The success of every student matters at Goucher College. Because of its dedication to creating opportunity for all students, Goucher President José Antonio Bowen was invited to speak at the Department of Education Pell Celebration today. The college was also one of 51 colleges mentioned in their report “Fulfilling the Promise, Serving the Need: Advancing College Opportunity for Low-Income Students.”
“For students from low- and moderate-income families, a college degree is the surest path to the middle class in our country,” said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. “I applaud the colleges and universities that have taken measurable steps to open up this pathway and make it a successful one for students from all backgrounds.”
“Goucher College is committed to providing an excellent education to students from all backgrounds,” said Goucher College President José Antonio Bowen. “We were honored to be included in this event and in the report. It has been a great opportunity for Goucher both to learn but also to showcase a number of new strategies we have employed.”
Goucher is in the process of re-engineering all of its programs with an eye to equity, without stigmatizing any offerings as remedial. This is a system-wide approach, because individual programs in isolation have been less successful.
“We know one of the top concerns of employers is that graduates are able to solve complex problems with people who are different from themselves,” President Bowen said. “Goucher deliberately invites diversity onto our campus to enable this important part of the learning process.”
Goucher students hail from 44 states and 39 countries, and about one-third identify as multicultural. Twenty-four percent of Fall 2015 first-year students are first-generation college students, and 26 percent of Goucher undergraduates receive a Pell grant. Despite a 14 percent gap in college completion rates on the national level for Pell-grant recipients and non-Pell students, Goucher’s college completion rates for both populations are virtually identical.
“As part of its commitment to student success, Goucher has been building several systems that help students get the support they need so that they can uncover their maximum potential,” said Emily Perl, assistant vice president for student success.
Goucher’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) provides full tuition to select first-generation Maryland residents from underserved socioeconomic backgrounds. A summer bridge program emphasizing math, reading, and writing skills allows EOP students to get acclimated to Goucher the summer before they begin their college experience. They are then supported for four years through special workshops and training.
All Goucher students are encouraged to visit the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE). ACE is not a remedial tutoring center—it is a place where students can get a range of support from academic coaches, student-led instruction, and stress reduction offerings (including meditation and yoga classes and visits with the office dog). ACE supports the college’s goal of developing voracious, self-regulated learners. In the past year, Goucher established the Center for Race, Identity, and Equity (CRIE), which engages in outreach to—and support for—all underrepresented students. Both ACE and CRIE emphasize the Goucher 3Rs: relationships, resilience, and reflection.
“Relationships are at the heart of a Goucher education,” said Scott Sibley, faculty chair. “The student-faculty relationship does not end in the classroom, and we’re committed to helping our students get to where they want to go.”
Students receive regular feedback from faculty, and a confidential group called the “Student Success Initiative” meets weekly to identify students who may need extra support and ensure they are provided tools to help them be successful.
“At Goucher, we’re committed to preparing all students for the jobs of the future,” said Bowen.