AAGC Updates

Stay up to date on the latest information being discussed by the AAGC. 

Fall Board Meeting Highlights

October 1, 2022

  • Further exploration of the Edenwald project was approved and the AAGC board seemed receptive. Discussion focused on where the expansion would be and how the residents would interact with the campus.
  • The Annual Giving brochure that went out in September to young alumni was reviewed and the concept was well-received by the board as a way for alumni to give to a fund that matters to them.
  • Joey Fink, Liaison to the Center for Race, Equity, and Identity (CREI), talked about the upcoming coffee chat style events in CREI (called spill the tea) that will invite students to a safe space to ask questions not only about career fields, but also general adulting questions.
  • The AAGC board continues to talk about the creation of alumni affinity groups and how they will be managed in coordination with the AAGC constitution.

 

Summer Retreat Highlights

July 23, 2022

  • The AAGC Board and Committee members received an Academic Affairs update from Elaine Meyer-Lee, Provost, and Senior Vice President as well as Associate Provost for Curriculum, German Mora, and Associate Vice President for Career and Baltimore-Based Learning, Matt Van Hoose.
  • Aarika Camp, Vice President of Student Affairs gave an overview of the Student Affairs division and an update on student programming and engagement.
  • AAGC board member, Marc Cousins ’97 M.Ed. ’07 and Vice President of Advancement, Michele Ewing, led an interactive exercise on how to tell your Undaunted Story.
  • The 100-degree heat kept the AAGC members indoors while exploring other exiting topics around Alumnae/i Weekend, Annual Giving, and discussion of the Annual Meeting format.

Annual Meeting Highlights

April 30, 2022

  • President Kent Devereaux delivered a “state of the campus” update to all alumni.
  • Alumnus who had traveled the farthest, from San Diego, was recognized for commitment and dedication to visiting campus during Alumnae/i Weekend.
  • The following alumni were recognized for their service
    • Nadiera Young ’12, M.Ed. ’14 received the Jenifer Mitchell Reed ’86 Young Alumnae/i Award
    • Judy DeRuvo Cohen MACS ’12 received the Doris Lamberton Clapp ’39 Award
    • Melinda Burdette ’72 received the Ethel Cockey ’23 Award
    • Dorothy Lipsitz Robinson ’42, P’71AAGC was selected to receive the Elizabeth Statuta Baker ’70 Public Service Award
  • President, Damon Highsmith ’03 reviewed Rally for Reunion fundraising efforts. The Class of 1972 was recognized for most raised and “most improved” since their last milestone reunion

Fall Board Meeting Highlights

September 25, 2021

  • We were joined by Elaine Meyer-Lee, Provost; Ann Duncan, