THE SEARCH FOR A VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND DEAN OF THE COLLEGE
Sweet Briar College, recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the fall of 2018 as one of the “Most Innovative Schools” in the nation, invites nominations and applications for a new Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College.
The College was founded in 1901 as a women’s college and remains dedicated to that mission. Sweet Briar College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Master of Arts in Teaching.
In 2015 when the administration attempted to close the College, thousands of alumnae immediately rallied to form a nonprofit – Saving Sweet Briar – and keep the college open. They hired a legal team, began an unprecedented fundraising campaign raising $21.5 million in pledges in 110 days, and set out to redefine its brand to be relevant for the 21st century. Between 2015 and 2018, Sweet Briar alumnae and friends contributed $53.7 million dollars in support of the College, thus ensuring not only that Sweet Briar would continue to educate women of consequence but also laying a foundation for the College’s future innovation and leadership among all liberal arts colleges.
In 2017 Meredith Woo became the 13th president, and since then the College has launched a bold academic program that integrates the liberal arts with women’s leadership to prepare graduates as problem solvers for today’s world. The College has also overhauled its budget structure and reset the tuition-pricing model to make the true cost transparent and predictable and to signal the College’s commitment to affordability.
The VPAA and Dean of the College will play a key leadership role at an institution that has been recognized nationally for its commitment to cultivating the habits of mind – in problem-solving, decision- making, and creativity – that are critical for leaders. ABOUT SWEET BRIAR COLLEGE The Faculty The faculty comprises talented, dedicated, and innovative educators and accomplished scholars, and includes recipients of the highest honor for college and university faculty from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, as well as other national and state distinctions and awards. Among the distinguished faculty are published THE MISSION OF novelists, notable researchers in science, math and the humanities, and creative artists. SWEET BRIAR As a result of the attempted closure in 2015, the size, demographics, Sweet Briar College prepares and academic composition of the faculty have undergone substantial, women (and at the graduate rapid change. The College is in the process of hiring several new faculty level, men as well) to be members and plans to maintain approximately 40 full-time faculty productive, responsible members equivalents until it meets its growth targets around 2022. The current of a world community. It focuses student-faculty ratio is about 8:1. on personal and professional achievement through a Sweet Briar College participates in the National Survey of Student customized educational program Engagement (NSSE). Sweet Briar seniors consistently report their that combines the liberal arts, engagement above the average levels for seniors from other women’s preparation for careers, and colleges, liberal arts institutions, and all NSSE participants combined, individual development. The including public universities in the following areas: faculty and staff guide students to become active learners, to reason ● Being challenged academically by faculty who exemplify clearly, to speak and write effective teaching practices in courses rich with reflective and persuasively, and to lead with integrative learning activities. integrity. They do so by creating ● Participating in two or more highly impactful educational an educational environment that experiences such as conducting research with a faculty member, is both intense and supportive internships or other real-word practical experiences outside of and where learning occurs in the classroom, study abroad and student leadership many different venues, including opportunities. the classroom, the community, ● Experiencing increased knowledge, skills and development in and the world. writing and speaking clearly and effectively, and thinking critically and analytically.
● Having high levels of engagement and quality interactions with faculty, as well as academic advisors, both in and outside the classroom. ● Learning from peers through frequent discussions with students and community members from different backgrounds and different belief systems. ● Feeling supported by a campus that provides resources and learning support services to help students succeed academically. ● Frequently attending an art exhibit or other arts performance (dance or music) and having more opportunities to attend campus activities and events. Sweet Briar College: Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College 2
In the fall of 2017, the College began restructuring the curriculum to position Sweet Briar among the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges. Key components of this restructuring include:
Replacing general education with a leadership core comprising Popular 10 courses focused on problem-solving, decision-making, ethical thinking, financial thinking, sustainability, effective majors include communication, creativity, scientific literacy (citizen science), and women leaders in action; business, Streamlining the number of majors, focusing on those that are psychology, most relevant for the new generations of students; and Establishing three interdisciplinary Centers of Excellence based on existing advantages that are unique to Sweet Briar: Science and Technology in Society; Creativity, Design and the Arts; and engineering. Human and Environmental Sustainability.
Modifying its 15-week semester system to 3-12-12-3-week semesters, with the three-week terms accommodating innovative and intensive classes, study abroad, and opportunities for research.
The College plans to invest in the unique program of women's leadership, the arts, and engineering, broadly defined to include science and technology, while maintaining its commitment to humanities and social sciences. An investment in these particular areas will entail faculty recruitment, retention, and development; allocating funds for curricular development and collaborative research involving faculty and students; and the promotion of internships and advising. The investment will also include equipment, facilities, and building renovations. Buildings prioritized for renovations include Guion Science Center and Babcock Fine Arts Center.
The College has initiated agricultural enterprises with the goal of increasing auxiliary revenue. The farm and its surroundings of more than 1,500 acres of hardwood forests, pine plantations, lakes, and streams provides a distinctive landscape for learning, and the Centers for Excellence are collaborating on interdisciplinary place-based projects.
