2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 18, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Statement of Purpose in Support of the Mission


Sweet Briar’s curriculum is organized on the premise that a foundation in the liberal arts enhances the development of critical and creative abilities, develops the ability to synthesize disparate information, equips the student for graduate and professional education, and encourages the individual to continue to learn long after leaving Sweet Briar.

A broadly based academic program teaches her to view her experience within wide contexts, to appreciate the achievements of the past, to understand the methods and major theories of science, to gain an appreciation of the arts, and to communicate with precision and cogency. At Sweet Briar this study takes place within a residential environment that encourages physical well-being, ethical awareness, sensitivity to others, responsibility for one’s actions, personal initiative, and the assumption of leadership.

A highly qualified faculty, committed to the highest standards of teaching, engages individuals on a human scale. In small classes, students receive the attention that encourages self-confidence and the improvement of skills for life and livelihood.

Sweet Briar continues its commitment as an independent undergraduate women’s college in order to devote its resources to the education of women in the full range of the liberal arts, including those subjects that have been traditionally considered male domains. It welcomes men as well as women in selected graduate programs. The College continus to seek a diverse student body, which is drawn from a national and international pool of applicants.