Sarah Lawrence College

Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers^[2][3], this coeducational college offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Sarah Lawrence is known for its rigorous academic standards, low student-to-faculty ratio, and highly individualized course of study. SLC models its approach to education after the Oxford/Cambridge system of one-on-one student-faculty tutorials, which are a key component in all areas of study. Each student is closely guided by a faculty adviser, called a "don," beginning the first year, and Sarah Lawrence places high value on independent, interdisciplinary study. The College also stresses the importance of combining creative and analytical thinking. More than 90% of classes are small, round-table seminars, and students confer with each of their professors in one-on-one meetings every other week on their individual course-related "conference" projects. In-depth writing and development of strong communication skills are emphasized and integrated across an open curriculum, and professors provide detailed written evaluations to every student in every class. Students have direct contact with professors; the College does not employ graduate teaching assistants. About half of SLC juniors study abroad with the college’s immersion-focused programs, including one of the only US programs in Cuba. Many Sarah Lawrence students take advantage of the College’s proximity to New York City for internships as well as research and cultural resources. Best known Sarah Lawrence alumni include J.J. Abrams, television and film producer/director; Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple; Rahm Emanuel, mayor of Chicago and former White House chief of staff; W. Ian Lipkin, epidemiologist and discoverer of the West Nile virus; and Vera Wang, fashion designer and entrepreneur.^[4]

History

Sarah Lawrence College was established by real-estate mogul William Van Duzer Lawrence on the grounds of his estate in Westchester County and was named in honor of his wife, Sarah. The College was originally intended to provide instruction in the arts and humanities for women. A major component of the College's early curriculum was "productive leisure," wherein students were required to work for eight hours weekly in such fields as modeling, shorthand, typewriting, applying makeup, and gardening.^[5] Its pedagogy, modeled on the tutorial system of Oxford University, combined independent research projects, individually supervised by the teaching faculty, and seminars with low student-to-faculty ratio—a credo it retains to the present, despite its cost. Sarah Lawrence was the first liberal arts college in the United States to incorporate a rigorous approach to the arts with the principles of progressive education, focusing on the primacy of teaching and the concentration of curricular efforts on individual needs.^[5]

In addition to founding Sarah Lawrence College, William Lawrence played a critical role in the development of the neighboring community of Bronxville, New York. His name can be found on the affluent Lawrence Park and Lawrence Park West neighborhoods, the Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate Corporation, and on Lawrence Hospital in downtown Bronxville, an institution that was created when Lawrence’s son, Dudley, nearly died en route to a hospital in neighboring New York City. Lawrence embodied ideas from the Progressivist movement of the 1890s, especially his view that the arts were a crucial element in the social evolution of individuals and families, in developing both private and public sensibilities, and in creating equal relations between men and women.

Harold Taylor, President of Sarah Lawrence College from 1945 to 1959, greatly influenced the college. Taylor, elected president at age 30, maintained a friendship with educational philosopher John Dewey, and worked to employ the Dewey method at Sarah Lawrence. Taylor spent much of his career calling for educational reform in the United States, using the success of his own College as an example of the possibilities of a personalized, modern, and rigorous approach to higher education.

Sarah Lawrence became a coeducational institution in 1968. Prior to this transition, there were discussions about relocating the school and merging with Princeton University, but the administration opted to remain independent.

Political involvement and activism

Political activism has played a crucial role in forming the spirit of the Sarah Lawrence community since the early years of the College. As early as 1938, students were volunteering in working-class sections of Yonkers, New York to help bring equality and educational opportunities to poor and minority citizens, and the Sarah Lawrence College War Board, organized by students in the fall of 1942, sought to aid troops fighting in World War II. During a time when the College's enrollment consisted of only 293 students, 204 signed up as volunteers during the first week of the War Board.^[6] During the so-called McCarthy Years, a number of Sarah Lawrence's faculty members were accused by the American Legion of being sympathetic to the Communist Party, and were called before the Jenner Committee.^[7] Since that time, activism has played a central role in student life, with movements for civil rights and against the Vietnam War in the 1960s and for student and faculty diversity in the 1980s. Also in the 1960s, students established an Upward Bound program for students from lower-income and poverty areas to prepare for college.^[8] Theatre Outreach, the Child Development Institute, the Empowering Teachers Program, the Community Writers program, the Office of Community Partnership, and the Fulbright High School Writers Program are among the many programs founded since the 1970s to provide services to the larger community. In the late 1980s, students occupied Westlands, the main administrative building for the campus, in a sit-in for wider diversity. Students have remained active in recent years, with numerous organizations and movements sprouting in response to the Iraq War. For many years, the College has been considered as being at the vanguard of the sexual rights movement.

