:26 face real challenges in enrollment and
10:29 affordability. Two areas require
10:31 particular attention, assuring VMI
10:33 remains competitive and accessible by
10:36 building into base budgets funding to
10:38 support affordability. and two and
10:41 second the Virginia Military Survivors
10:43 and Dependence Education Program which
10:45 provides crucial benefits to families
10:48 who have borne the cost of natural of
10:50 national service.
10:53 These programs require stable,
10:54 sustainable and ongoing funding to
10:56 support predictability and operating
10:58 budgets and for families and
11:01 institutions budgeting for college. Our
11:03 alumni support is extraordinary. They
11:05 contribute 30 to 40% of our annual
11:08 operating budget and their dedication is
11:10 unmatched. But philanthropy alone cannot
11:12 meet the full scope of our affordability
11:15 challenges. Looking forward, my
11:17 priorities as superintendent are
11:20 recruitment of the very best young men
11:22 and women of Virginia and the nation,
11:25 success of the core academically,
11:27 physically, morally, and professionally,
11:29 good order and discipline and
11:30 accountability, reinforcing the
11:32 standards that have long defined the
11:35 institute for 186 years. and a deep
11:37 commitment to stewardship. Making the
11:39 best possible uses of the resources
11:42 entrusted to us, managed within a
11:43 framework of transparency and
11:46 accountability to the cadetses, parents,
11:48 our alumni, the governor, and to you,
11:50 the legislature.
11:53 VMI desires to be transparent, open, and
11:56 engaged. Together, the board of visitors
11:57 and the institute administration will
11:59 continue to emphasize clear
12:01 communication and accountability. I
12:03 invite you all to visit the post this
12:06 academic year. Join us in the messaul
12:08 and talk to the cadetses, walk through
12:10 barracks, see firsthand what your
12:13 investment is producing. We also look
12:15 forward to bringing a group of Virginia
12:17 cadets to Richmond for legislative day
12:20 in midFebruary. A highlight for them and
12:21 an important opportunity to deepen
12:23 relationships with the Commonwealth's
12:26 leadership. In closing, I thank you
12:28 again for your time, your partnership,
12:30 and your commitment to higher education
12:32 and public service in the Commonwealth
12:35 of Virginia. VMI stands ready to be a
12:37 reliable steward of resources you
12:39 provided, a strong partner in developing
12:41 leaders of character, an institution
12:44 that reflects the very best of Virginia.
12:45 I look forward to answering all your questions.
12:47 questions.
12:49 >> Madam Chair,
12:52 >> just a moment. Senator Lucas,
12:54 uh, thank you so very much for your
12:56 presentation. Uh, and thank you for
12:59 visiting with me a couple weeks ago.
12:59 Yes, ma'am.
13:03 >> Uh, Senator Lucas, your question.
13:04 >> No, I don't have a question, just a
13:06 statement because I really appreciate
13:09 his centerline approach and the fact
13:11 that he acknowledged that the general
13:13 assembly confirms the board
13:14 appointments. That that was really
13:16 refreshing to hear.
13:18 >> Thank you, ma'am.
13:19 Madam Chief,
13:20 >> Senator Deeds,
13:24 >> um General, the 97% employed within six
13:27 months is an impressive figure. How many
13:29 um your your first year there you
13:31 significant attrition? I want to know
13:33 how many how what's your attrition the
13:35 first year and how that compares to the
13:37 other military programs we fund at
13:39 Virginia Tech and Virginia Women's
13:41 Institute of Leadership.
13:43 >> Um I can get you that specific data,
13:45 sir. I know right now year to date we
13:48 have lost 7% of the current rat class.
13:50 >> Is that typical?
13:53 >> That's uh in line with averages year to
13:56 date. What our experience is is that uh
13:59 frequently uh coming back from Christmas
14:03 furlow uh is a difficult experience for
14:06 some. So we we will lose a little bit
14:09 more then. Uh we'll do our best not to
14:11 but some people have a semester in the
14:13 books. Hey, I tried it. it's not for me,
14:15 I'm not going back. And their parents
14:18 allow that to happen. Uh we hope that
14:20 they would stay to break out and then
14:23 become a member of the class of 2030,
14:26 but uh that's up to them. Okay. Thank you.
14:29 you.
14:34 Uh
14:38 my question has to do with um the role
14:42 of your board um to whom you are
14:45 responsible. How do you see that role of
14:48 your board of visitors?
14:50 >> My relationship to my board, >> correct?
14:50 >> correct?
