Amherst County Atty Accepts Incitation to Meeting requesting SB Documents be available

Attached.  Note the conditions that Bowyer/Troutman has asked for.  We will see whether SBC agrees.  If they do not.  Well, things will get even more interesting. 

AG Request to set up a meeting between SB and SSB/Amherst County Atty

Dan Gottlieb's Part 3 in the Sweet Briar Closing Story:
Enrollment, Tuition and Discount

http://blog.jayorsi.com/sweet-briar/enrollment-tuition-and-discount-rate-the-sweet-briar-story-part-3/

Our view: What Updike is up to

Roanoke Times editorial perspective on the meaning of Judge Updike's ruling re Jessica Campbell and 9 other plaintiffs (students, parents, alumnae) suit against Sweet Briar. What signals did the judge actually send?

http://m.roanoke.com/opinion/editorials/our-view-what-updike-is-up-to/article_6f78ef9b-85f2-5e42-b887-2519eb74542a.html?mode=jqm&fb_ref=Default&fb_source=message

AG Trying to Set up a Meeting between SSB and Sweet Briar!

http://ag.virginia.gov/files/SBC_04_29_2015_Letter_to_Counsel.pdf

Wyatt and Taylor: Sweet Briar directors faced an impossibly difficult decision

http://www.richmond.com/opinion/their-opinion/guest-columnists/article_6684faad-1a48-59ff-ac0e-23e023a4b3fd.html

Washington Post lot going on in court: Appeals, injunctions denied, and more

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/04/29/sweet-briar-has-a-lot-going-on-in-court-appeals-injunctions-denied-and-more/

Gov. McAuliffe on Sweet Briar: 'I'll look at anything'

http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/mcauliffe-on-sweet-briar-i-ll-look-at-anything/article_d4ebd63e-eeb9-11e4-bbbc-abf329b849de.html?mode=jqm

Judge orders six-month injunction stopping Sweet Briar from disposing of assets

"There is a basis for finding, not in legal terms, this ain't right," he said. (Judge Updike)

http://www.newsadvance.com/news/judge-orders-six-month-injunction-stopping-sweet-briar-from-disposing/article_b7ec850a-eeb5-11e4-bc56-d7e0e31be09f.html

Bedford County Judge Rules That Sweet Briar Can Not Sell Assets for Six Months

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/bedford-county-judge-rules-that-sweet-briar-college-cannot-sell-any-assets-for-six-months/32646002

Va Supreme Court Appeal Saving Sweet Briar

https://savingsweetbriar.com/amherst-county-attorney-appeal-to-virginia-supreme-court/

Embattled Sweet Briar named to list of top women’s colleges

http://www.virginiabusiness.com/news/article/embattled-sweet-briar-named-to-list-of-top-womens-colleges

IT'S TIME FOR HUMBLE PIE

.....ANOTHER FINE BLOG POST BY JAY ORSI in support of SavingSweetBriar

http://blog.jayorsi.com/sweet-briar/sbc-humble-pie/

Newsweek The End of Sweet Briar College and the Problem With Women's Colleges BY ABIGAIL JONES / APRIL 29, 2015 6:26 AM EDT

http://www.newsweek.com/2015/05/08/end-sweet-briar-college-and-problem-womens-colleges-326363.html

Follow The Money

http://followthemoneyatsweetbriar.com Follow the Money website , 2013 plan to Merge with Hollons U. And more. 

Call the Governor of Virginia on Thursday!

This message was posted on Facebook.  If you like you can go ahead and call and ask the governor questions about Sweet Briar. From Monika Kaiser '82

The Governor of VA will field Qs on Thurs at 9 am- be sure to inundate them with our ‪#‎savesweetbriar‬ calls! Call 877-336-1035 or use hashtag‪#‎askthe‬ on day of!!

And here is the URL for you to listen in live.   http://wtop.com/listen-live/

Are SB Faculty Going Down Easy? Hardly!

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/policysocial-context/26030-are-sweet-briar-faculty-going-down-easy-hardly.html

AG Should Join the Fight To Save SB

http://www.roanoke.com/opinion/torretti-herring-should-join-the-fight-to-save-sweet-briar/article_65e7d1a8-bbda-5415-9332-5b5b8a36a0de.html?mode=jqm
From the parent of a current junior at SBC. 