Academics

At the undergraduate level, Sarah Lawrence offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts where, instead of traditional majors, students pursue a wide variety of courses in four different curricular distributions: the Creative Arts (writing, music, dance, theatre, film, and the plastic arts, such as painting, printmaking, drawing and sculpture); history and the social sciences (e.g., anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology); the humanities (e.g., Asian studies, art history, film studies, languages, literature, philosophy, and religion); and natural science and mathematics (biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, and mathematics). Classes are structured around a seminar-conference system through which students learn in small, highly interactive classes and in private tutorials with professors. Each student is assigned to a faculty advisor, known as a "don", to plan a course of study and provide ongoing academic guidance. Most courses, apart from those in the performing arts, consist of two parts: the seminar, limited to 15 students, and the conference, a private, biweekly meeting with a seminar professor. In these conferences, students develop individual projects that extend the course material and link it to their personal interests. Sarah Lawrence has no required courses and traditional examinations have largely been replaced with writing final research papers and essays. Additionally, grades are recorded only for transcript purposes—academic evaluations are given in lieu of grades.^[9] The College sponsors international programs in Florence, at Wadham College, Oxford, at Reid Hall in Paris, and at the British American Drama Academy in London. Sarah Lawrence is one of the only American colleges operating an international program in Cuba.

Sarah Lawrence also offers Master's-level programs in Writing, the Art of Teaching, Child Development, Theatre, and Dance, and is home to the nation's oldest graduate program in Women's History and the nation's first master's degree programs in Human Genetics and Health Advocacy.

Sarah Lawrence offers a program for adults wishing to seek a B.A. or a Master's and have been out of school for any period of time. The Center for Continuing Education is located at 45 Wrexham.

Exchange programs

• Reed College Exchange Program: In 1994, Sarah Lawrence inaugurated an exchange program with Reed College in Portland, Oregon. This program enables SLC and Reed students to study on one another’s campus for an academic semester or year. In order to qualify for the exchange program with Reed, students must have strong academic records and have completed the first and sophomore years. Qualified students also have the opportunity to participate in any one of either college’s study-abroad programs.
• Eugene Lang College Exchange Program: In 1996 the college began its exchange program with Eugene Lang College, the undergraduate division of the New School in New York City. Eugene Lang has particular strengths in the social sciences. Qualified students may cross register in courses in other divisions of the New School, including the graduate divisions. students must have strong academic records and have completed the first and sophomore years. Qualified students also have the opportunity to participate in Lang’s exchange program at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
• Spelman College Exchange Program: Beginning in spring 2007, female SLC students began participating in an exchange program with Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Qualified students may also apply for the Spelman exchange with Tsuda College for Women in Tokyo, Japan.

International programs

The College has a number of international programs in four countries. Sarah Lawrence makes all practical efforts to preserve its most characteristic elements, such as one-on-one interaction with professors, small classes, and an emphasis on qualitative comprehension, in its programs overseas.

• Havana: This is the only formal American university program currently operating in Cuba. The course offerings at the University of Havana include Afro-Cuban culture, art history, Cuban or Latin American cinema, Cuban history, Latin American studies, literature, psychology, urban and rural sociology, U.S.-Cuban relations, and women’s studies. All courses are taught by Cuban faculty and are attended by Cuban students. Each student is also required to enroll in an advanced Spanish course. The most distinctive feature is an affiliation with Centro de Estudios Demográficos (CEDEM), one of the research centers at the University of Havana. At CEDEM students meet with experts whose research and professional expertise focus on developments in contemporary Cuban society. Students select a research topic and are paired with a professor from CEDEM with whom they meet on a regular basis, much like the regular conference structure.
• London: Jointly sponsored by the British American Drama Academy and Sarah Lawrence College, the program expands Sarah Lawrence's long-standing and vibrant tradition in the performing arts by exposing students to the rigors of professional British training in acting . The faculty includes some of Britain’s most distinguished actors and directors. The heart of each student’s program is scene study in classical and modern works. Students also take courses in voice, movement, and stage fighting and participate in fully staged performances at the end of each term.
• Oxford: Since 1985, Sarah Lawrence College has been associated with Wadham College, one of the undergraduate colleges of Oxford University in England. This program is open to select juniors and seniors. Students are best prepared to undertake the demands of Oxford if their course work in their first and sophomore years have included significant analytical and written work.
• Paris: Centered at historic Reid Hall in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, the program is Sarah Lawrence's oldest and focuses on the humanities and creative arts. The program is conducted entirely in French and includes one required French-language class and three other courses of the student’s choosing. Classes may be taken at the University of Paris, Institut d’Etudes Politiques, the Ecole du Louvre, and the Institut Catholique, or other, more specialized institutions.
• Catania: Open to students who have an advanced comprehension of Italian, the Catania program takes advantage of its Sicilian setting to provide students with an experience in cultural immersion. Students enroll directly at the University of Catania and choose courses offered by the Humanities department, including: Medieval History, Modern Italian Literature, History of Philosophy, Archaeology, Greek and Roman Art History, History of Theatrical Arts, Comparative Literature, Byzantine History, and the History of Europe.
• Florence: Open to students at all levels of Italian-language comprehension, the Florence program is noted for its art history program.
• Dartington: A highly competitive, music based exchange with Dartington College of the Arts in southern England. The program is open to qualified students with an interest in experimental music and media.

Graduate programs

Sarah Lawrence offers eight graduate programs, each of which confers the Master of Arts or Master of Science degree upon its graduates. In contrast to highly specialized, research-oriented doctoral study, these programs reflect the emphasis on interdisciplinary studies and the close student-teacher relationship that have come to be characteristic of the College's undergraduate program. Intensive work with faculty members, small seminars, and one-on-one conferences form the foundation of the curricular model. According to their own literature, the programs make an effort to balance the "theoretical (usually discussed in seminars and conferences) with the practical (in the form of fieldwork, practicums, research or creative work). This experiential work is most often conducted not in isolation, but in the midst of a community. Interdisciplinary work and ideas are encouraged, as is an ethic of social responsibility." There are approximately 340 graduate students currently enrolled in the following programs:

• Art of Teaching
• Child Development
• Health Advocacy
• Human Genetics
• Theatre
• Women's History
• Writing
• Dance

Art of Teaching

The Sarah Lawrence College Art of Teaching Program offers training in education in both degree-track and continuing education formats. One component of the program is the Empowering Teachers Program, which was established in 1989 as a forum for the support of teachers and educational administrators, and has since expanded into a resource and network for more than 250 beginning and experienced professionals from 25 school districts in Westchester County and adjacent areas of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.

SAT and academic ranking

In 2007, some educators in the United States began to question the impact of rankings on the college admissions process, due in part to the 11 March 2007 The Washington Post article "The Cost of Bucking College Rankings" by Dr. Michele Tolela Myers, the former president of Sarah Lawrence College. As Sarah Lawrence College dropped its SAT test score submission requirement for its undergraduate applicants in 2003,^[10] thus joining the SAT optional movement for undergraduate admission, SLC does not have SAT data to send to U.S. News for its national survey. Of this decision, Myers states, "We are a writing-intensive school, and the information produced by SAT scores added little to our ability to predict how a student would do at our college; it did, however, do much to bias admission in favor of those who could afford expensive coaching sessions."^[11] At present, Sarah Lawrence is the only American college that completely disregards SAT scores in its admission process.^[12] As a result of this policy, in the same The Washington Post article, Dr. Myers stated that she was informed by the U.S. News & World Report that if no SAT scores were submitted, U.S. News would "make up a number" to use in its magazines. She further argues that if SLC were to decide to stop sending all data to U.S. News & World Report, their ranking would be artificially decreased.^[11][13] U.S. News & World Report issued a response to this article on 12 March 2007 which stated that the evaluation of Sarah Lawrence is currently under review.^[12] The 2008 issue of the U.S. News & World Report rankings put Sarah Lawrence among the "unranked" institutions, colleges and universities that for a variety of reasons do not adhere to the magazine's guidelines.

