Learymom, It surprises me you find VMI's freshman attrition rate "staggering". Its completely in line with the national average for colleges across the country as another poster has pointed out. And those other colleges do not have a "Spartan" military environment but still lose freshman. Why's that? Many reasons.
It sounds like you, nor your DS did enough research about VMI before your DS chose to attend. Did your DS do an overnight at VMI? Did you visit the college or talk to anyone in admissions or cadets prior to your son selecting VMI? I can understand the difficulty you and your DS are going through right now, but your posts seem filled with emotion and accustion that bear no proof. Some of your accusations are plain false!
"I learned a little late is VMI is the only military type university that allows upper class cadets to run all the training.. they are not supervised by faculty or other adult staff members... so much attune to what happens at VMI stays at VMI.."
I would find it "staggering" to believe you and your DS did not know the Corp of cadets was fully run by upperclass cadets with oversight of the staff. It's plainly spelled out on their website and in their literature.
And your accusation that VMI students and staff are not honest about what goes on at VMI, and may try to cover- up things is over the top - "but I am also well aware how " the systems works" and how organizations close ranks when there might be unflattering information / events that occur that they might not want the public at large to know about... "
You've only just filed your complaint with the IG and have not even given the institution a chance to investigate and reply to your DS's situation before accusing them of a cover-up. I get the impression that no matter what actions VMI takes concerning your DS situation you will not be satisfied because it is "your" DS who you believe has been wronged.
My DS also matriculated on the 17th although he has been at VMI since the 4th as a football player. I've spoken to my DS a few times. He's a mentally and physically tough SOB in my opinion, (at least that how I raised him I hope) but he even says its hard. He's talked about some of the cadre in his company whom he feels try to pick-on, mess with, harass, haze, (or any other word you'd like to use), on him in a more "personal" level. He thinks its because he's a football player or because they just flat out dont like him! He was made to do over 100 push ups in incrimemts of 23 over and over as soon as he would recover from one set. When he reached 93 and his arms failed, one cadre told him he could drop his knees to the ground to finish. As soon as he did, several other cadre "swarmed" him to ridicule him about how weak he was for being such a "big strong football player". It pissed him off to say the least. But thats just what the cadre where trying to do. Get into his head and stress him out. That's just one example. I told him to suck it up.
Before he left for VMI I told him that if he quit, he could not come back home. He could enlist in the military or move back to Texas and find a job and apartment on his own. My obligation to support him as a child in my home had ended. That's because I don't want him to even think he has the option to quit. Tough love is what I call it.
As a Col. In the U.S. Army, I appreciate your service to our country. I too am prior military and law enforcement officer for over 22 years. I understand when things can seem much more devastating when it involves people we love and care about. But maybe, just maybe, your DS did not want to be there any longer and chose to quit. I can tell you that the U.S.Army does have training that is similar to an experience like the ratline, such as SF training. They intentionally "haze" candidates to try and break them and get them to quit. It may not happen in the Army medical field for example, but it does go in the the military.
If your DS didn't understand he was going to a "Spartan" military college and thought it would be less intense, then I am truly sorry. But I think it is unbecoming of you as a military officer to cast accusations on this fine institution before having or revealing ALL of the facts in a public forum. You mam, should check yourself.