Jay Orsi Blog: It's Time for SB BoD To Eat Some Humble Pie

http://blog.jayorsi.com/sweet-briar/sbc-humble-pie/

SUSAN SNODGRASS WYNNE'S GODDAUGHTER'S ON-AIR DEBUT -- ABOUT SBC AND THE FUTURE OF LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES.


http://www.cbn.com/tv/4202236981001

Sweet Briar Admin Says Faculty Lawsuit an Attempt to get a Financial Windfall

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/04/27/sweet-briar-administration-says-faculty-lawsuit-is-just-an-attempt-by-professors-to-get-a-financial-windfall/

AG urged to probe Sweet Briar use of state grant funds

http://www.richmond.com/news/local/education/article_d93599a3-9c56-5a30-9d52-7df175a2898e.html

Sweet Briar Alumna:The Board of Directors Should Resign

http://wtvr.com/2015/04/25/sweet-briar-college-alumnae-the-board-of-directors-should-resign/
Stacy Lukanuski

Fareed Zakaria In Defense of a Liberal Education

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/book-excerpt-defense-liberal-education-fareed-zakaria/story?id=29901850 

Sweet Briar Litigation Blog

http://sweetbriarlitigation.info/faculty-lawsuit-may-force-sweet-briar-transparency/
By SM Oliva

Tuscalem House: Dismantled home owned by Sweet Briar College will be reconstructed

http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/bedford_county/dismantled-home-owned-by-sweet-briar-college-will-be-reconstructed/article_6e4688f0-e868-11e3-a02c-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm
Article from 11 months ago with info on what happened with Tusculum house that has ties to the college as the childhood home of the mother of the college’s founder, Indiana Fletcher Williams. From Katie Schellhammer '95.

AG Mark Herring tweeted his meeting with Saving Sweet Briar!

https://mobile.twitter.com/search/?q=%23SaveSweetBriar&s=hash

• Mark Herring@MarkHerringVA

  Good visit w #SaveSweetBriar crew 2night in Fairfax. Lets keep talking,looking 4 solutions. Its a very special school pic.twitter.com/toHlqfwnpj

  2:11am - 27 Apr 15

Mayor Tomlinson '87 Sweet Briar Commencement speaker to have uniquely difficult task

http://www.roanoke.com/news/sweet-briar-speaker-to-have-uniquely-difficult-task/article_ba0ee4fa-9b39-574d-846a-d98218713dba.html?mode=jqm
Mayor Tomlinson '87

Alumna interview Richmond TV

http://wtvr.com/2015/04/25/sweet-briar-college-alumnae-the-board-of-directors-should-resign/
Stacy Lukanuski

Video Saving Sweet Briar- must see!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_sDgTPAmq4k
Renee Ruth

Flower Basket Madison Heights Adopt a Vixen big success, 580 bouquets delivered

https://www.facebook.com/theflowerbasketva.

Great photos! 

Now faculty are suing Sweet Briar, too

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/04/24/now-faculty-are-suing-sweet-briar-too/

SCENES OF SAVING SWEET BRIAR — AN INSPIRING EXAMPLE OF PASSION, PURPOSE AND PROGRESS.

http://beingunlocked.com/2015/04/behind-the-scenes-of-saving-sweet-briar-an-inspiring-example-of-passion-purpose-and-progress/. By:

Stacey Sickels Locke, CFRE, is a proud graduate of Sweet Briar College, Class of 1988.  She served as an employee of the College in the early 1990s working on the $25 million Campaign.  During that time, she solicited many leadership gifts which make up the current endowment and she feels a sense of duty that those donations are not used for the closure of the College or for any other purposes than the donors intended. Since then, she has spent her career building support for higher education and the nonprofit community as a staff member and consultant for boards.  As a volunteer, she has served Sweet Briar since graduation as a fundraiser, admissions ambassador and now advocate for the #saveSweetBriar movement.  She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), is affiliated (through the University of Maryland) with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and holds a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification from CFRE International.

Molly Phemister Letter to Class of 1969

http://www.sbc1969.com/2015/03/30/how-sweet-briars-board-decided-to-close-the-college/#comment-148

Sweet Briar Faculty File Complaint

http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/sweet-briar-faculty-file-complaint-seeking-more-than-million-in/article_21799a78-eacc-11e4-a8f8-0fae364fcdf6.html?mode=jqm

AG Herring has stumbled into a Briar Patch

http://watchdog.org/213841/herring-sweet-briar/

What Will Become of Sweet Briar's Atmospheric Research Station?

https://eos.org/articles/what-will-become-of-sweet-briars-atmospheric-research-station

SBC Re-Thinking is for Real Men

https://mobile.twitter.com/search/gallery?q=%23SaveSweetBriar&s=tyah&idx=1&tid=591240700731195392  Love this image! 

David Brenemen Board Member Who is to Forward Alumna Letter

Newton and Rita Meyers Professor in Economics of Education at UVa Curry school of Education http://curry.virginia.edu/about/directory/david-w.-breneman

Education

• Ph.D., University of California-Berkeley, 1970
• B.A., University of Colorado-Boulder, 1963

Academic Offerings

• Education Policy (Policy Studies)
• Higher Education

Research Centers

• EdPolicyWorks | The Center on Education Policy and Workforce Competitiveness

Personal Statement

University Professor David W. Breneman served as Director of the Public Policy Program at the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia, from 2006 to 2009. Prior to that he served as Dean of the Curry School of Education from 1995 to 2007. He was Visiting Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education from 1990 to 1995, where he taught graduate courses on the economics and financing of higher education, on liberal arts colleges, and on the college presidency.
As a Visiting Fellow at The Brookings Institution he conducted research for a book, Liberal Arts Colleges: Thriving, Surviving, or Endangered?, published by Brookings in 1994. (He was selected as the recipient of the 1999 Award for Outstanding Service from the Council for Independent Colleges for this work.) From 1983 to 1989, he served as president of Kalamazoo College, a liberal arts college in Michigan. Prior to that, he was a Senior Fellow at Brookings from 1975 to 1983, specializing in the economics of higher education and public policy toward education.

Research Interests

As an an economist, David Breneman’s research interests are in the areas of finance and economics of higher education. His current focus is on recessions and higher education and on efforts to enhance the productivity of U.S. higher education.

Expertise

• Higher Education
• Leadership, Policy and Economics

AG Herring's reply to a letter from Monika Kaiser '82

A few days ago I wrote to the AG of VA for the second time.  This time, though it was a form letter provided by Saving Sweet Briar.  Here is the reply of the AG's office - and they spelled my name wrong. 

Dear Ms. Kiser, 

Thank you for contacting Attorney General Mark Herring. We appreciate your taking the time to write to our office and we respect your advocacy on behalf of Sweet Briar College. Sweet Briar has served a unique purpose in the Commonwealth for more than a century, and its closing has understandably been shocking and disheartening to thousands connected to the school and many more Virginians who proudly claimed the college. The passion and commitment shown by the Sweet Briar family following the Board of Directors' decision has been a testament to the kind of education it has offered. 

As you know, Sweet Briar College is a private school, and therefore is not a client agency of the Attorney General, who advises state officials and represents the various state agencies, departments, and colleges and universities. Like many other private schools in Virginia, Sweet Briar operates as a corporation governed by a Board of Directors. Last week, a Bedford County judge ruled that the Board has the legal authority to vote to cease operations when it has determined that it is no longer sustainable to continue. 

It is extremely unfortunate that the Board could not find a viable path forward; but unless the Board has acted improperly or violated its duties, the Commonwealth of Virginia has no legal basis to intervene. Throughout this process, the Office of Attorney General has closely monitored the situation. We have been in communication and held meetings with the school, Amherst County Attorney Ellen Bowyer, and the Saving Sweet Briar organization. Because of the commitment of people like you, the size of the assets involved, and the significant economic and cultural impact of the closing, the matter is receiving the close attention and careful consideration it deserves.

As the process moves forward, we will maintain that commitment to collaboration and communication, and will continue to encourage the parties to be open and transparent with one another and all interested parties and stakeholders. Even in this difficult time, it is important that the school's leadership and its community communicate openly and honestly about the challenges confronting Sweet Briar and the Board's decision.

The Attorney General's formal role under the law will be to speak on behalf of the general public interest to ensure that Sweet Briar's remaining assets are used in a way that is in the public interest and as close as possible to the intent of the donor. The law also requires the Office to review proposed modifications to the use of certain gifts. No proposed modifications have been approved yet and Attorney General Herring personally commits to the Sweet Briar community that we will closely review the proposed use of remaining assets to ensure they will provide lasting educational benefits and carry on the legacy of Sweet Briar.

Thank you again for writing to our office during this very difficult time for the students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Sweet Briar College, and the Commonwealth as a whole.

