Sweet Briar College Catalogue

220 Pages·2001·12.6 MB·English

by  Sweet Briar College

SWEETBRIARCOLLEGE
3 2449 0511014 5
kmm.
2001-2002 College Calendar
Fall Semester 2001
August 18, 2001 New students arrive
August 22, 2001 Registration, Opening Convocation
August 23, 2001 Classes begin
September 20-22, 2001 Alumnae Council
September 21, 2001 Founders' Day
September 27-28, 2001 Reading Days
October 19-21, 2001 Families Weekend
October 31, 2001 Registration for Spring Term
November 17, 2001 Thanksgiving vacation begins 8 a.m.
November 26, 2001 Classes resume
December 7, 2001 Classes End
December 8, 2001 Reading Day
December 9-14, 2001 Examinations
Spring Semester 2002
January 14, 2002 Spring Term begins
March 2, 2002 Spring vacation begins at 8 a.m.
March 11, 2002 Classes resume
March 27, 2002 Registration for Fall Term
April 25, 2002 Classes end
April 26, 2002 Reading Day
April 27-May 2, 2002 Examinations
May 3, 2002 Class of 2002 Awards Ceremony, Baccalaureate Service
May 4, 2002 Commencement
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to insure the accuracy and completeness ofthis Catalog.
The information included is accurate atthe time ofprinting. However, Sw/eet Briar
College reserves the right to make necessary and desirable changes in policies, program
requirements, programs, courses, tuition, and fees. Current and prospective students
should check with College officials to verify current policies, requirements, programs,
tuition, and fees.
Sweet Briar College Catalog
2001-2002
Contents
Mission
College Profile 2
Sweet Briar College, 1901-2001 4
Academic Programs 7
Pre-Professional Planning 15
Student Life 1 8
General Policies 24
Academic Honors 27
Admissions 3
1
Financial Aid 36
Academic Scholarsfiips 38
College Fees, 2001-2002 41
Academic Regulations 44
Requirements for the Degree 47
Advisors, 2001-2002 56
Courses of Instruction 57
Faculty, 2001-2002 198
Board of Directors, 2001-2002 205
Administration, 2001-2002 206
Index 208
Communication with the College Inside Back Cover
Sweet Briar College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools (1 866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; telephone: 404-
679-4501 to award the degrees of bachelor of arts and bachelor of science.
)
Mission
Mission
Deeplycommittedtotheeducationofwomen methodsandmajortheoriesofscience,togain
since itsfoundingin 1901, SweetBriarCollege an appreciationofthearts, andtocommunicate
isconsistentlyrankedasoneofthetopnational withprecision andcogency.At SweetBriarthis
collegesforwomen inthecountry. Itsexcellent study takesplacewithin aresidentialenviron-
academicreputation,beautifulcampus, and mentthatencouragesphysical well-being,
attentiontotheindividualattractsmart, ethical awareness,sensitivitytoothers,
confidentwomenwhowanttoexcel. Sweet responsibilityforone's actions,personal
Briarintentionallytakes intoaccountthat initiative, andtheassumptionofleadership.
women's lives andlearning styles aredifferent Sweet Briarcontinuesitscommitmentasa
fromthoseofmen. Studentscanexpectthat women'scollege todevoteall its resourcesto
theirSweetBriarexperience-connecting theeducationofwomen inthefullrangeofthe
academicworktothewiderworld-will allow liberal arts and sciences, includingthose
themtofulfilltheirpromiseas scholars and subjectsthathavebeentraditionallyconsidered
leaders, whileenjoying theclose-knitfriend- asmaledomains.Thestudent/facultyratiois
shipsandcamaraderiethatcomewithasmall 7:1. In smallclasses, studentsreceivethe
residentialcommunity. Itscurriculumis attentionthatencourages self-confidenceand
organizedonthe premisethatafoundation in the improvementofskillsforlifeandhveli-
theliberal arts andsciencesenhancesthe hood.Ahighlyqualifiedfaculty,committedto
developmentofcriticalandcreativeabilities, undergraduateteachingofthehigheststan-
developstheabilitytosynthesizedisparate dards,contributestofulfillingthesegoals.The
information, equipsthestudentforgraduate Collegecontinuesto seekadiverse student
andprofessionaleducation, andencouragesthe body, drawnfromanationalandinternational
individualtocontinuetolearn longafter poolofapplicants.As an independentcollege.
leavingSweetBriar.Abroadlybasedacademic SweetBriarpossessestheflexibilitytorespond
programteacheshertoviewherexperience tothemanychallenges thatfacehigher
within widecontexts, toappreciatethe educationinarapidlychangingworld.
achievementsofthepast, tounderstandthe
College Profile
About630women studentsareinresidence offersopportunities forstudy abroadinallparts
eachyearatSweetBriarCollege, wherethey ofthe world. ThustheCollegeenjoys a
findchallengeandacademic rigorinpursuinga stimulatingdiversityofstudents, bothgeo-
widerangeofstudiesintheliberalarts and graphicalandsocial, whichenables studentsto
sciences. SweetBriariscentrallylocated 12 appreciatedifferentcultural perspectives.The
milesnorthofLynchburg, 100miles westof generous financial aidprogramattheCollege
Richmondand50milessouthof helpstoensurethatallqualifiedstudents may
Charlottesville.TheBlueRidgeMountainsjust attendSweetBriar.
tothewestoverlookthespaciouscampusof Thefacultyishighlyqualified—morethan
3,300acres, whileWashington, DC, lies 165 95 percentoffull-timefacultyholdtheearned
milesnortheastonUS 29. doctorateorhighestprofessionaldegreeintheir
StudentscometoSweetBriarfromallparts fields.Theyarededicatedteachersandscholars
oftheUnitedStatesandabroad.Toencourage whoknowhowtomotivate studentstoperform
studentstodevelopcapacitiesforinternational atthehighestacademiclevel. Our7:1 student/
studyandunderstanding. SweetBriaralso facultyratiomeansthatclassesaresmall
SweetBriarCollege
College Profile
enoughtoencourageactivelearninginmany Inaddition, theCollege offerspre-
lecture, seminaranddiscussiongroups.The professionalcertificateprograms inmanage-
scaleofSweetBriarmakesitpossiblefor ment,artsmanagement, andteacherlicensure.
studentstobecomewellacquaintedwith Co-curricularlifeatSweetBriarcomple-
faculty, sotheteachingprocessextends mentsthechallengesofacademic work. Itis
naturallybeyondtheclassroomatevents enrichedbyanextensiveprogramoffree
rangingfrominformaldinnerdiscussionsatthe lectures, concerts, danceandtheaterperfor-
chaplain'sresidencetoextendeddiscussionand mances, artexhibitsandfilms. Numerousclubs
analysisofthemanytalks andperformances andorganizationsencourage studentsto
givenby nationally known visiting speakers and participateinactivitiesrangingfromtutoring in
performingartists.TheHonors Summer thepublic schoolsandhousebuilding with
ResearchProgram(HSRP)offers studentsinall HabitatforHumanity toathletic activitiesand
academicdisciplinestheopportunityto sports suchasrockclimbing,hiking, spelunk-
undertakedirectedresearchworking 1:1 with ing, canoeing, tennis, swimming, fieldhockey,
faculty. riding, skiingandsoccer. Studentsareself-
In recentyears. SweetBriar's nationally governedthroughtheStudentGovernment
recognizedEwaldScholarsProgramhashosted Association,andall subscribetoandsupport
asymposiumonNativeAmericans which theHonorSystem. Social lifeisenlivened
broughtsuchluminaries asWilmaMankillerto throughmixers andinformalparties with
campus.Visiting speakershave also included students fromtheUniversity ofVirginia,
astronautSallyRide, the"firstwomanin Washington andLeeUniversity, Hampden-
space," formerGovernorAnn Richards of SydneyCollege,VirginiaMilitary Institute,
Texas,FormerDeanoftheWhite HousePress andotherneighboringcolleges.
CorpsHelenThomas, screenwriterCallie TheCollegemaintainsastrongtraditionof
Khouri, (ofThelmaandLouisefame), Pulitzer excellenceineducation, whileitcontinuesto
Prize-winninghistorianDoris KeamsGoodwin, developnew waysofkeepingthattradition
authorsNaomiWolf{TheBeautyMyth)and aliveforthefuture. Itprovidestheeducational,
AliceWalker{The ColorPurple), poetand recreational, andleadershipopportunities
author, MayaAngelou, andtheChairmanofthe necessaryforthepersonal developmentof
National BoardDirectorsoftheNAACP, Julian women wholiveinarapidlychangingworld.
