Sweet Briar College Receives Position Reaction to Re-Open Plans

Sweet Briar College, a liberal arts college committed to graduating women leaders for a more sustainable world, reports significant progress in its effort to resume in-person instruction. It will begin the fall semester on Aug. 11, making it the first higher ed institution in Virginia to start this soon. The early date will then allow students to finish their classes, return home for Thanksgiving and remain there during a period that experts stay could carry COVID-19 risks.

Reaction to the College’s “Safe, Spacious, and Ready” plan has been encouraging; admissions deposits are tracking 14% ahead of last year at this time.

The College will conduct regular testing and require everyone to wear a face covering Sweet Briar has identified Patteson House for isolation of those who test positive for COVID-19 or those who need to be quarantined, because they’re either symptomatic or exposed to a symptomatic person, but not yet confirmed positive.

Sweet Briar plans will always be in compliance with Virginia regulations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The college also is making a significant investment in remote learning technology so it can be used when needed.

Every Woman Can Have a Single Room

These steps are in addition to the earlier announcement that the College plans to offer a single dormitory room to every student who wants and needs one; this is believed to a unique offering in higher ed right now.

President Meredith Woo says, “We believe that small colleges, and particularly our institution, are best equipped to deal with the challenges of the pandemic. It behooves the policy makers to let these colleges thrive so they can continue to serve both their students and the surrounding communities that depend on them. The first step is by not imposing the one-size-fits-all solutions that are created for a different set of circumstances.”

The College is highlighting its 8-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, its 3,2500-acre campus and a new 27,000-foot greenhouse that will provide fresh, farm-to-table food for students as well as the local food bank.

A History of Health and Safety

A century ago, Sweet Briar faced a similar challenge: the Spanish flu pandemic. The College made the best use of its practice of in loco parentis — a college in place of a parent — by repeatedly checking on every student, providing excellent medical care, and making sure the campus was as safe as home, and even safer. Not a single person was lost at Sweet Briar, even in the pandemic that mostly claimed the lives of young men and women.