texanvixen
New Member
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Post by texanvixen on Mar 5, 2015 18:50:03 GMT
Lot of very simplistic knowledge showing up. And lots that is not known about SB's true condition.. I'm not so sure the school owes the alumni any explanation. Encumbering assets is more than just going to a judge and having him say "yes" Bonds are an encumbered asset that becomes worth pennies on the dollar if they were to become unencumbered. If those bonds are part of the retirement funds of faculty/staff that is already retired it would be stripping them instead of saving a student. Encumbered assets can also be promissory notes. I pledge 10 million to the remodeling of a dormitory. The school doesn't actually have the funds sitting in a bank account. I have the funds. They have a contractual "promise". If they don't carry out their end of the contract to remodel the dorm I don't have to carry out my end of the contract to pay for it. A judge can't force me to pay for an unfilled contract. Depending on where the school is in their re-accreditation cycle they may be about to lose their regional accreditation. Keeping the school open another year means those credits earned may not be transferable. So the year would be lost to the students anyway. If that is the case a fast closing is the ethical thing to do for the students. There is a lot that goes into being accredited. The recent library upgrade could signal an issue with not having the required support (library, lab facilities, internship opportunities) to keep their regional accreditation. The article I read noted the school is far from any economic center. While the 20 minutes to starbucks is a bit of a jest it does point up to the lack of internship options that are vital to current student's education. That is going to be a ding on their score sheet for academic sustainability if they are entering the final phase of an accreditation cycle. Just had to respond to this. As an alumna I think we are fully entitled to understand what happened. The board and president are given the responsibility of caring for the school and ensuring it's continued operation and future and we as alumnae give them that responsibility when we elect some of our own to the board. As that is the case, when such a large decision affecting hundreds of people and taking away what many of us consider to be our home, an explanation is owed. The way I felt Tuesday when I heard the news was the way I felt when I learned my grandmother died so I equate this to losing a family member. So think about it, if someone told you a family member had just died and you had no idea they were sick or there were any problems, wouldn't you want an explanation? If you honestly believe that we alumnae are not owed an explanation I would very much like to know your reasoning behind that statement. As for the encumbered assets, looking at a tax return from 2012 I did not see any encumbered assets. Now I am not a trained accountant, I am only a lowly third year law student who likes to study taxes and finances so it's possible I overlooked something. But the $25 million in bonds that the school does owe, are owed to Amherst County (the county the school is located in). Given the choice between refinancing the bonds or having the school close, I'm certain Amherst County would choose to refinance and have the school stay open, keep jobs for the community, and give the community a place to go, be proud of, host events, and on and on and on. But I will say, I do not live in Amherst County, I do not know their financial situation. They may want the money back, but that is just my view on the matter. As for the school's location. It is located 20 minutes north of Lynchburg, Virginia (so yes 20 minutes to Starbucks - with the parking lot from hell I might add), but less than an hour to Charlottesville (home of UVA), 2 hours to Richmond, 3 to Williamsburg and Washington DC, and 2-3 to where I currently sit in North Carolina where there are plenty of opportunities. In my experience most students take on internships in the summer and so the location does not hinder this opportunity as most students go back to their hometowns or wherever they may want to go for an internship. For opportunities during the school year, as a government and history student, we often made trips to Washington DC to visit embassies, the Supreme Court, and other museums. Our location allowed us to see these things but still be away from the craziness and expense of the big city if we so desired. So I don't believe that the location hinders internship opportunities or learning opportunities that are vital to education. As with any other student at any other college, you just have to be willing to seek out the opportunity and take it. Again these are just my views on everything. |
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Post by Megan on Mar 5, 2015 19:40:09 GMT
From the SBC Facebook page, "The college has established arrangements with four universities, under which students may transfer through an expedited process. The schools are: Randolph College, in Lynchburg, VA; Hollins University, in Roanoke, VA; Mary Baldwin College, in Staunton, VA; and Lynchburg College, in Lynchburg, VA. In addition, Kettering University in Flint, MI will expedite transfer applications for Sweet Briar engineering students for the Fall 2015 semester." it looks like Kettering is taking the engineering students only. Well I can see why that's not viewed as a favorable option, bc I live in MI and my first response was, what made up school is that?!?  Where are you located? I'm surprised that a Michigan resident wouldn't recognize the name. General Motors Institute / GMI Engineering and Management Institute - those were the names before 1998. It's has top ranked (nationally) programs. I'm sorry for pulling away from the main topic. ;-) |
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Post by epeanymous on Mar 5, 2015 19:53:54 GMT
Texanvixen, I am sorry you are dealing with this and do think that the university owes the alums answers; after all, you have the name on your resume and will be getting questions for the rest of your career (and congrats on being almost finished with law school -- I am a law professor and know what a slog that third year can be).