                                                                                    Sincerely, 

                                                                                    Brittany Anderson

                                                                                    Director of Legislative and Constituent Affairs

                                                                                    Office of Attorney General Mark Herring 

<http2.docx>

Amherst Arts Community to Suffer if SBC is Lost

http://www.newsadvance.com/new_era_progress/lifestyles/amherst-arts-community-to-suffer-with-sweet-briar-s-planned/article_779a083a-e927-11e4-a3cd-7bec3b220061.html?mode=jqm  

NY Times Independent Women of Sweet Briar

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/fashion/the-independent-women-of-sweet-briar.html?_r=0

Is Sweet Briar College Complying with VA Law?

http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/the-gift-adviser/2015/4/22/is-sweet-briar-college-complying-with-va-law.html

I just found and read Joan Dabney Clickner's ('91) letter to the members of the Sweet Briar Board. It is powerful and mature evidence of the capacity of Alumnae thinking and activity. Reading it will help many understand why Sweet Briar Alumnae have been galvanized to act to prevent the closing of our treasured institution. Take a moment and see if you agree. Comments are welcome below.

http://blog.jayorsi.com/sweet-briar/letter-to-sweet-briar-board/

On a site note, I have been wondering why Jay Orsi has been so engaged in his blog. We now know his wife is an alumnae. You will find informative well-researched, and credible posts on this site, including Dan Gottlieb's series on the various aspects of the decisions to close the College. 

Alumna Letter to the Board

Joan Dabney Clickner, Sweet Briar College Class of 1991

http://blog.jayorsi.com/sweet-briar/letter-to-sweet-briar-board/

Professor Gottlieb's Article, Part 2 - A must read about huge decisions based on biased information.

http://blog.jayorsi.com/sweet-briar/enrollment-race-and-the-unfortunate-case-of-dr-saxs-sample-bias-the-sweet-briar-story-part-2/

TV Spot ch 10 WSLS on Amerst Co Support for Saving Sweet Briar

http://www.wsls.com/story/28868997/officials-adopt-resolution-supporting-effort-to-save-sweet-briar-college. TV spot on ch 10 WSLS

Virginia AG, county prosecutor spar over Sweet Briar women’s college

http://watchdog.org/213380/sweet-briar-herring-closure/

Professor Dan Gottlieb: Enrollment, Race and the Undortunate case of Dr Sax's Sample Bias

http://blog.jayorsi.com/sweet-briar/enrollment-race-and-the-unfortunate-case-of-dr-saxs-sample-bias-the-sweet-briar-story-part-2/ Posted by Dan Gottlieb on April 20, 2015, Part 2 on Jay Orsi's Blog. Amazing data on race and enrollment and Dr Sax's Sample Bias

Radio Interview WTJU

https://soundcloud.com/wtju/sweet-briarAdio interview Lynn Rainville, Professor of Anthropology and a 2014 graduate 

AMHERST BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PASS RESOLUTION SUPPORTING ACTIONS OF COUNTY ATTORNEY


http://www.countyofamherst.com/eGov/documents/1429284317_94244.pdf

How SB Can Save Itself

http://chronicle.com/blogs/conversation/2015/04/20/how-sweet-briar-can-save-itself/
Lessons from Peter T. Mitchell, former president of Lasell College, Columbia College in South Carolina, and Albion College

Students, parents join with alumnae on Sweet Briar College legal action

  http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/students-parents-join-with-alumnae-on-sweet-briar-college-legal/article_29cde2b0-e7bb-11e4-9993-43b5849e30ef.html?mode=jqm.   

Jessica Campbell back to refile her complaint. Campbell is joined by fellow alumnae Alexia Redick Bartlett and Catherine Peek, students Brittany Behrens, Makayla Benjamin and Lelia Dunning, and parents Michelle Fabian, Donna Behrens and John Behrens.

The group alleges breach of contract against Sweet Briar College and President James Jones, and tortious interference against Jones individually.  Basically, the complaint says these students, parents and alumnae signed written contracts related to paying for college and the “express and implied” terms of the contracts included the opportunity to obtain a four-year degree from the school and to enjoy the lifelong benefits of being alumnae of a living college. They complain Jones has interfered with those contracts, and the school is breaking them by closing.

After the collapse of Sweet Briar, investors are nervous about other small colleges, Bond Info

Read more:  http://uk.businessinsider.com/after-the-collapse-of-sweet-briar-investors-are-nervous-about-other-small-colleges-2015-4?r=US#ixzz3Xxdw1vbm  SBC Bond rating was lowered from BBB to B- on announcement of closure. 

Another Group files Complaint to stop Closure

Another legal complaint has been filed seeking to halt the closure of Sweet Briar College.

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/04/group-asks-court-halt-sweet-briar-colleges-closure

The complaint alleges breach of contract against the private women's college and President James Jones. The complaint also alleges interference by Jones.

A group of Sweet Briar students, parents and alumnae filed the complaint last week in Amherst County Circuit Court.

Sweet Briar and Its Stakeholders Must Talk

http://www.newsadvance.com/opinion/editorials/sweet-briar-and-its-stakeholders-must-talk/article_49d433d4-e53b-11e4-8567-b715b00f040a.html

Sweet Briar House Open Tuesday, April 21, for Historic Garden Week

http://www.newsadvance.com/new_era_progress/lifestyles/sweet-briar-house-opens-doors-for-tour-tuesday/article_e7767254-e442-11e4-bf5d-e7aef52689f3.html?mode=jqm

Professor Dan Gottleib: Enrollment How Moody's Got it Wrong

http://blog.jayorsi.com/sweet-briar/enrollment-and-how-moodys-got-it-wrong-the-sweet-briar-story-part-1/ by Professor Dan Gottlieb! Jay Orsi blog to do a series of articles on concrete issues, impressive research, stay tuned! 

The $27,271,853 Problem No One Is Talking About

http://blog.jayorsi.com/sweet-briar/sweet-briars-27271853-11-problem-nobody-is-talking-about/
The Bond dilema.....

Go Vixen Lacrosse, beat Hollins on Wednesday!

http://www.laxmagazine.com/college_women/DIII/2014-15/news/041715_wd3_notebook_emotional_roller_coaster_for_sweet_briar

The Vixens (5-11, 2-7 ODAC) snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 17-4 victory against Hollins on Wednesday. Now they finish the regular season Saturday with a game against nearby rival Lynchburg and what promises to be an extremely emotional alumni game on Sunday.

"For players to stay engaged with everything that's going on has been difficult," Engster said. "These girls never imagined they'd have to reapply to colleges as juniors. It's something you just can't explain. Everyone thought they would finish out here.

"This school is very unique in the fact that the alumni are so engaged. Normally, we have about 30 alums that come back to play in the game, but we are expecting at least 50 on Sunday. People are flying in from all over the country. It's really cool and it's a nice way to end the season and because Lynchburg is so close a lot of them are planning on coming to the game on Saturday to show their support."

Amherst County Development Project March 2013

http://www.countyofamherst.com/egov/documents/1398092763_59042.pdf

Lessons From Sweet Briar

http://m.roanoke.com/opinion/editorials/our-view-lessons-from-sweet-briar/article_28cf4d38-a121-5ab6-bfbb-b7c3128a9512.html?mode=jqm
 If you’re involved with a nonprofit, you may want to look at your group’s by-laws to see how board members are selected to make sure you don’t ever wind up with a runaway board. And more on Fundraising. 

A Guide to Small College Survival in Forbes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnebersole/2015/04/16/a-guide-to-small-college-survival/

A Must read

Our view: What the judge did

Roanoke Times Editorial

....."In a perfect world, at least some Sweet Briar board members will hear all that testimony – at least indirectly – and ask if they’ve somehow been misled by their current leadership into making a hasty decision. In any even more perfect world, they’d oust that leadership and hire Flaherty-Goldsmith, who showed a lot more energy and creativity than Sweet Briar’s current regime ever has.

Even if that happened, though, Sweet Briar’s problems eventually come down to money. How much it needs may be in dispute, but there’s no dispute that it needs more than it has.

Sweet Briar supporters have 60 days to start writing some checks, and see if the board will live up to the offer its lawyer appears to have made."

.

http://m.roanoke.com/opinion/editorials/our-view-what-the-judge-did/article_08964cc0-6831-5494-a8a2-8186591434d9.html?mode=jqm

Judge Orders injunction in Sweet Briar College Closure

Judge Orders injunction in Sweet Briar College Closure

Both sides are claiming victory after an unexpected twist in the fight to save an imploding college

"The fight to save Sweet Briar College scored a partial victory Wednesday, as a judge granted a 60-day injunction to delay the closing of the 114-year-old all-women Virginia college."

"(Judge) Updike hopes a compromise will come from this decision, according to Hawes Spencer, a local journalist covering the case."

SEE ALSO: There are 2 very different pictures emerging of an imploding college's financials

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/sweet-briar-college-lawsuit-verdict-2015-4#ixzz3XRVR2gRL

Amherst Real Estate in NY Times

.
http://nytimes.com/2009/01/30/greathomesanddestinations/30havens.html?_r=0.

Link from Katherine Barrett Baker comment to preceding article

Court ruling extends efforts to keep Sweet Briar open

http://www.richmond.com/news/article_9adde6aa-4b38-5d51-ba36-7150671d1767.html

Comments interesting, as well. 

Ex-SBC president Parker backs school; Saving Sweet Briar pledges hit $10M

http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/battle-to-prevent-closure-of-sweet-briar-college-heads-to/article_6d4d8cbe-e204-11e4-900f-4bf8dae4f8fa.html