Bond. SweetBriaralumnaehaveasenseofconfi-
Excellenceinteachingandcommitmentto denceandasupportivecareernetworkasthey
qualityhave alwaysbeengiventhehighest facethechallengesbeyondcollegeandare
priority. Students areencouragedtomeetnew securein theirabilitytomakeeffective
challenges andresponsibilities with anever- contributionstothewell-beingofoursociety.
increasing senseofmaturity.Thewomenof
SweetBriarareencouragedtodeveloptheir
academic andprofessionalinterests andto
realizetheirmaximumpotentialforleadership.
They are invitedtoexplorediversefieldsof
knowledge, andtodeepentheirunderstanding
ofspecific subjectsinawidechoiceofmajors
andminorsleadingtoaBachelorofArtsor
BachelorofSciencedegree.Thus, aneducation
atSweetBriarprepares studentsforsuccessful
entranceintoleadingprofessions andgraduate
schoolsnationwide.
2001-2002Catalog
I
1
SweetBriarCollege, 1901-2001
Sweet Briar College, 90 -200
1 1
History of the College Secondary Schools,theAmericanAssociation
SweetBriarCollege was founded 1901 by ofUniversityWomen, andtheAmerican
IndianaFletcherWilliams inmemoryofher Council on Education, andwas approvedbythe
onlydaughter, Daisy, whodiedin 1884atthe Association ofAmerican Universities. Sweet
ageof 16. Mrs.Williamswas adaughterof Briarisaccreditedby the Departmentof
ElijahFletcher, whocame toVirginiafrom Education, theCommonwealthofVirginia, and
Vermont intheearlyyearsofthe 19thcentury theCommissionofthe SouthernAssociationof
andtaughtschool inAmherstCounty. Laterhe CollegesandSchools (SACS)toawardthe
movedtoLynchburg, whereheownedand BachelorofArtsandBachelorofScience
published anewspaper, became acivic leader, degrees. It isamemberoftheCollegeEntrance
andamassedlargeholdingsoflandaswellasa Examination Boardandacontributing member
considerablefortune. oftheAmerican SchoolofClassical Studiesat
Athens.TheCollegeofferscourses leadingto
AtthetimeofMrs.Williams'deathin
teacherlicensureinVirginiaand29otherstates
1900,herestateconsistedofmore than 8,000
atboththeelementary and secondarylevel. Its
acresofland,includingthe Sweet Briar
chapterofPhi BetaKappa, authorized in 1949,
Plantation, andmorethanamilliondollars.
istheThetaofVirginia. It isone offewerthan
Underthetermsofherwill, theTrusteeswere 250chaptersnationwide.AchapterofPi
directedtoincorporate aneducational GammaMu, theinternational society in social
foundation inthe stateofVirginia, toestablish science, wasestablished in 1983; SigmaDelta
itas aperpetual memorialtoherdaughter, and Piestablisheditschapterin 1990;Alpha
toturnovertoitall property lefttothemin LambdaDeltawascharteredin 1992; andthe
trust. OmegaMu ChapterofPhiAlphaDelta
ItwasMrs.Williams'desire, accordingto fraternity wasestablishedinFebruary, 1995.
thefollowingexcerptfromherwill, that Manygifts, specialendowments, andbequests
"itshallbethegeneralscopeandobject havegreatly strengthenedtheCollege.
oftheschooltoimparttoitsstudents In 1978, theVirginiaCenterfortheCreative
sucheducation insoundlearning, and Artsbecameaffiliatedwith Sweet Briaras a
suchphysical, moral, andreligious year-roundartists'colony situatedatMount
trainingasshallin thejudgmentofthe SanAngelo, anearbyestatebelongingtothe
Directorsbestfitthem tobeuseful College. SweetBriarstudentsbenefitfrom
membersofsociety.'''' interactionwiththeseinternational fineand
ThefirstBoardofDirectorsdeterminedthat performing artiststhroughfrequentexhibitions,
theCollege shouldbefreefromdenomina- masterclassesandopen studios. In 1998,the
tionalcontrol andthatitshouldmaintainthe FlorenceElstonInnwascompleted,namedfor
highestacademic standards, unitingclassical FlorenceWoelfel Elston Beemer '21, its
andmodemidealsofeducation. benefactor. In 1994, six womenparticipatedin
SweetBriarCollegeopenedformally in thefirst Honors SummerResearchPrograms.
