Sweet Briar College: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{Short description|~~Women~~American private women's college in ~~Sweet~~Amherst ~~Briar~~County, Virginia, US}}

{{Infobox university

| name = Sweet Briar College

| image = ~~SBC.~~Sweet Briar College seal.~~jpg~~svg

| motto = ''Rosam quae meruit ferat'' ([[Latin]])

| mottoeng = "She who has earned the rose may bear it"

| established = 1901

| closed =

| type = [[Private school|Private]] [[Women's colleges in the United States|women's]] [[liberal arts college]]

| president = Mary Pope M. Hutson <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbc.edu/live/news/hutson-named-14th-president |title=Mary Pope Hutson Named 14th President of Sweet Briar College }}</ref>

| endowment = $73.9 million (2017)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2017/08/29/sweet-briar-reports-95-new-students|title=Sweet Briar Reports 95 New Students - Inside Higher Ed|website=insidehighered.com}}</ref>

| city = [[~~Sweet~~Amherst ~~Briar~~County, Virginia]], U.S.

| country = U.S.

| campus = Rural, historic, {{convert|2840|acre}}

| students = ~~353~~460 (fall ~~2020~~2022)

| faculty = 5574 (fall ~~2020~~2022)

| colors = {{color box|pink}} {{color box|green}} Pink and green

| nickname = Vixens

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==History==

[[File:Elijah Fletcher.jpg|thumbnail|[[Elijah Fletcher]] (1789–1858), father of Indiana Fletcher Williams]]

===Sweet Briar plantation===

The college is named after the former plantation of [[Elijah Fletcher]] and his descendants. Fletcher was a 19th-century teacher, businessman and mayor of [[Lynchburg, Virginia]]. Fletcher enslaved people in his household and on his plantations. He married Maria Antoinette Crawford in 1813, and purchased the Sweet Briar plantation property from her aunt and uncle. The plantation was initially known as Locust Ridge; Crawford supposedly renamed it "Sweet Briar" after the roses which grew on the land. Their daughter, Indiana Fletcher, was born in 1828 in Lynchburg.

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Indiana attended the [[Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School]], [[Doane Academy]], and later toured Europe with her brother and sister. She met [[J. Henry Williams|James Henry Williams]], a student at [[Union Theological Seminary (New York City)|Union Theological Seminary]] in 1858, and after reuniting in Virginia following the American Civil War, they were married in 1865. Their daughter, Maria Georgiana "Daisy" Williams, was born in 1867. At Elijah Fletcher's death, Indiana inherited the plantation. James Williams gave up his initial career as a clergyman to maintain the property. Daisy Williams died at the age of 16 in 1884. Both James and Indiana Fletcher-Williams were devastated at her death, and James expressed a wish in his own will that a school might be established in honor of Daisy. William died in 1889, leaving his entire estate to his wife, and Indiana's brother Sidney also gave her additional property upon his death in 1898. When Indiana died in 1900, she bequeathed Sweet Briar plantation to become a school for young women.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Stohlman|first1=Martha Lou Lemmon|title=The story of Sweet Briar College.|date=1956|publisher=Alumnae Association of Sweet Briar College}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Fletcher-Williams Family|url=http://sbc.edu/museum/fletcher-williams-family|website=Sweet Briar College|publisher=Sweet Briar College museum|access-date=31 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910102059/http://sbc.edu/museum/fletcher-williams-family|archive-date=10 September 2015}}</ref>

By his death in 1858, Elijah Fletcher enslaved over 110 people.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gore|first1=Sherese|title=The enslaved founders: Letters from 1800s reveal life on "Sweetbrier" plantation|url=http://www.newsadvance.com/new_era_progress/news/the-enslaved-founders-letters-from-s-reveal-life-on-sweetbrier/article_f675b944-de21-11e4-b1ef-23f622d62746.html|website=New Era Progress – Amherst County|date=8 April 2015 |publisher=News Advance|access-date=9 April 2015}}</ref> After the [[abolitionism in the United States|emancipation]] in 1865, several formerly enslaved people and descendants of enslaved people continued to work for pay and live at Sweet Briar, including Martha Penn Taylor, who worked for three generations of the Fletcher-Williams family, and Signora Hollins (who was Indiana Fletcher's childhood playmate).<ref>{{cite web|title=African American Heritage at Sweet Briar|url=http://tusculum.sbc.edu/africanamericans/|website=African American Heritage at Sweet Briar College|publisher=Tusculum Institute at Sweet Briar College|access-date=31 March 2015}}</ref> Some descendants of the people enslaved by the family still work at the college, and others hold family reunions on campus.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Svrluga|first1=Susan|title=For a family whose ancestors were slaves at the Sweet Briar plantation, a loss|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/04/06/for-a-family-whose-ancestors-were-slaves-at-the-sweet-briar-plantation-a-loss/|access-date=7 April 2015|agency=The Washington Post}}</ref> <ref>{{cite book |last=Rainville |first=Lynn |author-link=Lynn Rainville |date=14 June 2019 |title=Invisible Founders: How Two Centuries of African American Families Transformed a Plantation into a College |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv287sczz |location= |publisher=Berghahn Books |page= |doi=10.2307/j.ctv287sczz |jstor=j.ctv287sczz |isbn=978-1-78920-231-1|s2cid=251560457 }}</ref>

