A Shift in Admissions Policy Sparks Backlash from LGBTQ+ Students and Alumni
For years, Sweet Briar College was known not only as a small, private women’s college but also as a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ students navigating their identities. For some, it was the first place they felt truly at home.
That sense of belonging has now been shaken.
In August 2024, students at Sweet Briar learned—through social media, not an official announcement—that the college had quietly updated its admissions policy. Effective fall 2025, transgender and nonbinary applicants would no longer be eligible for admission.
The policy change wasn’t widely communicated—there was no email, no formal meeting, no effort to explain the shift to the student body. Instead, students stumbled upon the new language buried in the admissions website: applicants must now confirm their sex assigned at birth was female and that they “consistently live and identify as a woman.”
For students like Trin Lowman-Bokan, a transmasculine sophomore, the message was clear: students like them were no longer welcome.
“It Was Sneaky and Weird” – Students React to the Policy Change
Lowman-Bokan, who uses they/them pronouns, said Sweet Briar felt like home when they first arrived on campus. It was a place where they felt comfortable cutting their hair short, experimenting with style, and growing into their identity.
That’s why, on Founders’ Day—one of Sweet Briar’s most treasured traditions, where students march up Monument Hill to lay daisies at the grave of the college’s founder—they dressed in black instead of the traditional white, draping a transgender pride flag over their shoulders in silent protest.
Other students expressed frustration over the college’s handling of the policy change.
- “It was sneaky and weird. No real answers were given,” Lowman-Bokan said in an interview with Cardinal News.
- Students asked the administration why the policy changed, but no clear explanation was provided.
Some students were left wondering: who gets to define “living consistently as a woman”? And how would the school enforce it?
A Quiet Policy Change, Months in the Making
According to emails from the college president and board chair, the policy change was voted on back in May 2024, but it wasn’t posted to the website until August 1.
Sweet Briar justified the move by citing recent changes to the Common Application, which expanded gender identity options for applicants. The college argued that it needed to reaffirm its status as a women’s college.
The decision places Sweet Briar among a small number of women’s colleges tightening their gender policies, rather than expanding them.
A College Trying to Rebuild, Now Dividing Its Own Community
Sweet Briar’s shift comes at a critical time for the college.
Just a decade ago, the school was on the brink of shutting down due to financial struggles. While enrollment has stabilized, it remains only two-thirds of what it was before the attempted closure.
Now, some fear the new policy will make it harder to attract students who seek an LGBTQ+-inclusive environment, especially as women’s colleges across the country move toward more expansive definitions of womanhood.
- “Women’s colleges have long been havens for LGBTQ+ students,” said Genny Beemyn, a scholar of LGBTQ+ students in higher education.
- Two-thirds of U.S. women’s colleges now explicitly accept transgender women and nonbinary students.
Sweet Briar, however, has chosen a different path—one that some students say feels out of step with the very values that once made the college appealing.
“We’re Here. We’ve Always Been Here.” – Students Weigh Their Future
For some students, the change has left them reconsidering whether they still belong at Sweet Briar.
A September student survey found that 69% of students strongly opposed the policy. Even among first-year students, 25% said they were considering transferring rather than remaining at a college they felt had turned its back on them.
- “Sweet Briar used to be a place where you could talk about these things,” one junior said.
- Another student is working with their advisor to graduate early, saying, “I don’t know if I can morally and financially support the institution anymore.”
Lowman-Bokan, however, has chosen to stay.
- “It’s saying, I’m not going anywhere,” they said. “Trans people, nonbinary people—we’re here. We’ve always been here. We’re always going to be here.”
Don’t Miss: Transgender student asked to leave school for uploading photos in swimsuit.
The College’s Response: Silence and Canceled Interviews
Cardinal News reached out to Sweet Briar’s administration with a list of questions about the new policy and its impact on students.
The college initially agreed to an interview with President Mary Pope Hutson, but canceled just hours before the scheduled call, citing travel delays.
A spokesperson for the college declined to answer six of the seven questions submitted by email.
Sweet Briar did confirm that two students have officially withdrawn due to the policy change—one in opposition, and one in support.
A Growing Rift Between the College and Its Alumni
Beyond the student body, the policy has also shocked Sweet Briar’s alumnae network, which has long been one of the school’s biggest sources of financial support and student recruitment.
The Sweet Briar Alumnae Alliance Council issued a statement criticizing the lack of alumnae input in the decision-making process, calling on the board to reconsider the policy.
Some alumnae have publicly stated they will no longer donate to the college until the policy is reversed.
Sweet Briar’s long-term survival depends on its ability to maintain a strong, engaged alumni base—but this decision has put that loyalty to the test.
Will This Impact Enrollment? The Numbers So Far
As of spring 2025, Sweet Briar’s enrollment has dipped by about 4.5%. While the drop is modest compared to previous years, students worry that if faculty members begin leaving due to the policy, it could trigger a larger exodus—not just of students, but of the professors they came to learn from.
One first-year student who initially sought out Sweet Briar for its LGBTQ+ inclusivity is still weighing their options.
- “I found the people I needed to find, and I’ve become so much stronger and independent and confident in myself,” they said.
- “But I don’t know if this is a place I want to stay.”
What’s Next for Sweet Briar?
While students have organized formal and informal protests, including wearing black on Founders’ Day and marching with LGBTQ+ pride flags, the administration has given no indication it will reconsider the policy.
In January 2025, students hung a transgender pride flag from the campus bell tower ahead of a board of directors meeting.
It was taken down within an hour.
With students, faculty, and alumni deeply divided over the decision, the future of Sweet Briar—and the identity it wants to uphold—remains uncertain.
Editor’s Note:
This article was reported by Cardinal News, which spoke with a dozen Sweet Briar students for this story. Many requested anonymity due to fear of administrative retaliation. Their accounts reflect a growing frustration with the college’s direction and its handling of transgender and nonbinary students.
