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Virginia Military Institute 2025 Alumni Survey

Dear Alumnus/a:

Thank you for participating in this year’s alumni survey. Our initial survey in 2023 received more than 3,000 responses, achieving a solid 20% response rate from alumni of all decades. Due to this success, we decided to make the survey a regular component of our outreach.  

This year’s survey will serve as a crucial tool in measuring our impact and future planning. We are grateful for your participation and are committed to using your feedback to enhance the alumni experience.
 
Matthew Hemenez '90
President
VMI Alumni Association
We recommend taking your survey on a desktop computer, laptop computer or tablet. If you take the survey using a mobile device, we recommend turning your mobile device to the landscape position. Remember, if you cannot complete the entire questionnaire, please hit the “submit” button at the end, so that we can still capture your results. None of the questions are required. 

Section I

To start, please tell us a bit about yourself and your experience with Virginia Military Institute.
1. Which of the following describes your overall current opinion of VMI?
PoorFairGoodExcellentNo opinion
Which of the following describes your overall current opinion of the Virginia Military Institute Alumni Association?
PoorFairGoodExcellentNo opinion
2. How often do you promote VMI to others?
NeverOccasionallyRegularlyAll the timeNo opinion
Which of the following best describes your experience as a cadet?
PoorFairGoodExcellentNo opinion
3. How would you rate your decision to attend VMI?
Bad decisionFair decisionGood decisionGreat decisionNo opinion
4. On a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest, how likely are you to recommend VMI to a prospective cadet?
012345678910
5. On a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest, how connected do you feel to VMI?
012345678910
6. How well did the education received from VMI prepare you for each of the following?
Space Cell Poor preparationFair preparationGood preparationExcellent preparationNo opinion
a. Current work status
b. Further graduate education
c. Navigating the challenges of life and the world
d. Responding to new career opportunities
e. Contributing to my community
f. Deepening my commitment to personal development
g. Getting a job I wanted soon after I graduated
7. To what extent do each of the following contribute to how well VMI prepared you?
Space Cell No contributionA little contributionSome contributionSignificant contributionNo opinion
a. Critical thinking
b. Ethical reasoning and action
c. Effective writing
d. Effective oral communication
e. Quantitative reasoning
f. Problem solving
g. Entrepreneurship
h. Creative and innovative thinking
i. Civic knowledge and engagement - local and global
j. Diversity and inclusion
k. Having worked in the field I studied while at VMI
l. Leadership skills
m. Collaborating with others
n. Decision-making skills
8. Please indicate the extent of your loyalty to each of the following:
Space Cell Not loyalSomewhat loyalLoyalVery loyalNo opinion
a. My brother rats
b. My major or degree program
c. A faculty member or instructor
d. A cadet club or intramural club sport I was associated with
e. VMI athletics
f. VMI in general
g. Other alumni
Section II

The following questions are about your experience as a cadet.
Section II
 
The balance of the questions pertain to your experience as an alumnus/a.
9. Which of the following best describes your experiences as an alumnus/a?
PoorFairGoodExcellentNo opinion
10. Which of the following best describes your overall experience at VMI Alumni Association events?
PoorFairGoodExcellentNo opinion
In which of the following organizations/activities did you participate as a student? (Check all that apply.)
How important was each of the following to your experience as a student, and how well did Virginia Military Institute do at providing them?

Importance

1 = Not important
2 = Somewhat important
3 = Very important
4 = Critically important

Performance

1 = Poor
2 = Fair
3 = Good
4 = Excellent                 

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
a. Relationship with other cadets
b. Academics/classes
c. Relationship with the faculty
d. Attending athletic events
e. Opportunity to participate in fraternity/sorority
f. Relationship with administration and staff
g. Cadet leadership opportunities
h. Skills/training for career
i. Traditions or values learned on post
j. Opportunity to interact with alumni
k. Opportunity to engage in community service activities
Name one person who had a special impact on your experience as a cadet. Please also provide a brief description of the relationship.
Name one program or activity that had a special impact on your experience as a cadet. Please also provide a brief description of the program or activity. 
11. In your relationship with VMI, please describe how often you do or have done each of the following:
Space Cell NeverOccasionallyRegularlyAll the timeNo opinion
a. Attend local VMI events
b. Get in touch with other alumni
c. Read alumni association email
d. Read the Alumni Review magazine
e. Attend VMI sporting events
f. Attend class reunions
g. Visit post
h. Visit VMI related websites (VMI.edu, VMIAlumni.org)
i. Volunteer for VMI
j. Engage with official VMI related social media pages
k. Watch VMI sports on streaming services
l. Watch VMI event livestreams (matriculation, graduation, etc.)
12. For each of the communication methods listed below, please tell us how important that method is to you and also rate VMI's effectiveness in utilizing that method:

