Sweet Briar College Reconstructs Curriculum and Cost Structure

Last week WIAReport published a post that showed that first-year enrollments at Sweet Briar College in Virginia were down significantly from a year ago. In March 2015, the board of trustees at the women’s college announced that Sweet Briar would close. Alumnae stepped in with substantial financial support to keep the college open but enrollments are still less than one half of what they were three years ago.

In an effort to attract more students, Sweet Briar College recently announced that it will adopt a core curriculum that will focus on women’s leadership. The academic calendar of the college will no longer consist of two 15-week semesters. A new academic calendar will be introduced that follows a 3-12-12-3-week schedule. The new academic calendar will incorporate short-term study opportunities dedicated to experiential learning such as research, internships, and study abroad programs.

In another major move, the college will offer a comprehensive rate for tuition, room, board and fees of $34,000. This is a 32 percent reduction in the sticker price for Sweet Briar College in the current academic year. The college will continue to offer need-based financial aid for accepted students who qualify.

Meredith Woo, the new president of Sweet Briar College, stated that “Sweet Briar is in a unique position to redefine affordable private higher education that is relevant for today’s global society and delivers excellent outcomes.”