September 1906with51 students, including 15 In 1996, Dr. Elisabeth S. Muhlenfeldbecame
SweetBriar's9thPresident. In 2000, new
day students. ItsA.B. degree,grantedforthe
firsttime in 1910, was soonacceptedfor majors inEnvironmental StudiesandEnviron-
graduateworkin leadinguniversities,with mental Scienceswere offered. In2001, the
College accreditation wasreaffirmed by SACS
threeofitsoriginalfivegraduatespursuing
withthreecommendations.
advanceddegrees.
By 1921, SweetBriarheldmembership in
theSouthernAssociationofCollegesand
SweetBriarCollege
SweetBriarCollege, 1901-2001
The Campus whichhousesthedepartmentsofmusic, studio
The SweetBriarcampus, one ofthe most art,andtheatrearts. Music studiosarewell
beautiful inthecountry, is situated inthe equippedandspacious, whilethe studioart
foothills ofthe BlueRidgeMountains, about 20 facilitiesprovideafullrangeofpainting,
milesfromtheAppalachianTrail andthe Blue drawing, andprint studios. Equipmentforsilk
RidgeParkway.Twelvemilesnorth of screen,etching, lithography, andphotolithogra-
Lynchburg.Virginia, and45 scenic miles south phyis available, andpaintingandprinting
ofCharlottesville, the Collegeenjoysthe studiosarefullyequippedforoptimum
amenitiesofnearbycities aswellas spectacular performancebythe studentartist.Aphoto-
vistasofsurrounding mountains. Onacampus graphicdarkroomenables studentstounder-
ofwoodlands, dells, andsmall lakes,covering takeadvancedprojects.
morethan 3.000rollingacres, students areable Thehumanitiesandsocialsciencefaculties
toexplore thecountrysideonfoot,bicycle,or arehousedin BenedictBuilding, which
horseback. includesclassrooms, seminarrooms, faculty
Inthis idyllic setting studentsstudyin offices,acomputerlaboratory, agallery forart
buildingsrangingincharacterfromtheneo- exhibits, andTysonAuditorium.TheMary
Georgianredbrickofthenoted architect Ralph HelenCochranLibrary,designedbyRalph
AdamsCramtothemodem labsofthe Guion AdamsCramandbuiltin 1929 atthecenterof
ScienceCenter. Students liveinresidencehalls thecampusacademicbuildings, isthekeystone
situatedaroundamainquadrangle attheheart oflibrary servicesforSweetBriar.Threeother
ofthecampus.Theearliestresidencehalls, also librariesoncampus,theJuniusP. Fishbum
designedbyCram, arecomplementedbymore MusicLibrary inthe BabcockFineArts
Center, the FannyB. FletcherScienceLibrary
recenthallsnearby. Inadditiontostudent
accommodations, residencehallscontain inGuionScienceCenter,andtheMartinC.
commonrooms, kitchens, andapartmentsfor ShallenbergerArtLibrary inthe PannellArt
residentcounselors, who arefacultyorstaff Center, provide students withthe largest
members. Studentstaketheirmeals atacentral private undergraduatecollege library in
dininghall, ProthroCommons, whichcontains Virginia. Thecollectionsincludemorethan
240,000bookvolumes, 375,000microforms,a
informaldiningareasaswellas smalldining
roomsforspecialoccasions. currentperiodicalHstofover 1,150titles,and
over5500audio-visualmaterials, allfully
Themainquadrangleisdominatedbytwo accessibleto students. TheLibrary's Media
buildings, PannellArtCenterandMemorial
ServicesDepartmentprovidesaudio-visual
Chapel. Inkeepingwithpreviousrenovations
equipmentandsupport, andmaintainssatellite
designedtokeeppacewithmodernneeds and
capabilitiesfordistributingdownlinksignals
requirements,theoriginalCram-designed
throughoutthecampus.
refectorywasextensivelyremodeledand
reopenedin 1985 asthePannellArtCenter. It Inthe sciences,thenewlyrenovatedand
boasts amodemartgallerywhichhousesthe expandedGuion ScienceCenterprovidesup-
SweetBriarCollection, aswellas anarthistory to-dateequipmentforbiology,chemistry,
library, offices, andclassroomsfortheArt physics,psychology, andcomputerscience.