In addition to its undergraduate programs of study, the College offers three pre-professional programs (pre-law, pre medicine, and pre-veterinary), and one graduate degree.
Sweet Briar College: Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College 3 Sweet Briar is one of only two women's colleges to offer an ABET- accredited engineering sciences degree. The Margaret Jones Wyllie ’45 Grants for Engaged Engineering Program offers courses in environmental, mechanical, and Learning electrical engineering. These grants — awards of up The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), which leads to initial teacher to $2,000 during a student’s licensure, is offered to men and women. time at Sweet Briar — support a variety of Students have the opportunity to study abroad, including through the College’s own prestigious Junior Year in France (JYF). It is the oldest co- experiential learning educational intercollegiate study abroad program in Paris and offers both opportunities including yearlong and semester programs. The College also has an MOU with the research projects, artistic Smithsonian-Mason School for Conservation, allowing biology and endeavors, entrepreneurial environmental students to attend semester programs at the Smithsonian activities, travel, internships, Conservation Biology Institute. job shadowing and more. The College has a collaboration agreement with the nearby Virginia Projects can be broadly Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA), an arts community on College imagined and should align property that hosts more than 400 fellows each year, artists whose with academic or career honors include MacArthur Fellowships, National Book Awards, Pulitzer interests. To apply, students Prizes, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, among others. A team of VCCA fellows teaches one section of Sweet Briar’s write a formal proposal that leadership core course, “Expression and the Arts.” includes a description of the project and their goals, as Students well as a detailed timeline The current student body is composed of students from 31 states and and budget. At the end of the District of Columbia, as well as nine foreign countries: Bangladesh, their project, students submit China, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Mongolia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia and a brief report of their work. Ukraine.
The College is introducing living-learning communities, and is committed to a new approach to advising (faculty, career, alumnae) and strengthening career planning.
Students participate in myriad clubs and organizations that provide opportunities for leadership roles and to put into practice what they’re learning in the classroom as part of the College’s leadership core curriculum.
Athletics Sweet Briar is NCAA Division III and a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) with seven varsity sports teams: cross- country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, and tennis.
The College is known for its world class equestrian program, which
Sweet Briar College: Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College 4 focuses on show and field hunters, hunt seat equitation, and show jumping. It was the first Division III school, and remains one of only two, invited by the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) to compete with Division I schools. As of March 2019, Sweet Briar’s NCEA team is nationally ranked #6 in Over Fences, and #9 on the Flat. It also Sweet Briar Campus maintains an Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) team, which th is a champion for its regional zone. Students can study for an Equine • 4 largest campus Studies Certificate with a focus in training or equine management. among liberal arts There is a 130-acre on-campus riding center, more than 18 miles of trails, and one of the nation’s largest indoor college riding arenas. colleges in the U.S. • 3,250 acres The Campus • 8 nature sanctuaries The Sweet Briar campus is spectacular and expansive: 3,250-acres in • 2 lakes the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Twenty-one buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places and it is one of the most • 18 miles of trails significant legacies of the great American architect, Ralph Adams Cram.
Recognizing the opportunity presented by its abundant land, the College is partnering with government agencies, both state and national, and outside experts to design agricultural enterprises that will be regenerative and scientific, as they are financially and ecologically Sweet Briar has an sustainable. A large apiary has been installed adjacent to a new wildflower meadow, and sites are being prepared for vineyards and endowment of orchards. A large greenhouse is under construction to grow produce $75 million as of both for use on campus and to sell to the College’s food service provider for their other nearby clients. June 30, 2018. Financial Information The College has a balanced budget of $27 million for FY 2019. Fundraising at the College remains strong: During fiscal year 2018, Sweet Briar College received gifts and pledges totaling $18.4 million. This includes donations from individuals, corporate and foundation gifts, grants and future commitments. Of that total, $13,077,000 is for fiscal year 2018 and $4.5 million will come as future support. Additional contributions were made to the College’s endowed funds, which are critical for scholarships, faculty and academic programs. This marks the third year in a row that the College has exceeded its fundraising goal. The College plans to reduce its dependence on gifts as its enrollment and student-generated revenues increase. The fundraising goal for FY 2019 in unrestricted gifts and grants is $10 million.
The 2018-19 tuition reset represented a 32 percent decrease from the previous year’s published price. At $21,000 for tuition, Sweet
Sweet Briar College: Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College 5 Briar is competitive with selective public universities for Virginia residents and much more affordable for out-of-state students. Consequently, the College opened up a new market for cross- applicants. The College continues to provide merit and need-based financial aid via more than 200 endowed scholarships for eligible students.
In December 2017, S&P Global Ratings raised its long-term rating to “B+” from “B” on bonds issued for Sweet Briar College, with an outlook of “stable.” The rating upgrade reflected S&P’s view of the College’s new board and senior leadership team as well as the
actions taken to stabilize the College.
