Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar College is a liberal arts women's college in Sweet Briar, Virginia, United States, about 12 mi north of Lynchburg, Virginia. The school's Latin motto translates as: "She who has earned the rose may bear it."

The college is on 3250 acre donated by the founding family of Indiana Fletcher Williams. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

History
The school is named after the former Sweet Briar plantation, the former plantation of Elijah Fletcher and his family. Fletcher was a 19th century teacher, businessman, and mayor of Lynchburg. His wife, Maria Crawford, is credited with naming the land Sweet Briar. By the mid-19th century, Fletcher had between 80 and 100 slaves at the plantation. After their emancipation in 1865, several continued to work for pay and live at Sweet Briar. On Elijah Fletcher's death, his daughter, Indiana, inherited the plantation.

When she passed in 1900, she willed the land and much of her assets to starting a college for women, as her daughter Daisy had passed at 16 and, therefore, never had a chance to attend college.

Architecture
The campus is situated on 3250 acre in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The college's architecture is dominated by the work of Ralph Adams Cram, who also lent his architectural expertise to the campuses of Princeton University and West Point, among others. The campus property also includes the Sweet Briar plantation burial ground, in which upwards of sixty slaves are buried; according to some, an authentic slave cabin remains on the land, but this is probably not the case as the cabin does not follow building techniques associated with cabins of the day. The techniques used actually reflect modern techniques and may simply be an early reproduction. Archaeologists have uncovered many slave artifacts. Twenty one of the thirty buildings on campus were designated as the "Sweet Briar College Historic District" by the National Register of Historic Places. Also listed is Sweet Briar House.

Rankings
Sweet Briar has continually ranked high across the board by several organizations.
 * The Washington Post listed Sweet Briar as #2 for Colleges that study.
 * Princeton Review's "Best 361 Colleges": in 2010, ranked No. 8 for "Best Career Services," No 11 for "Class Discussions Encouraged," No. 6 for "Most Beautiful Campus," No. 4 for "Professors Get High Marks," No. 3 for "Most Accessible Professors," and No. 8 for "Best Classroom Experience," making Sweet Briar the only college in the nation to appear on all four academic top-20 lists.
 * In 2009, Forbes rated it 69th of America's Best Colleges.
 * In 2009-10, Princeton Review gave SBC an academic ranking of 99, a perfect score.
 * In 2004, Princeton Review gave SBC an academic ranking of 99, a perfect score.
 * U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" ratings, out of 100 top liberal arts colleges: in 2006, 71st; in 2005, 68th; in 2004, 63rd.
 * Princeton Review's "Best 361 Colleges": in 2008, ranked No. 1 for "Most Beautiful Campus," No. 5 for "Best Career/Job Placement Services," No. 8 for "Professors Make Themselves Available," No. 10 for "Professors Get High Marks" and No. 13 for "Class Discussions Encouraged."
 * Princeton Review's "Best 361 Colleges": in 2007, ranked 7th "Professors that Make Themselves Accessible," ranked 10th "Class Discussions Encouraged" and ranked 12th "Dorms Like Palaces." Based on a student-based survey.
 * Princeton Review's "Best 361 Colleges": in 2006, ranked 11th "Professors Make Themselves Accessible," ranked 11th "Class Discussions Encouraged," ranked 14th "Dorms Like Palaces."
 * Princeton Review's "Best 357 Colleges": in 2005, ranked 14th, higher than any other women's college, "Best Overall Academic Experience" and ranked 9th "Best Bargains" (private schools).
 * Princeton Review's "Best 351 Colleges": in 2004, ranked 4th in "Student Happiness with Financial Aid," ranked 11th "Best Quality of Life Category," and ranked 15th "Class Discussions Encouraged."
 * Princeton Review's "Best 345 Colleges": in 2003, ranked 8th "Students Happy with Financial Aid," ranked 9th "Professor Make Themselves Accessible," ranked 10th "Best Quality of Life," and ranked 12th "Are Your Instructors Good Teachers?"
 * Princeton Review's most beautiful campus: In 2007 rated #1, in 2006, rated #3; in 2005 rated #5. (Student-based survey)

Academics
The school operates 50 undergraduate courses of study as well as 3 pre-professional programs: Pre-Law, Pre-Medicine and Pre-Veterinary and two graduate degrees. Both programs are co-ed and in the field of education.
 * Sweet Briar College is the second women's college to offer an engineering degree.
 * Sweet Briar College offers several abroad programs to its students, the two largest being Junior Year in France and Junior Year in Spain.

Campus life
Sweet Briar is a residential campus, and nearly all students live on campus during their time at SBC. There are 7 standard dormitories, and more independent living available in the Green Village and Patteson House, available to upperclasswomen. The school has over fifty clubs and organizations.

The Honor Code
''Sweet Briar women do not lie, cheat, steal or violate the rights of others. Therefore I pledge to uphold all standards of honorable conduct. I will report myself and others for any infraction of this pledge.''

First-years are required to memorize the Honor pledge and take a test on it before they are allowed to hand in and Pledge any academic work. All academic work must be Pledged, and the consequences for violating that pledge are severe. Because of the high standards held by the honor code at Sweet Briar, students are able to take unproctored, self-scheduled exams. The Honor Code has non-academic applications as well.

