Dive Brief:
- Phillip C. Stone, a former lawyer, college president, and accrediting council chairman, will find a use for all his skills as Sweet Briar College’s next president.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education reports Stone’s former colleagues believe he is up to the job, especially as his experience as chairman of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges gave him intimate knowledge about how Sweet Briar must proceed.
- An avid hiker and Lincoln enthusiast, Stone was a key fundraiser for Bridgewater College, in Virginia, during his 16-year tenure as president, a time in which the college doubled its enrollment, according to The Chronicle.
Dive Insight:
After announcing it would close in August and then being forced to stay open under new leadership, Sweet Briar College will have to work hard to convince students, faculty, and staff the college is worth betting on. The settlement agreement that paved the way for Sweet Briar’s continued operations does not guarantee the college will survive in perpetuity. Many of its current students transferred to other colleges when they got word Sweet Briar would be closing. Creating a freshman class, of course, will be difficult as the lawsuits challenging the college’s closure lasted from late March through June. And among faculty, who were caught off guard by the closing announcement, it would be surprising if many are not looking for more stable positions elsewhere.