===Indiana Fletcher Williams' bequest and official opening===

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College Board representatives explained that with insolvency inevitable—even though the college was still technically solvent—the Board felt the responsible course was an advance announcement of the closing.<ref>*{{cite web |url=http://www.richmond.com/opinion/their-opinion/guest-columnists/article_6684faad-1a48-59ff-ac0e-23e023a4b3fd.html |title=Wyatt and Taylor: Sweet Briar directors faced an impossibly difficult decision – Richmond.com: Guest-columnists |newspaper=Richmond.com |date=April 29, 2015 |author=Elizabeth Wyatt and Sandra Taylor |access-date= May 7, 2015}}

*{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/05/22/two-board-members-make-the-case-sweet-briar-had-to-close/?hpid=z3 |title=Two board members make the case: Sweet Briar had to close |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 22, 2015 |author=Nancy Keuffel and Elizabeth H.S. Wyatt |access-date= May 24, 2015}}</ref> That would let ~~current~~enrolled students transfer at the beginning of a new academic year and prevent an entering first-year class from having to transfer after only one semester. It would also allow the college to honor financial obligations and provide severance to faculty and staff.<ref name="MyUser_Slate.com_March_4_2015c">{{cite news |url= http://www.slate.com/blogs/business_insider/2015/03/03/sweet_briar_college_closing_why_the_wealthy_virginia_school_is_closing_its.html |title= Sweet Briar College closing: Why the wealthy Virginia school is closing its doors | work =Slate |date=March 3, 2015 |author =Peter Jacobs |access-date= March 4, 2015}}</ref>

====Efforts to forestall closing====

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Sweet Briar's board is historically elected annually in the spring, however Saving Sweet Briar and plaintiffs in the litigations appointed an entirely new board in July 2015.<ref name="transfer of power">{{cite web |url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/education/higher_education/transfer-of-power-complete-at-sweet-briar-college/article_bf55f125-f8c3-532f-9793-4c7ad2a88f5a.html |title=Transfer of power complete at Sweet Briar College - Roanoke Times: Higher Education |newspaper=Roanoke.com |date=July 2, 2015 |author=Jessie Pounds |access-date= July 5, 2015}}</ref><ref name="MyUser_Newsadvance.com_July_5_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://www.newsadvance.com/opinion/editorials/far-reaching-lessons-from-sweet-briar/article_df156124-19e9-11e5-8c06-2f747c63f0aa.html |title=Far-Reaching Lessons From Sweet Briar - NewsAdvance.com : Editorials |newspaper=Newsadvance.com |date=June 24, 2015 |author=The Editorial Board |access-date= July 5, 2015}}</ref> In a conference call vote, the new board unanimously installed Phillip Stone as the new president and formally rescinded the previous board's announcement that the school was closing.<ref name="transfer of power" />

Stone announced in newspaper interviews that he did not regard this as an interim or one-year appointment, and that in years to come he intended to increase enrollment beyond Sweet Briar's highest past student count.<ref name="transfer of power" /> Stone invited most ~~current~~ faculty and staff members to remain in their positions; the settlement included paying six months' severance to any who elected to depart.<ref name="MyUser_Wset.com_June_24_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://www.wset.com/story/29388963/incoming-sweet-briar-president-expects-to-invite-all-faculty-to-remain |title=Incoming Sweet Briar President Expects to Invite All Faculty to Remain |newspaper=Wset.com |date= June 23, 2015|access-date= June 24, 2015}}</ref><ref name="MyUser_Richmond.com_June_22_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://www.richmond.com/news/local/education/article_1e591c1e-1a96-5c73-aac2-06fd69e2e18d.html |title=Judge OKs deal to save Sweet Briar College - Richmond Times-Dispatch: Education |newspaper=Richmond.com |date=June 22, 2015 |author=Karin Kapsidelis |access-date= June 22, 2015}}</ref> The settlement required Saving Sweet Briar to deliver $12 million by September 2015 to help cover 2015–16 operating costs. The group met and exceeded its target, providing $12.143 million by September 2<ref name="MyUser_Richmond.com_September_3_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://www.richmond.com/news/local/education/article_724f843e-1b8b-5ac7-b852-f09b562bb7f6.html |title=Final $3.6 million payment is made to keep Sweet Briar open - Richmond Times-Dispatch: Education |newspaper=Richmond.com |date=September 2, 2015 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=September 3, 2015 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In November 2015 the college finances proved strong enough that the board decided not to draw on the promised $16 million which the court had made available from the endowment, reserving the option to do so later if necessary.<ref name="November2015Endowment">{{cite web |url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/virginia/sweet-briar-board-ok-s---budget-plan-would/article_9ed5ac78-8d79-5a43-8dac-2f3caa443e50.html |title=Sweet Briar College board OK's austerity budget - Roanoke Times: Virginia |newspaper=Roanoke.com |date=November 4, 2015 |author=Jessie Pounds |access-date= November 6, 2015}}</ref>

On April 23, 2016, the Board of Directors announced that Stone would be stepping down as the president to allow the Board to appoint a permanent leader.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Heilman|first1=Christian|title=Sweet Briar College president stepping down|url=http://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Sweet-Briar-College-president-stepping-down-376855161.html|access-date=23 April 2016}}</ref> On February 6, 2017, the college announced that [[Meredith Jung-En Woo]] would become the 13th president of the college, to be instated on May 15, 2017.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Doss|first1=Catherine|title=Sweet Briar College announces Meredith Woo as next president|url=http://wset.com/news/local/sweet-briar-college-announces-meredith-woo-as-next-president|access-date=6 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sweet Briar College names Meredith Woo as next president|date=6 February 2017|url=http://sbc.edu/news/sweet-briar-college-names-meredith-woo-as-next-president/}}</ref>

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In January 2016, the college announced that it had received more than 1000 applications for the 2016–2017 academic year and that it did not plan to touch the $16 million of restricted funds initially planned to be released from the endowment by the attorney general.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sweet Briar College sees highest number of new applicants in 50 years|url=http://m.wdbj7.com/news/local/sweet-briar-college-sees-highest-number-of-new-applicants-in-50-years/37535980|website=WDBJ7|access-date=20 January 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123003053/http://m.wdbj7.com/news/local/sweet-briar-college-sees-highest-number-of-new-applicants-in-50-years/37535980|archive-date=23 January 2016}}</ref>

In June 2018, the regional accreditor, the [[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges]], placed Sweet Briar on "warning" status based on a review of its fiscal-year 2017 finances. The college was required to demonstrate to the accreditor within the subsequent 12 months that its finances were sound and soundly managed, or further action, including revocation of accreditation and loss of federal financial aid, could have followed.<ref name="Chronicle_2018_SACS_warning">{{cite web |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/Sweet-Briar-College-Is-Placed/243692 |title=Sweet Briar College Is Placed on "Warning" by Accreditor |first=Eric |last=Kelderman |publisher=[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]] |date=June 15, 2018 |access-date=June 15, 2018}}</ref> In June 2019, the ~~"warning"~~commission ~~status was removed after review by~~lifted the ~~Board~~warning ~~of Trustees of the association~~status.<ref>{{cite web |title=SACSCOC June Actions and Disclosure Statements |url=http://www.sacscoc.org/2019JuneActionsanddisclosurestatements/jtcract%20June%202019.pdf |website=Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |access-date=19 August 2019}}</ref>

==== Admissions policy barring transgender students ====

In August 2024, Sweet Briar's leaders announced that the college would not accept transgender students. The [[Common Application]], which Sweet Briar requires applicants to complete, had recently changed to list four possible genders, something the college's administrators found unacceptable saying that the change "presents a challenge both for students applying for admission and administrators and staff making admissions decisions".<ref name="Moody">{{cite web |last1=Moody |first1=Josh |title=New Sweet Briar Policy Bars Transgender Students |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/trustees-regents/2024/08/28/new-sweet-briar-policy-bars-transgender-students |website=[[Inside Higher Ed]] |access-date=28 August 2024 |language=en |date=28 August 2024}}</ref>

College policy now says students can be admitted "if she confirms that her sex assigned at birth is female and that she consistently lives and identifies as a woman". Before this it just required a birth certificate. Sweet Briar's student government association and other campus groups have used social media to criticize the change.<ref name="Herald">{{cite news |first=Liana |last=Teixeira |title=Sweet Briar College Students Criticize New Admissions Policy as Transphobic |url=https://www.universityherald.com/articles/79208/20240819/sweet-briar-college-students-admissions-policy-transphobic-virginia.htm |access-date=28 August 2024 |work=University Herald |date=19 August 2024}}</ref> On August 26, 2024, the college's faculty senate approved a resolution in favor of reversing the new policy, writing that transgender students are "precisely the students who benefit from attending an institution that is historically dedicated to gender equity in a world where women were underserved and undervalued".<ref name="Moody" /> [[John Gregory Brown]], chair of the faculty senate, described the new policy as "morally repugnant".<ref name="Moody" />