One piece of advice, once you can make some peace -- contact the professors at Sweet Briar whom you may want to use as references in the future (maybe closer to the end of the year), offer your sympathies, and see if you can get their contact information going forward. It is past the date in the year (I believe) when they will be able to get new academic postings elsewhere, and it may be harder to track them down for a while than you might think.
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Post by alissa103 on Mar 5, 2015 20:08:11 GMT
I thought so! I'm not surprised your DD is as well-spoken as she is  I hope something gets worked out to save the school. Maybe the publicity and grassroots efforts will be a positive thing for the school in the end. |
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May 19, 2024 16:44:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2015 20:09:02 GMT
Are you suggesting that students in on-campus courses are better readers and writers than those in online courses? Because I saw her statement as saying that students would have to be excellent communicators in order to succeed in online coursework. I totally disagree that people who choose online learning make that choice so they can 'go to school in their jammies.' I'm kind of disappointed that those in academia seem to have such a low opinion of online courses. College costs are unbelievably ridiculous, and it's assy to expect students to just keep absorbing that cost instead of searching out alternatives. Are we talking about proper online courses from a proper university or college or are we talking about the bullshit scam schools like DeVry and that sort of thing? Because those are two different kettles of fish. Courses from a place like Ryerson University, with professors teaching the same class in real time in an actual classroom and then the same class online is one thing, and actually legit. The other ones, like DeVry or whatever the latest one is? Total bollocks and a waste of money since no one I know takes them seriously. So I think there's definitely a disparity when it comes to online course work, and it depends on the source of the courses. I've never heard of an online course being cheaper than the in class course, at a proper institution you would be paying the same course fees, so hearing that there are "cheaper" options makes me question their validity. And I feel really bad for the students of Sweet Briar who got screwed over by their administration by announcing the close after the transfer deadline. I have to wonder if it was a deliberate tactic of the administration to avoid a mass exodus and panic because there is no way that the administration didn't see this coming.  Of course I'm talking about online courses from proper universities and colleges. It's baffling why you would think otherwise. This entire thread has been about proper, accredited colleges and universities. As for the cheaper aspect, I'm surprised that I have to spell it out, but there are factors other than straight course fees. Time, commuting costs, parking permits and fees, to name just a few. |
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likescarrots
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by likescarrots on Mar 5, 2015 20:36:43 GMT
It is past the date in the year (I believe) when they will be able to get new academic postings elsewhere, and it may be harder to track them down for a while than you might think. I'm not sure where you would get this idea, as every university is different, but it is not out of the ordinary at all for universities to still be in the process of faculty searches at this time of year. |
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Post by anonrefugee on Mar 5, 2015 20:37:31 GMT
I probably shouldn't even comment- I'm so remote to this discussion. But I'm surprised anyone thinks the location contributed to its closure. I thought it was one of the advantages. My son is receiving a number of cards, fluff, from Virgina schools and almost all mention the small town, historic surroundings but big city opportunities.
My old friends talked about their alum connection running deep. There's "isolated" and then there's "out of touch". I never got the impression SB was either of those, but definitely not out of touch.
As far as online classes- we're hearing many freshman requirements at major universities, like UT, and Texas A&M are going online. Not sure if that's true...
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Post by 2peaornot2pea on Mar 5, 2015 21:33:16 GMT
In our school district, taking an online class is a requirement for graduating from high school. There are quite a few offerings for students to choose from to fulfill the requirement.