Importance

1 = Not important
2 = Somewhat important
3 = Very important
4 = Critically important

Effectiveness

1 = Poor
2 = Fair
3 = Good
4 = Excellent                  

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
a. Alumni Association website
b. VMI's website
c. Turnouts electronic newsletter
d. Email from VMI Alumni Agencies
e. Invitations to VMI activities
f. The Alumni Review magazine
g. Periodic informational communications
h. Invitations to alumni activities
i. Social media/online community
13. How interested would you be in the following communication topics regarding VMI?
Space Cell Not interestedSomewhat interestedInterestedVery interestedNo opinion
a. Cadet stories, news, and achievements
b. Faculty stories, news, and achievements
c. Alumni stories, news, and achievements
d. Research stories, news, and achievements
e. News about my major or department
f. Campus life news
g. Athletics news
h. Class notes/alumni updates
i. Alumni organization news and updates
j. VMI events
k. Message from the superintendent on mission and priorities
l. Visual content (pictures, artwork, etc.)
14. Please indicate your feeling regarding the frequency of the following:
Space Cell Way too muchA little too muchAbout rightWould welcome moreNot nearly enoughNo opinion
a. Email correspondence from VMI (Turnouts newsletter, Corps Connection video series, etc.)
b. Solicitations for donations (annual fund, support for athletics, etc.)
c. Invitations to alumni activities
d. Presence on social media sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)
15. Where do you view/procure information about VMI? (Check all that apply.)
16. How do you prefer to engage with content? (Check all that apply.)
19. How important is it for alumni in general to do the following and how well does VMI do at supporting alumni in doing them?

Importance

1 = Not important
2 = Somewhat important
3 = Very important
4 = Critically important

Performance

1 = Poor
2 = Fair
3 = Good
4 = Excellent                 

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
a. Mentoring cadets
b. Identifying job opportunities for graduates
c. Recruiting cadets
d. Serving as ambassadors promoting VMI to others
e. Providing financial support for VMI (e.g. donations)
f. Networking with other alumni
g. Volunteering for VMI
h. Providing leadership by serving on boards, committees, etc.
i. Attending general VMI events
j. Attending VMI athletic events
k. Participating in VMI online activities (social media)
20. Which of the following alumni activities would you be the most likely to participate in? (Check up to 5.)
21.

What are barriers to your participation in alumni activities and engagement in general? (Check all that apply.)
22. Which of the following best describes your financial support of VMI?
23. Please indicate how much each of the following impacts your overall opinion of VMI:
Space Cell No impact on my opinionSome impact on my opinionSignificantly impacts my opinionCritically impacts my opinionNo opinion
a. Value/respect for degree
b. Post aesthetics (e.g. buildings, grounds, etc.)
c. Media visibility (e.g. newspaper, magazine articles, viral videos, etc.)
d. History/tradition
e. Accomplishments of alumni
f. School rankings (e.g. U.S. News & World Report)
g. Accomplishments of faculty
h. Outreach to community
i. Accomplishments of cadets
j. Success of athletic teams
k. Availability of scholarships
l. A diverse and inclusive environment
m. Protecting the Honor System
n. Maintaining the challenging and rigorous experiences that mold leaders
24. Following recent changes across the NCAA landscape, college alumni, private individuals, and independent organizations are allowed to provide financial support to NCAA athletes through NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) and Revenue Sharing. Through a recommendation to the BOV, VMI has formed a working group to discuss these areas and provide a formal recommendation on the proper pathway forward. If VMI were to adopt a program, the VMI Alumni Agencies would be able to accept donations, the donors would receive a tax deduction for these gifts, and it would allow VMI and the VMI Alumni Agencies to direct funding to the athletes in a strategic and organized way. 
 
Please select your level of agreement with the following statement:

I support the VMI Alumni Agencies developing a fund to receive gifts that will financially support and incentivize NCAA cadet-athletes.
Strongly disagreeSomewhat disagreeSomewhat agreeStrongly agreeNo opinion
Please provide the following demographic information:
Your current location:
Thank you for your input. Your time is greatly appreciated.
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