“We knew we had some problems. We didn’t imagine that we were going to be told there would be no more graduating classes after this year,” said Chang, who is especially sad for her young colleagues in the early days of their academic careers.
The move left alumnae stunned, saying they had not been at all informed that Sweet Briar, a women’s liberal arts college near Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains that has existed for more than a century, was in such a precarious position.
Action was swift upon hearing the news. A nonprofit group calling itself Saving Sweet Briar, Inc. is fighting the closure of Sweet Briar College. On Monday, they announced that the group’s legal counsel has found evidence that Sweet Briar administrators have violated Virginia law. They are calling for the resignation of interim president James F. Jones Jr. and members of the board of directors.
“We have activated almost every member of our alumnae association,” said Christine Boulware, class of 1977 and a former board member. “At least 80 to 90 percent have responded by saying, ‘What can we do to save the college?’”
Boulware said Sweet Briar College is tremendously rich in assets, many of which have been untapped. There are more than 3,200 acres of land and approximately 21 historically registered buildings built on land that was originally a plantation. In its past, there was a dairy farm on campus that provided income to the college.
“Most colleges and institutions today have to develop a diverse financial base,” she said. “In the case of Sweet Briar we did not explore aggressively other forms of revenue. We did not explore the use of our land for environmental and energy purposes.”
