THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 14, 1996 TAG: 9604150210
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: BUENA VISTA LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
A month before Southern Virginia College was scheduled to close, several members of the Morman Church in Virginia announced Wednesday that they will take over the school and change its mission.
The private women's college will continue to be a non-sectarian, nonprofit school; it will expanded from a two-year to a four-year institution, according to Roger Barrus, spokesman for the new management group. It also will begin enrolling men.
Alcohol, tobacco and drugs will prohibited on the 130-year-old campus. The college will offer a social environment supporting the highest standards of personal behavior and spiritual development, Barrus said.
While the managers are Mormans, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, based in Salt Lake City, will not run the college or fund its operations, school spokeswoman Grace Sarber said.
Southern Virginia College was due to close after graduation on May 12. The decision by the board of trustees in January stemmed from the loss of accreditation from the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools, which questioned the college's ability to deal with long-term debt.
Enrollment dropped to 127 during the last school year, but jumped to 165 this school year, still well below the college's break-even enrollment of 225.
Southern Virginia College President John Ripley said the trustees authorized him to continue looking for a way to keep the school open. ``There was no hope for a miracle at the time, but I refused to give up until one came along.'' Ripley said. by CNB