Comments on: #Save Sweet Briar

By: J M M

J M M — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 03:01:55 +0000

This is all thoughtful and interesting, but it just does not get the Sweet Briar situation. SBC has an amazing cohort of successful graduates- doctors and lawyers and business women. Yes some are stay at home moms , but they do tend to marry successful men. Then there is the overdrawn stereo type of Vixen coming from well to do families–but many are. So Sweet Briar college may have the highest potential for capital giving of any college -per student- in the USA. It’s just that someone has to ask! It cleary won’t be Jim “drink the Kool Ade” Jones, the interim president.

By: Russell Yoder

Russell Yoder — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 15:27:20 +0000

There is a great many things to be done to keep this wonderful college from going under and as the father of a proud alumni , Class of 2012, I want to thank the academics who have posted here and have offered their valuable time and opinions in hopes of reversing this decision. I would like to comment and say I think it is important Sweet Briar stay a woman’s college because the benefits are immeasurable but do agree the curriculum needs to be trimmed and specialized. The education and bonds my daughter received as a student will carry her through out her life and I know she would not have received them anywhere else.

By: mch

mch — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 06:52:25 +0000

I was a member of an external review committee of a Sweet Briar department some 15 or 20 years ago…. I (who, I confess, had rather thought of Sweet Briar as a “finishing school”) hadn’t expected what I met: a wonderful college, amazing students, and a fine department (of two) (not to mention one of the most beautiful places on earth I had ever seen). But even already then, the administration was beginning to be gnawed by keeping up with the Jones rather than confident propulsion by belief in its own goals and commitments. Only beginning, maybe, but here the results.

By: Misty Bastian

Misty Bastian — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 16:45:32 +0000

You know that I’m in, Tim, as needed! This is a great post. Thanks!

Misty L. Bastian
Lewis Audenreid Professor of History & Archaeology
Franklin & Marshall College

By: Deborah Durham

Deborah Durham — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 15:10:33 +0000

The current Sweet Briar faculty are also eager to brainstorm, and to save the college, recognizing that there may be opportunities for new frontiers in (small) liberal arts colleges.

By: Mimi Fahs

Mimi Fahs — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 19:27:51 +0000

“I’d love to see a pro bono project of small liberal-arts college presidents, provosts and faculty who would agree to descend upon Sweet Briar for a weekend of creative thinking, to help their Board and President see the futures they haven’t seen. I’ll pledge my time right now if there’s sufficient interest in such a thing.”

This is a wonderful idea!

We are organizing a small group of academic leaders to form ad hoc strategic planning advisory group, as part of Save Sweet Briar. I will mention your offer to them.

It would be great to involve both you and Alix Ingber.

Thanks for your interest.

Mimi Fahs SBC ’71
Professor (tenured), Hunter College, NYC

By: Timothy Burke

Timothy Burke — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 18:14:24 +0000

Thanks, I agree–much seems possible.

Greg was one of my favorite students!

By: Alix Ingber

Alix Ingber — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 16:37:59 +0000

Thank you for your comments and your ideas. And thank you also for your teaching (you were one of my son’s favorite professors at Swarthmore). I’d love to see the formation of the kind of group you envision. I am a retired faculty member living on campus who gave nearly thirty years of my life to Sweet Briar. There is so much more we can do — all it would take would be a bit of good will.