On Tuesday, June 19, 2007, following a meeting of the Annapolis Group, which represents over 100 liberal arts colleges, Sarah Lawrence announced that it would join others who had previously signed the letter to college presidents asking them not to participate in the "reputation survey" section of the U.S. News and World Report survey (this section comprises 25% of the ranking). Myers commented on this in a 20 June 2007 article for The New York Times by stating, "they will do what they will do, […] we will do what we will do. And we want to do it in a principled way."^[14] Myers also indicated in a press release for Sarah Lawrence that the college will be involved in developing the new database of colleges discussed in the Annapolis Group statement as they "believe in accountability and openness, and that the public has a right to solid and reliable information about the important decisions involved in choosing a college." The press release also indicated that Sarah Lawrence "plans not to participate in the peer reputational survey or data collection for U.S. News and World Report’s rankings" as, according to Myers, "by submitting data and the peer reputation survey we have tacitly been endorsing these rankings […] all the information we have provided to U.S. News in the past will be available to the public through other channels."^[15]

In 2009, Forbes rated it 65th of America's Best Colleges.^[16]

Tuition and finances

According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, Sarah Lawrence College has been the most expensive college in the country for the previous two academic years (2008–2009; 2009–2010).^[17]

The total cost of tuition, fees, room, and board for a student entering in the fall of 2009 was $55,788.

Campus

The site of 41-acre (17 ha) Sarah Lawrence campus is located atop a promontory above the banks of the Bronx River. Much of the campus was originally a part of the estate of the College's founder, William Van Duzer Lawrence, though the College has more than doubled its geographical size since Lawrence bequeathed his estate to the College in 1926. The terrain of the campus is characterized by dramatic outcroppings of exposed bedrock shaded by large oak and elm trees. Much of the older architecture on the campus follows the Tudor style that was popular in the area during the early 20th century, and many of the College's newer buildings attempt to achieve an updated interpretation of the same architectural style. The campus is divided into two distinctive sections: the "Old Campus" and the "New Campus," wherein the former is roughly contained within the boundaries of the erstwhile Lawrence estate, and the latter is that which was obtained some time after the College's earliest years.

The area outside the original Lawrence estate is home to the College's more cutting-edge facilities. A number of stately, century-old Tudor-style mansions will be found among these newer additions, including Andrews, Tweed, Lynd, Marshall Field, and Slonim House. Each was once a private estate, purchased by the college during periods of growth and expansion. The more modest Tudor houses along Mead Way, which were also once private residences, now serve as dorms for Sarah Lawrence students. "Slonim Woods" is a group of newer, townhouse-style dorms, built on the grounds of Slonim House.

The Campbell Sports Center was constructed in 1998 in response to an increased focus on physical fitness and sports. This state-of-the-art facility includes an indoor pool, gymnasium, track, raquetball courts, and weightrooms.

In 2004, the College completed construction of a state-of-the-art visual arts facility, the Monika A. and Charles A. Heimbold Visual Arts Center, the sleek architecture and environmentally friendly aspects of which earned the College national press attention. Just down the road is Hill House, a seven-story apartment building purchased by the College in the late 1990s that now houses student residences. Across the street from Hill House is the large Wrexham house, also in the Tudor style, that was purchased by Sarah Lawrence in 2004 from the government of Rwanda. This building, which once housed the Rwandan consul, has been renovated and is used by the College for various graduate studies programs. On the opposite end of the campus stands the Science and Mathematics Center, completed in 1994.

