Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar College is a liberal arts women ' s college in Sweet Briar , Virginia , United States , about north of Lynchburg , Virginia . The school ' s Latin motto translates as : " She who has earned the rose may bear it . " The college is on donated by the founding family of Indiana Fletcher Williams . It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools . History . The school is named after the former Sweet Briar plantation , the former plantation of Elijah Fletcher and his family . Fletcher was a 19th century teacher , businessman , and mayor of Lynchburg . His wife , Maria Crawford , is credited with naming the land Sweet Briar . By the mid - 19th century , Fletcher had between 80 and 100 slaves at the plantation . After their emancipation in 1865 , several continued to work for pay and live at Sweet Briar . On Elijah Fletcher ' s death , his daughter , Indiana , inherited the plantation . When she passed in 1900 , she willed the land and much of her assets to starting a college for women , as her daughter Daisy had passed at 16 and , therefore , never had a chance to attend college . Architecture . The campus is situated on in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains . The college ' s architecture is dominated by the work of Ralph Adams Cram , who also lent his architectural expertise to the campuses of Princeton University and West Point , among others . The campus property also includes the Sweet Briar plantation burial ground , in which upwards of sixty slaves are buried ; according to some , an authentic slave cabin remains on the land , but this is probably not the case as the cabin does not follow building techniques associated with cabins of the day . The techniques used actually reflect modern techniques and may simply be an early reproduction . Archaeologists have uncovered many slave artifacts . Twenty one of the thirty buildings on campus were designated as the " Sweet Briar College Historic District " by the National Register of Historic Places . Also listed is Sweet Briar House . Rankings . Sweet Briar has continually ranked high across the board by several organizations . Academics . The school operates 50 undergraduate courses of study as well as 3 pre - professional programs : Pre - Law , Pre - Medicine and Pre - Veterinary and two graduate degree s . Both programs are co - ed and in the field of education . Campus life . Sweet Briar is a residential campus , and nearly all students live on campus during their time at SBC . The Honor Code . " Sweet Briar women do not lie , cheat , steal or violate the rights of others . Therefore I pledge to uphold all standards of honorable conduct . I will report myself and others for any infraction of this pledge . " First - years are required to memorize the Honor pledge and take a test on it before they are allowed to hand in and Pledge any academic work . All academic work must be Pledged , and the consequences for violating that pledge are severe . Because of the high standards held by the honor code at Sweet Briar , students are able to take unproctored , self - scheduled exams . The Honor Code has non - academic applications as well . Athletics . Sports teams are known as the Vixen s . Sweet Briar is a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference . Sweet Briar has 7 Varsity Sports : Field Hockey , Lacrosse , Soccer , Softball , Swimming , Tennis and Volleyball . Sweet Briar also has Fencing as a club sport . Students also participate in recreational sports through the Sweet Briar Outdoor Program ( SWEBOP ) . SWEBOP organizes many trips throughout the year including hiking , fly fishing , caving , rock climbing and weekly kayaking and skiing . Riding . The school operates a horseback riding program , which focuses on show and field hunters , huntseat equitation , and show jumping . The school has 7 riding teams . These include a jumper team , hunter show team , JV hunter show team , Affiliated National Riding Commission ( ANRC ) team , field team , and Intercollegiate Horse Show Association ( IHSA ) team . As part of its program , students can study for an Equine Studies Certificate with a focus in either training or equine management . ANRC Accolades include 9 ANRC Team national championship titles ( 1978 , 1979 , 1980 , 1986 , 198 , 1988 , 1989 , 1990 , and 1999 ) , and 10 ANRC Team reserve national championships titles ( 1981 , 1982 , 1983 , 1984 , 1985 , 2000 , 2001 , 2002 , 2004 , 2005 ) . Sweet Briar students have been individual national champions nine times ( 1978 - Jamie Plank , 1979 - Jamie Plank , 1980 - Kathy Tayleor , 1981 - Jamie Plank , 1986 - Pam Ward , 1987 - Gail Phillips , 1988 - Pam Ward , 2000 - Jen Lampton , and 2004 - Karen Dennehy ) . Sweet Briar students have been individual reserve ANRC national champions seven times ( 1980 - Pam Kobrock , 1985 - Laurie Woolverton , 1986 - Georgianna Congers , 1989 - Pam Ward , 1990 - Kerstin Chrisman , 2001 - Cara Meade ) . IHSA In 2006 , Sweet Briar ' s IHSA team won their region ( Zone 4 , Region 1 ) , and placed second at Zones , qualifying them for the Nationals Competition . The team placed third overall , with Jodie Weber ' 06 claiming a fourth overall in the Cacchione Cup competition . Weber also claimed the Open Over Fences Championship that catapulted the team into the third place position . In 2008 , Sweet Briar IHSA won their region again , and proceeded to Nationals , where team members collected individual ribbons . Equestrian center features include :