Athletics
Sports teams are known as the Vixens. Sweet Briar is a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

Sweet Briar has 7 Varsity Sports: Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis and Volleyball. Sweet Briar also has Fencing as a club sport.

Students also participate in recreational sports through the Sweet Briar Outdoor Program (SWEBOP). SWEBOP organizes many trips throughout the year including hiking, fly fishing, caving, rock climbing and weekly kayaking and skiing.

Riding
The school operates a horseback riding program, which focuses on show and field hunters, huntseat equitation, and show jumping. The school has 7 riding teams. These include a jumper team, hunter show team, JV hunter show team, Affiliated National Riding Commission (ANRC) team, field team, and Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) team. As part of its program, students can study for an Equine Studies Certificate with a focus in either training or equine management.

ANRC Accolades include 9 ANRC Team national championship titles (1978, 1979, 1980, 1986, 198, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1999), and 10 ANRC Team reserve national championships titles (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005). Sweet Briar students have been individual national champions nine times (1978- Jamie Plank, 1979- Jamie Plank, 1980- Kathy Tayleor, 1981- Jamie Plank, 1986- Pam Ward, 1987- Gail Phillips, 1988- Pam Ward, 2000- Jen Lampton, and 2004- Karen Dennehy). Sweet Briar students have been individual reserve ANRC national champions seven times (1980- Pam Kobrock, 1985- Laurie Woolverton, 1986- Georgianna Congers, 1989- Pam Ward, 1990- Kerstin Chrisman, 2001- Cara Meade).

IHSA In 2006, Sweet Briar's IHSA team won their region (Zone 4, Region 1), and placed second at Zones, qualifying them for the Nationals Competition. The team placed third overall, with Jodie Weber '06 claiming a fourth overall in the Cacchione Cup competition. Weber also claimed the Open Over Fences Championship that catapulted the team into the third place position. In 2008, Sweet Briar IHSA won their region again, and proceeded to Nationals, where team members collected individual ribbons.

Equestrian center features include:
 * 130-acre on-campus riding center
 * 10 large fields ranging from 3 to 25 acres
 * More than 18 miles of trails through wooded countryside, foothills, dells and open fields
 * One of the largest indoor college arenas in the nation, measuring 120 feet x 300 feet
 * Three spacious outdoor rings, along with an enclosed lunging ring
 * More than seven teaching and schooling fields
 * Hunter trials course
 * Fence lines with coops
 * Complete inventory of hunter-jumper fences suitable for USEF competitions
 * Veterinarians on call
 * Twice-weekly farrier visits
 * Frequent equine chiropractor appointments
 * Biannual equine dentist visits

Administration

 * Victor Henningsen, former president of the Board of Trustees
 * Jo Ellen Johnson Parker, President, Sweet Briar College

Alumnae

 * Elaine Dundy, actor, journalist, novelist, biographer, and playwright
 * Sally Miller Gearhart, educator and science fiction writer
 * Molly Haskell, feminist film critic and author
 * Janet Lee Bouvier, mother of Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
 * Diana Muldaur, actor and former president of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
 * Leah Busque, entrepreneur and founder of TaskRabbit
 * Nancy Richards-Akers, romance novelist
 * Diane Holloway, television critic, Austin American-Statesman.
 * Jean Oliver Sartor, artist
 * Mary Lee Settle, author
 * Jill Steenhuis Ruffato, plein air artist who lives, works, and gives workshops on plein air technique in Provence.
 * Ann Taylor, National Public Radio newscaster (attended but did not graduate from SBC).
 * Teresa Tomlinson, current mayor of Columbus, Georgia
 * Sarah Porter Boehlmer, first female Executive VP of the New York Stock Exchange
 * Joanne Holbrook Patton, wife of General George Smith Patton, daughter of Brigadier General Willard Ames "Hunk" Holbrook Jr., benefactress of the "Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program"
 * Anne Swartz, Professor of Music and Chair of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, Baruch College
 * Joan Vail Thorne, playwright
 * Jennifer Ashley Harper, Dave Matthews wife
 * Angela Carpita, coach of winning Annapolis High School field hockey team
 * Sarah Byrd Hall, successful French teacher and former Sweet Briar swimmer

Current faculty

 * Lincoln P. Brower, Research Professor of Biology, leading authority on the Monarch Butterfly
 * John Gregory Brown, English Professor, novelist

Previous faculty

 * Belle Boone Beard, sociology professor and an authority on centenarians
 * Carrie Brown, former Margaret Banister Writer-in-Residence, English professor, novelist
 * Marion Elizabeth Blake, classics professor
 * Cornelius Eady, poet
 * Iren Marik, classical pianist
 * Constance Merritt, former Margaret Banister Writer-in-Residence
 * Mary Oliver, Pulitzer Prize winning poet
 * Barbara A. Perry, Carter Glass Professor of Government, Author, National Media Commentator

List of presidents

 * Jo Ellen Parker (2009–Present)
 * Elisabeth Showalter Muhlenfeld, President emerita (1996–2009)
 * Barbara A. Hill (1990–1996)
 * Nenah Elinor Fry (1983–1990)
 * Harold B. Whiteman, Jr. (1971–1983)
 * Anne Gary Pannell (1950–1971)
 * Martha B. Lucas (1946–1950)
 * Meta Glass (1925–1946)
 * Emilie Watts McVea (1916–1925)
 * Mary K. Benedict (1906–1916)
 * Meta Glass (1901-1906)