Buildings

Academic facilities

• Bates Center for Student Life is one of the original campus buildings. A huge facility designed in the English Tudor style that is common in the area, it has housed not just offices and classrooms, but everything from maids’ quarters to dining halls to laboratories and arts facilities. At one time, it was home to a miniature basketball court that is now a faculty dining room, though the lines of the court can still be seen on the floors. Over the years, programs in science, visual arts and physical education have grown to the point that they have spilled over elsewhere on the campus, requiring three buildings of their own. Bates has always been home to the College's main dining facility and also houses the popular "Health Food Bar."^[18]
• The Esther Raushenbush Library, designed in 1974 by Walter, Burns, Toan & Lundein an architectural style meant to interpret in a more modern and sleek fashion the implied buttresses and strong features of its much older neighbor, Andrews House.^[19] The Raushenbush Library houses over 300,000 volumes.^[20]
• The Alice Stone Ilchman Science and Mathematics Center, completed in 1994, is situated on the far north end of the campus. It houses science laboratories in addition to classrooms and faculty offices. The building is named for former president Alice Stone Ilchman.^[21]
• The Marshall Field Music Building was originally created as part of William Lawrence's residential neighborhood, Lawrence Park West. Built in the Georgian Colonial style, it was situated on 3 acres (12,000 m²) of landscaped land when the college purchased it in 1960 to house the music department and to provide additional student housing. Prior to the purchase, President Harold Taylor played his clarinet in several of the rooms to test the acoustics.^[22]
• The Monica A. and Charles A. Heimbold Visual Arts Center is the newest building on campus. The building was designed by Polshek Partnership Architects. Completed in 2004, the building has garnered national press for its 'green' design. Relating to the college’s stated goals, the building engages the landscape and existing campus circulation patterns, promotes student engagement through transparency, and takes a leadership role in sustainable design. The jury applauded its inventive use of materials; consistent development of the project in relation to the original concept; well-integrated plan/section; and exemplary use of building siting, solar orientation, daylighting, and locally quarried fieldstone to achieve LEED certification. The American Institute of Architects awarded a special 'Sustainable Architecture Honor Award' to the project as well as First Honor Awards at its 2005 “Celebration of Architecture”.^[23][24]
• The Campbell Sports Center - One of the newest buildings on campus, the Sports Center was completed in 1997 and houses a swimming pool, a rowing tank, a weight room and exercise center, an indoor running track, squash courts, a basketball court, classrooms, locker rooms, and administrative offices.^[25]
• The Charles DeCarlo Performing Arts Center, remodeled and greatly expanded in 1974, is a large facility on the western end of the South Lawn.^[26] Named for former College president Charles DeCarlo, the complex comprises the Bessie Schönberg Dance Theatre, the 200-seat Suzanne Werner Wright Theatre, the 400-seat Reisinger Auditorium, the 117-seat Cannon Workshop Theatre modeled after Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and rehearsal spaces and work areas. The College bookstore is located in the PAC.^[27]
• The Ruth Leff Siegel Center, which is almost exclusively referred to as "The Pub," was originally constructed as a gardener’s cottage on the Lawrence estate, then used as an infirmary and later as a faculty house. When the College began admitting male students in 1968, it became temporary housing for men. During the 1970s, the space was remodeled and christened “The Pub” for use as an informal dining hall and as a space for student activities. During the 1980s, it was renamed “Charlie’s Place,” honoring former President DeCarlo. In 1998, the entire structure was renovated, an addition was built, and the new complex took on its present official name. Today, it houses primarily a café serving on-the-go food, as well as two TV lounges.^[28]
• The Tea House, also known as the "Tea Haus" because of the German architecture facade, was originally a gazebo built by the Lawrence family on a small rock hill on the north lawn of their estate. After being saved by a student petition from a demolition that was called for by architect Phillip Johnson in 1960, it was converted to an enclosed building with large windows and a fireplace that now houses a café selling a variety of teas and baked goods. While it is a fact that the building housed the office of history faculty member Charles Trinkaus from the 1950s through 1970, there seems to be no evidence to support the persistent campus rumor that the Tea House was once the office of long-time faculty member Joseph Campbell.

Administration buildings

• Andrews Annex, built in the 1990s adjacent to Andrews House, houses a number of administrative offices.
• Lyles House is home to the College's Health Services Center.
• The President's House, built in 1921 and designed by architect Louis Bowman of McKim, Meade & White, is an example of 16th century Tudor-style architecture. Its living room features restored carved beams, representing the various trades, from a 16th century Tudor mansion in England. Additionally, above the mantel a Christian creation story is told in intricate wood carving. Campus legend dictates that a secret panel exists in the living room leading to a wine cellar, which was built during Prohibition. The President's House has housed the College's presidents since 1954, when the first President's House, located north of campus, was demolished to make way for the Sprain Brook Parkway.^[29]
• Robinson House on Mead Way is home to the College's communications department. Until 1952, it housed "The Caf," a student coffee shop, on its main floor.
• Westlands is primarily an administrative building, but its top floor houses a number of student living spaces. Completed in 1917, it is the oldest building on campus and was home to Sarah Bates Lawrence and William Van Duzer Lawrence before being given to the College.^[30] Dynamically situated at the highest point of elevation on the campus, it is another example of English Tudor architecture by Bates & How.^[31] When completed the home was pictured on the front page of the New York Times. It has been the heart of the campus throughout the history of the College and, owing to its massive size, it now houses the president's offices, the Office of Admission, the Office of Financial Aid, the Office of the Registrar, the Office of International Programs, the Career Counseling Office, the offices of all of the College's deans, and a number of meeting spaces in addition to the top-floor dorms.
• The Wrexham Road Property, acquired by the College in 2004, is a large manor house that once belonged to the government of Rwanda and used as a home for its consul. The building currently houses the Center for Continuing Education and various graduate-level programs.