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Post by epeanymous on Mar 5, 2015 21:36:51 GMT
It is past the date in the year (I believe) when they will be able to get new academic postings elsewhere, and it may be harder to track them down for a while than you might think. I'm not sure where you would get this idea, as every university is different, but it is not out of the ordinary at all for universities to still be in the process of faculty searches at this time of year. I got that idea because in my field (regardless of school) you cannot accept a lateral transfer after this week, period. Things may vary by field. In all fields at my university except one, they have either finished hiring for the year or are almost finished (for tenure-track positions). |
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Post by anonrefugee on Mar 5, 2015 22:03:27 GMT
In our school district, taking an online class is a requirement for graduating from high school. There are quite a few offerings for students to choose from to fulfill the requirement. That's our school district too! The list is long, but most kids chose the 2-3 boring state required classes to fill the need. Either way, the idea is they gain experience with distance learning. |
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Post by momof3pits on Mar 5, 2015 22:42:00 GMT
Well I can see why that's not viewed as a favorable option, bc I live in MI and my first response was, what made up school is that?!? Where are you located? I'm surprised that a Michigan resident wouldn't recognize the name. General Motors Institute / GMI Engineering and Management Institute - those were the names before 1998. It's has top ranked (nationally) programs. I'm sorry for pulling away from the main topic. ;-) We'll DH knew exactly what it was when I asked, so just ignore me.. Backs out quietly... |
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May 19, 2024 16:44:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2015 23:54:21 GMT
I probably shouldn't even comment- I'm so remote to this discussion. But I'm surprised anyone thinks the location contributed to its closure. I thought it was one of the advantages. My son is receiving a number of cards, fluff, from Virgina schools and almost all mention the small town, historic surroundings but big city opportunities. My old friends talked about their alum connection running deep. There's "isolated" and then there's "out of touch". I never got the impression SB was either of those, but definitely not out of touch. As far as online classes- we're hearing many freshman requirements at major universities, like UT, and Texas A&M are going online. Not sure if that's true... Sweet Briar officials cited overarching challenges that the college has been unable to handle: the lack of interest from female high school students in attending a women's college like Sweet Briar, declining interest in liberal arts colleges generally, and eroding interest in attending colleges in rural areas. Sweet Briar is in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. "We are 30 minutes from a Starbucks," said James F. Jones Jr., president of the college.www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/03/04/sweet-briar-college-will-shut-down |
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Post by anonrefugee on Mar 6, 2015 1:25:41 GMT
I don't know if I buy the rural excuse voltagain, there are a lot of small colleges in smaller towns in this country that are thriving. And they not only don't have a Starbucks, they are more than a few hours from either a State or National capital, and metropolitan area. |
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Post by Mary W on Mar 6, 2015 1:48:12 GMT
My cousin is the softball coach there, so she's losing her job. I was sad for her when I heard the news.
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Post by anonrefugee on Mar 6, 2015 2:46:21 GMT
@daughtryfan I'm sorry too. It's one thing for us to speculate and discuss here, so sad for those whose lives are changed.
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May 19, 2024 16:44:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2015 4:53:34 GMT
I don't know if I buy the rural excuse voltagain, there are a lot of small colleges in smaller towns in this country that are thriving. And they not only don't have a Starbucks, they are more than a few hours from either a State or National capital, and metropolitan area. The excuse is coming from the college president. Doesn't matter if you buy it or not. I assume they, like other colleges, do market research on why students who apply decide not to come or why they don't apply in the first place. |
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Post by txdancermom on Mar 6, 2015 16:25:41 GMT
First, thank you everyone for the kind words about my dd - texanvixen - I am proud of her, and her eloquent words here are a product of the education she got at SBC. She has been in contact with some of her professors, and they are all frustrated that the professors can't talk, they are bound by a non-disclosure agreement they signed, thinking the college was about to announce a new focus on either the arts or science education, which had been talked about for some time. Then they found out what it was really all about.
Second, the alumnae are not sitting idly by, as of last night they had over a million dollars pledged to the fight (all done in about 3 days) and growing by the hour. I believe the alumnae group has hired attorneys to represent them.
As I have said before, I think the current president and Board underestimated the passion of the alumnae, their friends, and family members. IF they had come out 18 months ago and let us all know what the situation was, it is my belief that the current situation would not be happening. I truly believe that the alumnae, families, friends, and others who care about this College will rise to the challenge and amaze the Board.
As for what duty does the Board owe to the alumnae? I believe as the stewards of the financial resources of the college, they owe the alumnae and other donors an accurate financial picture of the state of the College. Information I remember seeing (and yes, my dh and I donate to the College on a regular basis), showed that things were ok, the endowment, while down, and other finances did not indicate imminent failure. The current situation seems to lead me to believe that someone was hiding things.
tia for listening.
Pat
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I hope something gets worked out to save the school. Maybe the publicity and grassroots efforts will be a positive thing for the school in the end. 
Of course I'm talking about online courses from proper universities and colleges. It's baffling why you would think otherwise. This entire thread has been about proper, accredited colleges and universities.
