Reimagining Sweet Briar College

In this compelling reflection, Meredith Woo recounts her experience leading Sweet Briar College through one of the most dramatic institutional turnarounds in higher education. Facing financial insolvency, low enrollment, and deteriorating infrastructure, Woo outlines a three-part strategy that reimagined the liberal arts for 21st-century women, generated sustainable revenue, and realigned faculty and staff with institutional capacity. Her story illustrates the difficult realities of higher ed leadership — especially in small, resource-constrained environments — and the importance of transparency, board alignment, and strategic clarity. Beyond financial recovery, Woo emphasizes the cultural and civic responsibility of preserving the college’s architectural and historical legacy.