14:53 >> Um well, they are my what I would refer
14:55 to as my higher headquarters. um they're
14:57 appointed by the governor, confirmed by
15:00 the legislature, and they're going to
15:03 direct uh me in the uh the daily
15:06 prosecution of my duties. U I'm
15:08 responsible to them fiscally and and for
15:10 matters of good order, discipline, and
15:12 accountability. So, I have daily
15:16 interaction uh with them. I mean, I get,
15:18 believe me, I get emails from uh them. I
15:21 also talk to my president every week. uh
15:23 I try to keep them informed what's going
15:27 on within VMI on post. Um and so I think
15:31 that's the way the relationship is now
15:32 um and I hope would remain in the future.
15:41 >> You mentioned um that alumni support is
15:45 in the range of 30 to 40%.
15:48 >> total operating budget madam chair. Yes.
15:52 Uh that's significant uh given that percentage
15:53 percentage um
15:55 um
16:02 I don't want to use this word um
16:07 how impactful are our alumni in um
16:15 discussing issues relative to the
16:19 operation of BMI.
16:21 Madam Chair, uh I did that in the right
16:23 >> way. Yeah, I understand the question. I
16:25 believe so. Uh Madam Chair, I will tell
16:28 you that the great thing about VMI is we
16:31 have passionate and committed alumni. Uh
16:33 the bad thing about VMI is we have
16:36 passionate and committed alumni. So if
16:37 there's something that is going on in
16:39 Post that they don't agree with, believe
16:42 me, I'll hear about it. Uh I have I get
16:44 emails every day. I get phone calls
16:47 every day from alumni who are concerned
16:49 about this or that. I will I tell them
16:51 and my experience has been since I've
16:55 been on post is uh most of what they
16:58 hear is not backed up by the facts on
17:00 the ground. What I see there are certain
17:02 issues that we have and I call them
17:04 first world issues. They're minor tweaks
17:06 that have to be made to accountability
17:08 to good order and discipline and things
17:09 like that. But I've been very pleased
17:12 with what I have seen. and I tell them
17:14 my experiences and you know the and I'm
17:17 up at 5:00 a.m. every day. I PT every
17:19 morning. I see the cadetses out there. I
17:22 eat chow with them in the uh during
17:24 lunch and dinner uh about three to four
17:27 times a week. Um so I'm out and about.
17:30 I'm not in my office very often. Uh and
17:31 I interact with them frequently. So I
17:35 have a sense of kind of what their
17:37 experiences are so I can help navigate
17:40 with the commonant and and create the
17:42 best process to produce the best
17:44 graduates that we can for the taxpayers
17:47 of Virginia.
17:50 >> Senator Objen,
17:54 >> thank you very much. Uh General, I
17:55 appreciate you being here. Thank you for
17:59 your comments. Uh to follow up on the
18:03 questions about board, uh I had the
18:05 privilege of serving on a college board
18:09 for eight years uh with uh a very let's
18:13 say heavy-handed now uh strong leader,
18:15 let's say, uh at James Madison
18:19 University, Dr. Kerry. And uh I remember
18:21 the first meeting of the board that I
18:23 attended, Dr. carrier made the point of
18:27 saying in my 27 years as president of
18:32 this university uh not once has a single
18:36 uh not not one time has a board of mine
18:39 uh ever rejected one of my initiatives.
18:42 Moreover, in my 27 years, not a single
18:45 dissending vote has ever been cast by a
18:49 board member uh of mine during my tenure
18:51 as president of this university. and and
18:55 I guess there's a broad spectrum of
18:57 relations between presidents of
19:01 universities and boards ranging from uh
19:04 strong control by a president to
19:07 micromanagement by a board and maybe
19:10 getting at the heart of some of the
19:13 questions. Um h how has your
19:16 relationship in your relatively short
19:19 tenure at VMI been with your board? Have
19:21 they asserted operational control? Have
19:24 they micromanaged your operation of the
19:27 university? How has your relationship
19:31 with your board um developed?
19:34 >> Um Madame Chair, Senator Bashain, uh the
19:37 it's a good question. I I think uh I
19:39 would I received fairly uh specific
19:41 marching orders from my board when I was
19:43 hired and they wanted me to look at good
19:45 order and discipline, accountability
19:48 within the core of cadetses. Uh so
19:50 that's uh the first things that I looked
19:55 at when I when I came on post. Um I I
19:58 think the way we operate is um it's a
20:00 discussion back and forth. I try to
20:03 convince them of the validity of my
20:05 opinions. I keep them informed of what
20:09 I'm seeing. Um so I've you know I have
20:12 uh transmitted to them like I hear what
20:14 your opinions were of the good order and
20:17 discipline of the core cadets. uh it's
20:19 not to my level of satisfaction, but
20:22 quite frankly, as a three star Marine
20:23 general, it's never going to be. Okay?