Housing

• Andrews House, a former manor house purchased for $200,000 by the College in 1935 from Arthur Lawrence, a son of the College's founders, is known for its high ceilings, fireplaces, and its spiraling main staircase. The house is designed in the Germantown Colonial Style by architect Penrose Scott. The majority of the building houses students, but it is also the home of the College's Department of Operations and Facilities and to the offices of the Writing faculty.
• Andrews Court refers to the twelve cottage-style buildings to the south of Andrews House. Built in 1974, the buildings have, on average, about eight units each in addition to full kitchens, living rooms, and bathrooms.^[19]
• Tweed, a former manor house, is home to a number of large dorm rooms in addition to a pair of classrooms.
• Curtis is home to a number of dorms, and is also part of the Early Childhood Education complex.
• Lynd House, another former mansion, is home to mostly living spaces. The building's adjacent carriage house has been converted into student housing.
• Hill House, bought by the College in the late 1990s, is a seven-story apartment building on the extreme southern end of the campus. At present, the majority of the apartments in the building are occupied by students, but a number of them remain in the possession of the original tenants who occupied them when the building was purchased by Sarah Lawrence. Most of the apartments are quite large and each has a full kitchen. Apartments on the upper floors with south-facing windows have, on clear days, a view of the Empire State Building.
• Kober is home to dorm rooms, but is also a part of the Early Childhood Education complex. It was donated to the College in 1951 by Otto Frohnknecht in memory of his daughter, Margaret Frohnknecht Kober, who graduated from Sarah Lawrence in 1935. There was once a bowling alley in its basement.
• Morrill is the former maid's quarters to the President's House, and now is home to five dorm rooms.
• Slonim House was formerly a manor house that is now occupied by dorms and by the College's Center for Continuing Education and to a number of graduate programs.
• Slonim Woods is the group of 10 purpose-built living facilities constructed in 1977. They consist of eight single person dorm rooms arranged around a central communal living space.

"Old Dorms"

The "Old Dorms" refer to four original purpose-built student housing structures to the immediate north of Westlands in what is frequently referred to as the "central campus". Dudley Lawrence, one of the sons of William and Sarah Lawrence, achieved the remarkable feat of constructing three of these buildings in one year (1927–1928). The halls were designed by William Augustus Bates, who repeated the Neo-Tudor style of Westlands through the use of stone and timber materials, and mansard roofs. The interiors are also in keeping with the English Tudor architectural style found on most of the older buildings in the area, with thick plaster walls, hardwood floors, and leaded windows (since replaced with more energy-efficient double-pane windows). McCracken, built a few years later than the other three, is situated to the south of Dudley Lawrence. The original elegant living rooms that were found in each building, excepting McCracken, are now used as classrooms.^[32]

• Dudley Lawrence, the northernmost building, houses two classrooms in addition to living spaces. It is named for William Lawrence's son, who oversaw the construction of the Old Dorms.
• Gilbert, named for one of the College's original trustees, is the northernmost building of the three, and is known for being quiet and populated with the College's more studious set.
• McCracken, named for Vassar College president Henry McCracken, is a few years younger than its neighbors and has, at various times, housed the College library, the bookstore, and a number of other facilities in addition to living spaces. Although it still serves as a dormitory, it now also houses dance studios, meeting spaces, and administrative offices.
• Titsworth is an all-girls dorm and was also named for one of the College's founding trustees. It occupies the space between Gilbert and Dudley Lawrence, and is also home to the Titsworth Lecture Hall.

"New Dorms"

Designed by the renowned architect Phillip Johnson in the sparse modernist style of the time, the "New Dorms" were completed in 1960. The architectural style of the buildings is meant to be a modernist reflection of the three older dorms (Gilbert, Titsworth, and Dudley Lawrence) that stand on the opposite side of the North Lawn. The three buildings that comprise the New Dorms are connected by two glass atria in which the buildings' primary stairwells are found. With the exception of the large apartments in Rothschild, these dorms typically house first-year students.