History Department.The spaciousMemorial Thebiology laboratoriescontainanewdigital
Chapel isthelocationofdaily interdenomina- imaging scanningelectron microscopeand
otherequipmentforstudyofsuchsubjectsas
tional servicesaswellasthe settingfor
numerousvocalandinstrumentalconcerts plantphysiology, microbiology,andcell and
molecularbiology. Chemistrylaboratories
throughouttheyear.
includemodem instmmentationforanalytical,
Whilearthistory studentsenjoythefacilities organic, andphysicalchemistry. Physics
ofthePannellArtCenter, studentsofthefine
laboratoriescontainequipmentfornuclearand
artsstudyintheBabcockFineArtsCenter, optical spectroscopy, fordetectionandanalysis
2001-2002Catalog
SweetBriarCollege, 1901-2001
ofsoundandlightwaves, andcomputersfor somemorethan 14' incircumference;the
dataacquisitionandanalysis. Studentstaking WilliamsEcological StudiesPreserve, 250
sciencecourseshavehands-onaccessto acresconsistingofavarietyofhabitats;the
equipmentnotoftenfoundin small liberalarts Constitution Oaks Sanctuary; andtheScenic
institutions. Examplesincludeanuclear Stream Preserve, whichextendsfromoneof
magneticresonancespectrometer(NMR); twolakesoncampus.
Fouriertransform infraredspectrometer(FT- Whilethewalkerandjoggercanbenefit
IR) anddiodearrayUVA'^IS spectrometer; a from milesofunspoiledcountryside,therider
scanningelectronmicroscopewithdigital canfollow numeroustrailsfromthe Harriet
imaging system; plex luminescentsequencing Howell RogersRidingCenter,oneofthebest-
systemandmodular,computercontrolled designedridingfacilities inthecountry.The
instrumentationforphysicsandchemistry; and centerincludesalarge (300'x 120') indoor
severalcomputerlabs withmodemcomputers, arena,a 175' x275' ovalringwithall-weather
printers, monitors, andprojectors.Allofthe footing,60boxstalls, threeoutdoorringsand
aboveenhancetheclassroomandlab 14paddocks, schoolingoutsidecourses, and
experienceforstudents.The SamuelE. three additional teaching stations. In thepast
UpchurchWing, opened in 1993,hasexpanded twoyears,theProgramhasupgradedits
laboratory andclassroom space inGuion. alreadyoutstanding facilitiesthroughthe
Computerscienceequipmentisconstantly additionofanew HunterTrialscourse, amajor
updatedtoprovidethelatestandbesthardware increaseofthetumout areas, anew inventory
andsoftwareforuseby students. Inthe social ofhorse showcompetitionjumps, thereplace-
sciences, too, studentsenjoytheuseofmodem mentofthe IndoorArenafooting with
equipmentandfacilities, includingcomputer Permatlexandtheenlargementandlightingof
labs,tocarryoutavarietyofexperiments in themainOutdoorring. Othersportsfacilities
psychology andtopursue study in include aswimmingpool whichmeetsall
anthropology, sociology,economics, and NCAArequirementsandtheDaisyWilliams
government. Gymnasiumwhichcontainsfacilitiesfor
SweetBriariscommittedtoproviding physicaleducation, weighttrainingequipment,
studentswithaccesstocomputers.TheWoody aNautilusCenter, aerobicfitnesscenter,
LeamingCenter, locatedinGray, includesa trainingrooms anddance studios. In addition,
computerlab.Additional publicaccess there are 14tenniscourtsandfieldsforhockey,
computingfacilitiesexistforstudents andfor lacrosse, and soccer.
teachingintheGuion ScienceCenter, the Thus thecampus isanideal locationboth
BabcockFineArtsCenterandin Benedict.All forstudyandforvigorousrecreation atall
are available24hours aday.Additional timesoftheyear. Itlendsitselftotheformation
microcomputersareavailableatotherlocations ofclose professionalrelationshipsbetween
acrossthecampus. Inall, morethan 100 students andfaculty,theenjoymentofawide
microcomputersare availableforstudentuse. varietyofeducational andrecreational
The Internet, theglobalcomputernetwork, is opportunities, andthedevelopmentoflasting
availabletoall studentsandfaculty. friendships.Classesaresmallandpersonal so
Recreationalfacilitiesabound at Sweet thatthetotahtyoftheeducational experienceis
Briar. Severalnatural areashave been setaside longrememberedandappreciatedbyalumnae
bytheCollegeforecologicalandbiological ofSweet Briar.
studies: theCharlesW. CarryNature Sanctu-
ary,50acresofold-growthhickoryandother
hardwoods; the NatureCenter, 12 acresof
woodlandwithmarked studytrails; theBig
OaksWoodland, 15 acresofmatureoaks-
SweetBriarCollege
Academic Programs
Academic Programs
Academic Advising AssociateDeanofAcademicAffairs,members
Theadvisingprogramat SweetBriarencour- ofthefaculty, andtheCareerServices staff.
ages studentstomake informeddecisionsabout First-Year Academic Advising
theirownacademicprogress. Coordinatedby
Sweet Briarstudentsactivelyparticipatein
theAssociate DeanofAcademicAffairs, the
planningtheirowneducation. Forthisreason,
programprovidesassistanceforstudents as
theCollege'sadvisingprogrammaintainsa
theydeveloptheiracademicobjectivesand
strongfocusonself-assessmentanddecision-
integratetheireducationalexperiences.
making.
Priortoherarrival,eachstudentis matched Afirst-yearstudentreceivesinformation
withanacademicadvisoronthebasisofshared
aboutheracademicadvisorandtheadvising
academicorco-curricularinterests. Unless she
processwhen shearrivesoncampus for
choosestochange,thestudentwillworkwith
Orientation. DuringOrientation, astudentwill
this advisoruntil shedeclaresamajorinthe
havetwoormoremeetingswithheracademic
springofhersophomoreyear. Supplementary
advisor.Thefirstmeetingisagroupmeeting-
advisingoffirst-yearstudents andsophomores
achancetomeetheradvisorandtheother
istheresponsibilityoftheAssociateDeanof first-yearstudents inheradvisinggroup.The
AcademicAffairs.
secondmeeting isone-to-one.Additional
Juniorsandseniorsareusuallyadvisedby individualappointments maybe scheduledas
thechairofthedepartmentsinwhichtheyhave needed.
declaredmajors. Supplementaryadvisingof
Beforeastudentmeetsindividuallywith
juniorsand seniors istheresponsibilityofDean
heracademicadvisorforthefirsttime, she is
oftheCollege.
askedtowriteaself-assessmentessay.This
Intheprocessofhelping studentsmake essayreflectsthe student'sunderstandingof
theirownchoices, academic advisorsinterpret "where she is" atthestartofhercollege
Collegerequirements,assistwithcourse career, thekindsofissuesandproblemsthat
selections,monitoradvisees' academic interesther,herownsenseofherstrengthsand
progress,andmakereferralstocampus weaknesses,andherinitialgoalsforher
resources.Academic advisorsalsoreceivethe collegeeducationandbeyond.Thisessaywill
self-assessmentessayswrittenby studentsat thenhelpthe studentandheradvisorprepare
threekeypointsintheircollegecareers. anoptimalcourse ofstudy.
Studentsandtheiradvisors usetheseself-
assessmentsasthebasisfordiscussing First-Year Seminar
educational goalsandachievements. Asanintroductiontotheskills,intellectual
Thefirst self-assessmentessaymustbe practices, andliberal artsperspectivepro-
writtenduringOrientationinanticipationofa motedat SweetBriar,all studentsenroll ina
student'sfirstindividual advising session.The three-creditfirst-yearseminarduringthefall
secondself-assessmentessay iswritten inthe semesteroftheirfirstyear.The seminar
middleofhersophomoreyearandisa focusesonoral, written, andin somecases,
requirementforregistration.Thethird self- quantitative skills.Throughthe studyofa
assessmentessay,writteninhersenioryear, theme, studentsareencouragedtoexercise
asksastudenttoevaluatehercollegecareerin analytical, synthetic,andcreativeabilities.In
lightofherplansforthefuture. ordertofacilitatetheactiveparticipationofall
Theresponsibility foradvising students students,eachseminaris limitedtoan
enrollmentof 15 students.These seminars
aboutgraduateprogramsandcareerplansis
maynotbecountedtowardthecompletionof
sharedamongtheDeanoftheCollege,the
2001-2002Catalog
Academic Programs
amajororminor. SeeFirst- YearSeminars Rogers RidingCenter,recreationalfacilities,
undertheCoursesofInstructionfordescrip- andtrailsforhikers,bicyclesandhorses.The
tionsofcurrentlyoffered seminars. outdoorcomponentofOrientation makesfirst-
yearstudentsawareofthese natural and
First-Year Experience
recreationalresources.