20:25 You can always be perfect in those
20:27 things and we're not we're far from
20:28 perfect. So, we're always going to be
20:30 working on that and working on the
20:33 process. Uh and so I just keep them
20:35 informed and it's a give and take right
20:38 now. Um, again, our board is made up, I
20:40 think, well, right now, I'm not even
20:42 sure how many members are on it, but
20:44 it's supposed to be, I think, 17, and I
20:46 think 12 of those members are graduates.
20:49 So, uh, when you're dealing with that
20:51 many VMI graduates on a board, they
20:53 understand the institute, but they're
20:55 also shaped by their four-year
20:56 experience and when they went through
20:59 there. Like what I try to tell members
21:01 of the board that I uh when I'm
21:04 discussing a a certain issue is
21:07 different doesn't mean bad. It just
21:10 means different. And and so we're very
21:12 tradition bound. That's a good thing. I
21:14 want to maintain that. And sometimes in
21:17 organizations that value their their
21:19 traditions and their ethos like the
21:22 Marine Corps, it's hard for us to to get
21:26 to to change u and make change. And so
21:28 if I'm going to make a rudder steer,
21:30 I've got to make sure that I get
21:33 everybody on board before I even turn
21:36 the wheel. And so that's up to me uh to
21:39 navigate and to shape those interactions
21:43 with my board members. And so I I I view
21:45 uh the new appointees, the board that
21:47 will certainly come in January, getting
21:49 to know them, getting defining a working
21:50 relationship with them, and getting on
21:52 with the business of making VMI the
21:55 exceptional place for education that it
21:56 has always been for the benefit of the cadets.
22:04 >> Thank you. Any other questions?
22:06 >> Thank you very much and thank you for
22:06 being here.
22:09 >> Thank you, ma'am.
22:12 We will now hear from um
22:15 I'm sorry, Senator Lucas had her hand up
22:19 and I I can't see her hand.
22:21 >> Senator Lucas, did you have a question?
22:21 I'm back.
22:22 >> Yes, Madam Chair. >> Yes.
22:23 >> Yes.
22:26 >> I I think I think we may have several of
22:27 us may have a different view of what
22:30 center line approach means. For me, that
22:33 means more nonpartisan, but I I'd kind
22:35 of like just hear him speak a little bit
22:37 on on that centerline approach to how he
22:39 manages the general. Yes.
22:42 >> Okay. Madam Chair, Senator Lucas, uh,
22:45 thank you for the question. Uh, to me,
22:48 and I I will look at this. So, we have
22:50 um I have federal guidelines that I have
22:52 to adhere to, federal regulations coming
22:54 out of the Department of Defense that
22:56 affect our ROC departments. We have the
22:59 largest ROC department in the nation.
23:01 Okay. of all the services. So, we have
23:03 more students involved than almost any
23:06 other uh educational institution in
23:10 America. So, if if if I'm going to do
23:12 something that's going to get me cross
23:14 with the federal government, uh I got to
23:16 be very very careful about that, okay?
23:18 Because they can impact me in a very
23:24 negative way. Um, and so if if uh
23:26 there's also on the other side of the
23:29 aisle, there's issues that can bring my
23:33 alumni into uh a rage that then will
23:36 impact the 40% of my budget that comes
23:38 from their philanthropy every year. So
23:41 I'm I got to navigate these uh these
23:44 these polls very carefully. I think I do
23:47 that by keeping you all informed. uh
23:51 lots of uh discussions, talks uh about
23:53 any kind of initiatives that are going
23:55 to pull us one way or the other. But I'm
23:56 looking to stay right in the middle of
23:59 all those, you know, issues that tend to
24:02 polarize the the American body politic.
24:04 And I want to do my best to keep myself
24:05 off of the front page of the Washington
24:09 Post and and just focus on cadetses and
24:11 what's good for them and what's good for
24:14 uh the institution. That's what I refer
24:16 to about being on the center line. And
24:18 uh if if there's uh obviously more
24:21 discussions uh Senator uh Lucas, I'd
24:23 love to sit down and talk to you about
24:27 that in greater detail.
24:28 >> Thank you, General. Thank you, Madam Chair.
24:29 Chair.
