Uniquely positioned to successfully welcome back students
Posted on April 29, 2020 by Dana Poleski
President Meredith Woo announced that Sweet Briar College plans to resume in-person instruction in the fall of 2020.
President Woo stated, “The most important consideration in this decision is the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community. Located on 3,250 acres of exquisite land and in buildings that can accommodate all students in single rooms, we may be one of the rare colleges in America that can reasonably enforce social distancing. We will most scrupulously meet social distancing requirements. We are putting extensive plans in place for resumption of residential life, dining services and in-person instruction in a safe and responsible manner.”
This fall, the College plans to offer a single dormitory room to every student who wants and needs one. It will provide COVID-19 testing that will be in place by the fall and combine telemedicine with residential care to provide quality health care services to any student in need.
The College will provide food services while maintaining social distancing through a combination of prepared and served items, as well as contingency plans for a 2-day sanitation process. In addition, Sweet Briar will feature new farm-to-table dining service with produce from our very own 26,000-square-foot greenhouse.
Sweet Briar has a student-to-faculty ratio that is highly favorable to students. The College will continue to keep its classes small to allow students to spread out and maintain appropriate spacing. It will also offer hybrid or remote instruction to any student needing it.
“Sweet Briar is a college that cares deeply about its students and the larger community. Social distancing is a requirement that will be with us for a long time, and we will endeavor to be an example of how best to conduct fine education in the most healthful way possible. We miss our students and look forward to welcoming them home,” President Woo added.
For more information about the College’s response to COVID-19 and its commitment to the community, please visit our COVID-19 page.