Sweet Briar is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Admissions and Enrollment Mountains in central Virginia, Fall 2018 saw the arrival of 126 new students; a 32 percent increase within easy driving distance of from the previous year, with an improved mean grade point national forests, historic sites, average of 3.51 (from 3.34) and a mean combined SAT of 1100 Washington, D.C., Richmond, (from 1071). As the result of improved enrollment and the and Charlottesville. The College graduation of very small classes, it is expected that enrollment will reach its target of 600 undergraduates by FY 2022. is right outside of Amherst, a small town of 2,300 people and is only 13 miles away from The President Lynchburg, which has a Noted scholar, liberal arts advocate, and global leader for women’s population of nearly 80,000 education Meredith Woo began serving as the 13th president of people, making it a location that Sweet Briar College in May 2017. has the charm of a small town Prior to joining Sweet Briar, she directed the Global Higher with the advantages of a small Education Program for the Open Society Foundations, based in city. Lynchburg itself is a London, where her program supported more than 50 colleges and growing college town: it is home universities over the past 20 years, mostly in the former Soviet bloc to Randolph College, University countries. of Lynchburg, Liberty University, Central Virginia Community Woo previously served as the University of Virginia’s dean of the College, and the Virginia College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and, prior to that University of Lynchburg. It appointment, as the associate dean for the social sciences at the boasts a thriving downtown, University of Michigan. She has also taught at Northwestern museums, shopping, restaurants, University and Columbia University, and consulted with the World Bank, the U.S. Trade Representative, Asian Development Bank and and a vibrant visual and the MacArthur Foundation. performing arts scene. The surrounding airports in A native of Seoul who was educated in Seoul and Tokyo through Charlottesville and Richmond are high school, Woo received her undergraduate degree at Bowdoin easily accessible. College in Maine, and completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in international affairs, Latin American studies, and political science at Columbia University.
Sweet Briar College: Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College 6 THE NEW VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND DEAN OF THE COLLEGE
Academic Affairs at Sweet Briar comprises academic programs as well as academic support units such as the library, art gallery, historical museum, the office of institutional effectiveness, the registrar, study abroad and international education, academic advising, and an academic resource center. The position is also responsible for overseeing assessment and accreditation processes with support from the associate dean.
Reporting to the President and working closely as a member of her senior leadership team, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College will:
● Contribute significantly to the inspiring work of establishing Sweet Briar College as one of the most innovative liberal arts colleges in the country that is recognized for excellence in select areas; ● Oversee and evaluate operations pertaining to academic and academic support programs, including the faculty and academic support personnel; ● Model a responsible and responsive approach to shared governance by promoting open communication and multiple avenues of consultation that lead to informed decisions; ● Encourage excellence in the faculty and academic support staff, by providing direction and oversight as they continue the work of implementing the leadership curriculum, and contribute to national conversations about the relevance of a liberal arts education; ● Oversee faculty and staff advancement, including: hiring, mentoring, teaching and learning training, leadership development, leaves and retirement, and support for scholarly research and creative activity; ● Play a leadership role in ensuring student success, establishing academic policies, and working closely with students on issues related to academic advising; ● Collaborate with other members of the President’s Cabinet to ensure effective management of the College; ● Serve as liaison to the academic policy committee of the Board of Directors;
Sweet Briar College: Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College 7 ● Have responsibility for the strategic deployment of financial and personnel resources for all academic departments, programs and academic support functions; ● Play a key role in on-going assessment and evaluation of the academic program, and lead the reaccreditation process; ● Partner with the Vice President for Communications and APPLICATIONS AND Enrollment on student recruitment initiatives; NOMINATIONS ● Partner with the Vice President for Alumnae Relations and Review of candidates will begin Development on fundraising opportunities and the immediately and continue until the coordination of grant proposals; ● position is filled. For full Represent the College to a variety of constituencies, including consideration, please send all parents, alumnae, governmental or legal entities and the confidential nominations, inquiries general public, including being regularly present at campus and expressions of interest to Sage events; and ● Search Partners: Paula Fazli, Support and advance the College’s commitment to Managing Partner, and Kate Salop, maintaining an inclusive, nurturing environment that respects Partner at individual choice and difference. [email protected] Qualities, Qualifications and Experience Application materials should include a letter of interest, a CV and a list of The next Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the three (3) references. No references College will be a steadfast leader with exceptional change will be contacted without the management experience who inspires the confidence of the candidate’s permission. administration, faculty, students, staff, and alumnae.
In addition, she or he will have:
● A deep understanding of the value of women’s liberal arts education; ● Demonstrated success developing new academic programs in a liberal arts setting and leading an ambitious and innovative mission-centered academic agenda; ● Significant experience in academic administration; ● Insight into the key issues facing liberal arts colleges today; ● The ability to build consensus and to communicate decisions with clarity and care; ● Financial acumen to develop and advocate for creative solutions in allocating resources; ● Successful external fundraising experience; ● A terminal degree and significant accomplishments in teaching, scholarship, and service commensurate with tenure.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Sweet Briar College is committed to enhancing our community and encourages applications from qualified individuals with varied backgrounds, experiences and ideas who would increase the diversity of the College.
Sweet Briar College: Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College 8