Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College is a private and independent liberal arts college in the United States . It is located in southern Westchester County , New York , in the city of Yonkers , north of Manhattan . The College is known for its rigorous academic standards , low student - to - faculty ratio , and highly individualized course of study . The school 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 . Sarah Lawrence emphasizes scholarship , particularly in the humanities , performing arts , and writing , and places a high value on independent study . 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 . 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 . 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 volunteer ing 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 seminar s , 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 , practicum s , 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 . 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 district s 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 , 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 . " At present , Sarah Lawrence is the only American college that completely disregards SAT scores in its admission process . 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 . " 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 . 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 college s , 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 . " 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 . " In " The Best College for You " , a 2000 co - publication of " Time " magazine and The Princeton Review , Sarah Lawrence was named the liberal arts " College of the Year " , citing the school ' s strong emphasis on writing across the curriculum . In 2009 , Forbes rated it 65th of America ' s Best Colleges . In 2011 , The Princeton Review ranked Sarah Lawrence first in its top ten list of colleges with the best class discussions . In 2012 , The Princeton Review ranked Sarah Lawrence first in its top ten list of colleges with the best professors . 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 ) . The total cost of tuition , fees , room , and board for a student entering in the fall of 2012 was $ 61 , 236 . Campus . The site of 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 . Housing . " 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 ( 1926 – 1927 ) . 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 ) . MacCracken , 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 MacCracken , are now used as classrooms . " New Dorms " . Designed by the renowned architect Philip 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 . 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 : 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 . 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 . Athletics . The College sponsors intercollegiate teams in crew ( aka rowing ) , equestrian , men ' s basketball , men ' s and women ’ s tennis , men ' s and women ’ s volleyball , women ’ s softball , and men ' s and women ' s swimming . In March 2011 the College announced that it would seek membership as a Division III member of the NCAA . 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 . In 2008 / 09 , the school re - established the men ' s soccer team that plays in the Hudson Valley Men ' s Athletic Conference . In 2013 , women ' s soccer was announced as the newest varsity program .