Dining services uncertain for troubled Virginia college

Anticipated Sweet Briar College president Phillip Stone is known for many roles, including his time as president of Bridgewater College and his past chairmanship of the Virginia Bar Association.

Now the Harrisonburg attorney faces what may be the defining challenge of his career as he prepares to take the helm at Sweet Briar next month, presuming a transfer of power goes as planned. School leaders had decided to close the college Aug. 25 because of what they said were insurmountable financial challenges.

On Saturday, Attorney General Mark Herring announced a deal that would keep the college open, depending upon a cash infusion from the group Saving Sweet Briar.

As higher education experts and pundits debate whether the college can survive its aborted dissolution, Stone is leaping into the situation with optimism and enthusiasm.

“While not yet able to speak officially as president, I expect to invite all current faculty to remain in their positions,” he said in a news release from the public relations firm working with Saving Sweet Briar. “We also anticipate that staff who wish to stay at Sweet Briar will have a home here. I look forward to getting to know the members of the college faculty and staff and engaging them in conversations about how we move forward.”

He spoke briefly with reporters outside the Bedford County Circuit Court on Monday. The following Q-and-A reflects his comments.

Q: What are your thoughts about the staff? Are you looking to keep staff or change staff?

A: “I don’t know enough yet. My idea is that success has to be based upon growth of the student body and not on how much we can chop from the faculty and staff. What you like to do is have enough students to make sure the faculty and staff have good opportunities going forward. Until I get there and we talk with each other and share ideas and brainstorm through planning for the increased enrollment, which we will do immediately, it’s kind of hard for me to know. I don’t even know who is staying and who’s going — any of that yet.”

Q: What about food and housing for students this coming semester? Is that a challenge? Will those be in place? I’ve heard student say they don’t know if they want to come back if there’s not going to be food and housing place.

A: “We are going be full service. There’s not going to be any absence. We are going to have an academic program, athletic program, intramural program, all the aesthetics. We will do more, not less.”

Q: But what about dining services? Those are provided through food service contractor Aramark, right? Are they on board?

A: “I haven’t talked to anyone yet. I haven’t gotten that far yet. But I’m hoping to eat and I expect students to eat. I usually eat in the dining hall with students when I am on campus. I’ll know firsthand whether we’ve got food.”