• Garrison is a traditional dormitory-style building with shared bathrooms.
• Rothschild comprises apartment style, air-conditioned dorm spaces with kitchens, living rooms, and an elevator. The basement houses a number of small classrooms and studios in use predominantly by the theater department.
• Taylor is nearly an exact copy in design of its neighbor, Garrison.

The Mead Way Houses

The Mead Way Houses are the eight former private homes that stand along the steep hill of Mead Way on the College's eastern end. The two southernmost houses, Robinson and Swinford, are occupied by administrative offices and the office of the campus internet radio station, and the northernmost six houses, listed below, are reserved for student living spaces. The northern houses include:

• Brebner House
• Mansell House
• Morris House
• Perkins House
• Schmidt House
• Warren Green House

Presidents

The first president was Marion Coats from 1924 to 1929. She was a friend of Vassar College President Henry McCracken and of Sarah Lawrence founder William Van Duzer Lawrence. Coats had traditional views of women's role in society that were at odds with her progressive approach to women's education.

The current president is Karen R. Lawrence, who was installed in 2007. She is a noted scholar of James Joyce, holding a B.A. from Yale University, a Master of Arts in English Literature from Tufts University, and a Ph.D. in literature from Columbia University. [1] Before her tenure at Sarah Lawrence, Dr. Lawrence served as the dean of the School of Humanities at the University of California, Irvine from 1998 to 2007, and as a member and subsequent chair of the English faculty at the University of Utah from 1978 to 1997.

Notable people

• Faculty — Among the current faculty of the college are Fine Art Photographer Joel Sternfeld, poet Suzanne Gardinier, novelist Melvin Jules Bukiet, novelist William Melvin Kelley, Middle Eastern Affairs expert Fawaz Gerges, poet Marie Howe, film historians Gilberto Perez and Malcolm Turvey, mathematician Dan King, chemist Colin Abernethy, dancer/choreographer Sara Rudner and economist Franklin Delano Roosevelt, III. In 2005, current faculty member Eduardo Lago won the oldest literary prize in the Spanish-speaking world, the Premio Nadal. In 1934, Joseph Campbell was offered a position as professor at Sarah Lawrence College (through the efforts of his former Columbia advisor W.W. Laurence). Perceptual psychologist Rudolf Arnheim was on the faculty at Sarah Lawrence College for 26 years, beginning in 1943.
• Music;- Yoko Ono attended Sarah Lawrence College.
• Entertainment industry — Sarah Lawrence alums who have entered the entertainment industry include directors J.J. Abrams and Brian De Palma, news personality Barbara Walters, and TV writer and author Noah Hawley. Notable actors include Jane Alexander, Larisa Oleynik, Cary Elwes, Sam Robards, Joanne Woodward, Téa Leoni, Eric Mabius, Melora Hardin, Yancy Butler, Holly Robinson Peete, Robin Givens, Julianna Margulies, Lauren Holly, Max Bemis, Tovah Feldshuh, Kyra Sedgwick, Elisabeth Röhm, and Jill Clayburgh. Carrie Fisher attended Sarah Lawrence, but left prior to graduating to begin filming Star Wars. Notable musicians include Lesley Gore, who juggled her singing career and graduated with honors in 1968 with a degree in literature, and Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo. Win Butler of Arcade Fire attended Sarah Lawrence but left after his first year to move to Canada. Dylan Brody, a humorist, author, comedian, playwright, and poet, studied theater at Sarah Lawrence.
• Fine Arts — Alumni who are successful artists include Janine Antoni (sculptor and performance artist), Cady Noland (conceptual sculptor and installation artist), Judith Inglese (artist, ceramic muralist and children's book illustrator), Jedd Novatt (sculptor and painter) and Yoko Ono (artist, performance artist, and musician) who studied music.^[33]
• Politics — Alumni involved in politics include Amanda Burden, Director of City Planning for New York; Sharon Hom, Director of Human Rights in China; and two former members of the United States House of Representatives: Democrat and President Barack Obama's former Chief of Staff and Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel and former Republican Congresswoman Sue W. Kelly.
• Dance — Alumni of the dance department at the College include MacArthur Genius Grant awardee Meredith Monk and choreographer John Jasperse.
• Fashion — Vera Wang, former Vogue editor and world-renowned fashion designer. Paul Johnson Calderon, television personality and fashion journalist also attended Sarah Lawrence.
• Literature/Biography — Alice Walker, most notably the author of "The Color Purple", is also an alumna. Ann Patchett, author of Bel Canto is also a graduate, as is Donna Raskin, the book author and magazine writer, Constance Cappel, author, and Louise Glück, a poet and winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Nancy Huston is author of numerous works and recipient of the Prix Femina in 2006 for the novel Lignes de faille (English translation: Fault Lines). Playwright and lyricist David Lindsay-Abaire won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Rabbit Hole. Porochista Khakpour, a journalist and novelist, won the 2007 California Book Award for First Fiction for her debut novel Sons and Other Flammable Objects; she was also a finalist for the Dylan Thomas Prize and got considerable acclaim from The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Los Angeles Times, etc., in 2007. Melissa Febos, author of the critically acclaimed memoir about her time as a professional dominatrix in Manhattan, which resulted in a New York Post cover story and feature interview on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, is a graduate of the MFA program.

In popular culture

• Author Bret Easton Ellis has mentioned the college in some of his novels, such as The Rules of Attraction and American Psycho.
• In the 1983 John Sayles film Baby It's You, the lead character, Jill Rosen (Rosanna Arquette), is accepted to and attends Sarah Lawrence College.
• In the 1999 teen film 10 Things I Hate About You, a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, main character Katarina Stratford (Julia Stiles) desires to attend Sarah Lawrence against her father's wishes. Actress Larisa Oleynik, who plays Katarina's younger sister Bianca in the film, actually went on to attend Sarah Lawrence College in real life and was a member of the esteemed Women's Vocal Ensemble.
• In the television series Will & Grace, socialite Karen Walker claims to have attended Sarah Lawrence College.
• In the 2002 film "XX/XY", written and directed by Sarah Lawrence alumnus Austin Chick.
• In the 2004 romantic drama film The Notebook, one of the main characters, Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams), attends Sarah Lawrence College.
• In the CW television series Gossip Girl, the character Blair Waldorf tries unsuccessfully to gain admission to Sarah Lawrence by begging the school's dean after she is rejected by her dream school Yale.^[34] At the end of season 4, it is revealed that Serena's younger brother Eric will be attending the college in the fall.
• In a 2008 episode of Mad Men, "Maidenform," one of Don Draper's mistresses, Bobbie Barrett, mentions that her daughter is in the theater program at Sarah Lawrence.
• In the 2009 film Motherhood, Eliza Welch (Uma Thurman) holds a BA from SLC.
• In the television series House, Dr. Remy Hadley attented SLC.
• In The Princess Diaries, Mia's grandmother pushes her to attend the college and she finally does.
• In the television series Gilmore Girls, the college is mentioned twice. Once when studying on a Saturday morning, Paris tells her friends they will thank her when they get into Sarah Lawrence. Rory also mentions it again when listing schools a friend of hers could attend.
• In the television series Entourage, it is said that Lloyd studied Art History at Sarah Lawrence.
• In the animated series Sit Down, Shut Up, acting principal Sue Sezno attended Sarah Lawrence for a semester.
• In the novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie's sister ends up attending SLC.
• In the television series The Game, Robin Givens (SLC Alum) mentions attending Sarah Lawrence.
• In the television series "Parks and Recreation", Joe, the head of the Pawnee Sewage Department, attended Sarah Lawrence.

Athletics

The College sponsors intercollegiate teams in crew (aka rowing), equestrian, men's basketball, men and women’s tennis, women’s volleyball, women’s softball, and women's swimming. In a surprising development, the College announced in March 2011 that it would seek membership as a Division III member of the NCAA.^[35] The earliest the College could compete as a full member of Division III would be the 2016–17 academic year as a four-year 'provisional' period is required.

The College's official mascot is the Gryphon. It was chosen in the 1990s to represent the College's athletics teams after a long period of fielding sports teams without an official mascot. Unofficially the student body had long adopted the large resident population of 'Black Squirrels' as a de facto mascot to the college. The position of silent mascot that the 'Black Squirrel' occupied was financially endorsed by the college itself with the production of various Black Squirrel merchandise (including Sarah Lawrence clothing branded with the Black Squirrel image) and plush toys. It is only recently (post 2003) that efforts on the behalf of the college to establish the Gryphon as the icon of Sarah Lawrence have begun to take root.

Sarah Lawrence recently re-established the men's soccer team that plays in the Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference.

Notes

External links

• Official Website