===Presidents===

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* [[James F. Jones (educator)|James F. Jones Jr.]] (interim president, 2014–2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sbc.edu/news/uncategorized/james-f-jones-jr-named-interim-president/|title=James F. Jones Jr. named interim president|date=30 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="sbc.edu">{{cite web|url=http://sbc.edu/news/uncategorized/phillip-stone-officially-sweet-briar-college-president/|title=Phillip Stone officially becomes Sweet Briar College president|work=Sweet Briar College News|access-date=2 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Pounds|first1=Jessie|title=Ex-SBC president Parker backs school; Saving Sweet Briar pledges hit $10M|url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/virginia/ex-sbc-president-parker-backs-school-saving-sweet-briar-pledges/article_712c6a83-d23f-5308-95ae-1a2c535adf84.html|website=The Roanoke Times|date=14 April 2015 |access-date=14 April 2015}}</ref>

*Phillip C. Stone (2015–2017)<ref>{{cite web|title=Phillip Stone officially becomes Sweet Briar College president|url=http://sbc.edu/news/uncategorized/phillip-stone-officially-sweet-briar-college-president/|website=SBC.edu|access-date=2 July 2015}}</ref>

*[[Meredith Jung-En Woo]] (~~2017–present~~2017–2023)

* [[Mary Pope Hutson|Mary Pope Maybank Hutson]] (2023–present)

==Academics==

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|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/04/06/for-a-family-whose-ancestors-were-slaves-at-the-sweet-briar-plantation-a-loss/}}</ref>

Archaeologists have uncovered many slave artifacts on campus. A ~~170-year-old~~ slave cabin from the 1840s, which ~~also~~ was also used for early college employees, is ~~currently installed~~ behind Sweet Briar House.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wells|first1=Brant|title=Sweet Briar researcher documents slave history|url=http://www.newsadvance.com/lifestyles/sweet-briar-researcher-documents-slave-history/article_baf5404e-8a93-11e2-9497-0019bb30f31a.html|access-date=24 March 2015|publisher=News Advance – Lynchburg|date=March 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=African American Heritage|url=http://tusculum.sbc.edu/africanamericans/|website=Tusculum at Sweet Briar College|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131109195402/http://tusculum.sbc.edu/africanamericans/|archive-date= 9 November 2013|access-date=24 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Slave Cabin Research Grants Produce Results|volume=4|url=http://tusculum.sbc.edu/Newsletter_V4N3.pdf|access-date=24 March 2015|issue=3|publisher=Tusculum Institute at Sweet Briar College Newsletter|date=July 2013}}</ref>

Many of the college's faculty and staff live on campus, in homes that they rent or privately own. The land these homes are on belongs to the college.<ref>{{cite web|author=Sherese Gore|url=http://www.newsadvance.com/new_era_progress/news/uncertainty-looms-for-sweet-briar-s-on-campus-homeowners-renters/article_188d752c-cd91-11e4-802c-73e4e8801649.html|title=Uncertainty looms for Sweet Briar's on-campus homeowners, renters|newspaper=Amherst New Era-Progress|date=March 18, 2015}}</ref><ref>Laura McKenna, [https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/03/the-unfortunate-fate-of-sweet-briars-professors/387376/ The Unfortunate Fate of Sweet Briar's Professors], ''The Atlantic'' (March 10, 2015).</ref>

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* [[Mary Lee Settle]], author, winner of the [[National Book Award]] in 1978; founder of the [[PEN/Faulkner Award]] for fiction

* [[Ann Taylor (NPR newscaster)|Ann Taylor]], newscaster

* [[Elkanah East Taylor]] (~~1888-1945~~1888–1945), poet; poetry magazine founder

* [[Teresa Tomlinson]], former mayor of [[Columbus, Georgia]] and candidate in the 2020 Democratic Primary to contest the Senate seat of [[David Perdue]]

*[[Patsy Ticer]], politician, former mayor of Alexandria, former member of Virginia senate

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*[[Carolyn L. Rose]], archaeological conservator for the [[Smithsonian Institution]], one of the first ethnographic conservators in the United States

===~~Current faculty~~Faculty===

* [[Carrie Brown (author)|Carrie Brown]] – Former Margaret Banister Writer-in-Residence, English professor, novelist

* [[John Gregory Brown]] – English professor, novelist