First-yearstudents are introducedtothe
College throughthe Key Program.The Key Residential Life and Housing
Programhelps students become involvedinthe SweetBriarresidencehalls provideopportuni-
community, worktowardacademic andcareer tiesforstudentsto live andgrowinadiverse
goals,andachievesuccessinsideandoutsideof community.Tohelpensure apositiveexperi-
theclassroom.Theprogram isimplemented ence, the OfficeofResidenceLife andHousing
throughOrientation, first-yearseminars, servesasthe "homebase"forthe Key Program
residential living, andmentoringby advisors whichfocusesonfirst-yearstudents.
and student leaders. Allfirst-yearstudentsarehousedtogether
Orientation indouble-occupancy rooms inoneoftwo
traditional-styleresidencehalls. Inadditionto
Orientation isthefirst stepinanew student's ResidentAssistants (RAs), PeerCommunica-
academiccareer. Itisdesignedto familiarize tors liveoncorridorswithfirst-yearstudents.
first-yearstudentswiththe SweetBriarcampus These leadersare upperclasswomen whohave
andcommunitywhilegiving studentstimeto
expertiseinareasrangingfromacademic
unpack,relax, andconnectwithclassmates.
resourcestohealthandwellness.
Duringthefirstweek, students, learntheins Both ResidentAssistantsandPeerCommu-
andoutsofcampuslife, howtouseelectronic nicators (PCs) areresponsible foreducational
mail andthecomputernetwork,howtoget programming specifictofirst-yearneeds. They
aroundthe library, andtheygain an understand- alsoprovide support,easethetransitionfrom
ingoftheHonorCode.Theyalsomeetwith
high school tocollege, andofferresource
academicandco-curricularadvisorsand
information viatheresource center.Thiscenter,
becomeacquaintedwiththemany services,
located inoneofthefirst-yearhalls, alsoserves
resources, andopportunities theCollegeoffers
as aplacetosimply"hangout".
studentsthroughouttheirfouryearsatSweet
Briar. Co-Curricular Advising
Orientationalsoprovides anoutdoor In additiontoacademicadvisors, first-year
componentthroughthe LearningontheLand students are assignedco-curricularadvisors
Program. Studentswillbeassignedintoan (CCAs)whoseprimaryresponsibilityis
exploratory sessionthatexaminesthe Sweet helping studentstake advantage ofcampus
Briarenvironmentfrom different perspectives, resources andco-curricularlearningopportuni-
including anthropology, art,ecology, history, ties. First-yearstudents meet withtheirCCAs
horticulture,andmusic.These sessionsare duringOrientationandonan"asneeded"basis
createdandtaughtbyfaculty,administrators, throughouttheyear. CCAs alsointroduce
and staffmembers withaneyetoward studentstothe processofcreatingaco-
combining learningandrecreation. Session curriculartranscriptorportfolio.
topicsandinstructors vary fromyeartoyear. DuringtheirfouryearsatSweetBriar,
SweetBriarCollege is an outstanding studentsparticipate inorganizations and
settingforan active lifestylebalancedwith events, internships, andotherexperiential
momentsofquietandcontemplation.The learningopportunities thatbuild skills in
Collegecampuscovers 3,300acresand leadership,problem-solving andalsoteam-
includeswoodlands, nature sanctuaries, work.Theseopportunitiesadaptability, and
farmland, lakes, amountainoutingcabin, the self-confidence.Arecordoftheseexperiences,
theco-curricularportfolio, complementseach
SweetBriarCollege