sweet Briar support

MBC Builds sisterhood of support for sweet Briar College

The higher education community was stunned by the news that Sweet Briar College (SBC) would close its doors at the end of the summer, but a settlement reached in late June will allow SBC to remain open for the 2015–16 academic year.

For months, Mary Baldwin College prepared for the seeming inevitability that it would remain one of only two all-women colleges in Virginia, reaching out to SBC students who might consider MBC their new home and helping them begin the transfer process. Faculty took one of the first steps by unanimously affirming a teach-out agreement with Sweet Briar, which paved the way for students who wished to continue their undergraduate studies at a women’s college.

“From the day of the Sweet Briar announcement, the MBC faculty has been working on creative strategies to serve SBC students,” said Catharine O’Connell, vice president for academic affairs and student life and dean of the college. “Most striking of all has been the sincere compassion expressed by our community for everyone at Sweet Briar — students, staff, and faculty. i have been moved by the generosity of our faculty and their immediate desire to reach out to our sister school.”

As SBC students and their families toured the Mary Baldwin campus this spring, support continued to pour in — on social media with #stayfoxyatmbc and #vixenswelcome — and among members of the Alumnae/i Association Board of Directors, who wrote letters to Sweet Briar students, welcoming them to reach out with any questions about MBC.

With the national spotlight on all-female institutions of higher learning, MBC president pamela Fox penned an op ed for The Washington Post on March 6 to challenge the notion that small, women-centered, liberal arts colleges are doomed to fail, pointing to MBC’s own record of reinvention that has allowed the institution to thrive for 173 years.

“At first glance, Mary Baldwin — a women’s college in a small Virginia city without a large endowment — might seem to fall into the endangered species category,” Fox wrote. “MBC has defied all odds because it has evolved in ways that connect enduring heritage with courageous, entrepreneurial spirit to serve new generations of students.”

While the long-term future of SBC is still uncertain, Mary Baldwin is pleased that its sister school will remain open and continues to support SBC students, offering full refunds for those who have deposited at MBC, but may decide to return to Sweet Briar for the fall.

The admissions staff decorated Ham and Jam outside of the Administration Building in pink and green to show their support for Sweet Briar College. Inset: Taylor Frick '17 leads a group of SBC students on a campus tour. Tralen Neal ’16

2015–16 Leaders emerge

Have you met Tralen Neal? if not, there’s a good chance you will hear from the rising senior from raleigh, North Carolina, throughout the next year as she enacts her passion for leadership as Student Government Association (SGA) president for Mary Baldwin College. in February, students voted for a new slate of SGA leaders, including Neal; Jazmine Brooks, vice president; Sharanya rao, secretary; Molly “Jasyn” Chase, treasurer; MiAngel Hite, residence Hall Association chair; Jan Edlene Miguel, Judicial Board chair; rasheeda Bradley, lead advocate; lillie parker, Baldwin program Board chair; Ciara Mclaren, Honor Council chair; and Ciara Dacosta-reyes, inter-Club Council chair. As president, Neal hopes to promote diversity and leadership among women.

“Hearing the concerns of other students pushed me to run for SGA president,” Neal said. “My desire is to represent the students. i want every voice on campus accounted for.” After graduation, Neal hopes to attend medical school and eventually become a physician. “Being a leader at MBC is very inspiring. At a women’s college, you get the opportunity to see women lead in a way that normally goes unnoticed. i plan to inspire and motivate other young women to become their best selves, and i hope to continue the legacy of women leading the way.”