Goucher College Strategic Plan 2021-2026
Goucher Forward
Our Success
When we first introduced our “Cultivating Global Changemakers” strategic plan in 2021, we organized the plan around three pillars: our programs, our people, and our resources. Our tireless efforts on initiatives that support these pillars have resulted in a marked difference for our students—we have created success teams, enhanced our global learning opportunities, introduced new graduate programs and undergraduate majors, and hired highly qualified faculty.
What we have achieved.
1
We developed an innovative, team-based student advising approach: Success Teams.
We hired and trained student success advisors, faculty members, library personnel, and study abroad advisors to support students from matriculation through graduation.
2
We created a financially sustainable model for study abroad.
This model allows every Goucher undergraduate student—regardless of financial need—to benefit from a global learning experience. Semester-long study abroad has grown by 127%, and six new Intensive Courses Abroad (ICAs) have been developed.
3
We expanded programs to support all students in STEM disciplines.
These programs provide more access to global perspectives. We have ensured that syllabi across disciplines are in alignment with enhancing global perspectives and have created faculty workshops to integrate global perspectives into our curricular design.
4
We implemented policies and practices that meet students’ needs for in-person, residential learning but also allow for greater flexibility.
We built out online courses and instructor certification and established best practices, hired an instructional designer to oversee online course design and instructor certification, and certified 10 new faculty courses.
5
We provided students with multiple perspectives and insights into their areas of academic interest.
We integrated our undergraduate and graduate program faculty, procedures, and policies under five new academic divisions, which house related fields of study: Writing, Arts, and Media; Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies; Natural, Computer, and Data Sciences; Social Sciences; and Education.
6
We introduced new undergraduate majors in high-growth, future-oriented careers.
We identified and developed new majors in the life sciences and other emerging disciplines, such as digital arts, public health, and neuroscience.
7
We launched new graduate programs focused on the needs of the adult learner.
We developed three new high-growth potential graduate programs—digital communications, environmental sustainability and management, and applied policy analysis.
8
We fostered deeper partnerships with community-based experiential learning partners.
We added two new signature service sites, for a total of five active community-based learning partners, and student participation grew by 160% from 2022 to 2023.
9
We enhanced our academic excellence with a focus on our faculty.
We achieved an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, at least 85% of the full-time faculty are tenure-track, and 98% of those faculty have terminal degrees.
10
We fully leveraged our Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA) membership.
We conducted student, faculty, and staff campus climate surveys and had broad faculty and staff participation in the racial equity training programs offered through LACRELA.
11
We ensured that the college remain a welcoming place for Jewish students.
We conducted climate assessments and offered focused training and workshops for both faculty and staff through the Hillel Campus Climate Initiative (CCI).
12
We implemented a “culture of respect” action plan for the Goucher College Title IX Office.
We maximized Goucher’s membership in the NASPA: Culture of Respect program to identify and implement specific steps designed to reduce the incidence of sexual violence on our campus, as well as place a greater focus on prevention, healthy relationships, and pleasure-focused programming.
13
We hired new faculty to support continued academic expansion.
We successfully completed 11 national searches to fill full-time faculty vacancies.
14
We improved recognition of faculty and staff scholarship and faculty teaching excellence.
We highlighted faculty achievements and awards at our alumnae/i weekend, on faculty development days, in publicized free lectures, in website features, and at special book release and book signing celebrations.
15
We introduced three new academic terms.
Goucher now offers three “J-terms” on the college’s academic calendar, in January, June, and July, with both online and in-person course offerings to better serve our students’ needs.
16
We now offer a three-year accelerated bachelor of arts degree.
For students majoring in business management, economics, psychology, computer science, and data science, Goucher now offers an accelerated pathway that culminates in a full 120-credit bachelor of arts degree one year sooner than traditional programs.
17
We added housing and meal options for students.
Goucher now offers a variety of new summer housing options and meal plan options in addition to our standard 10-month housing contract and meal plan offerings.
18
We increased the number of endowed professorships and endowed scholarships across all disciplines.
We established new endowed professorships in Mandarin Chinese, biochemistry, and data science, as well as new scholarships for students studying in a variety of fields.
19
We developed a comprehensive Campus Master Plan.
We partnered with Sasaki, a leading design and planning firm, to develop a long-term, strategic campus master plan that places sustainability and accessibility at the center and prioritizes all anticipated campus-based construction and renovation projects from 2022 through 2035, the 150th anniversary of the college.
20
We forged a new partnership with Edenwald Senior Living to develop the first university retirement community in Maryland.
The plan includes leasing three acres of the college’s 287-acre campus to Edenwald, so they can construct three new residential towers containing 127 new apartments, and an innovative arrangement that will allow residents to audit classes, attend performances, borrow from the library, and travel internationally with undergraduate Goucher students on special co-generational Intensive Courses Abroad (ICA).
Goucher Forward
The Goucher Forward plan for academic years 2024-25 and 2025-26 builds upon the successes we have already achieved while placing a greater emphasis on strengthening three essential aspects of the college: enrollment, student success, and financial sustainability. Primary among these is continuing to grow Goucher’s undergraduate and graduate enrollment and retention by further increasing the number of international and transfer students on Goucher’s campus, which has already grown from 3% of our incoming class to 11% in the past three years.
Additionally, Goucher will be leveraging all its assets—whether that be its financial resources, 287-acre campus, highly desirable location, or domain expertise—to form additional partnerships and launch innovative initiatives that can further ensure the college’s financial sustainability for decades to come.
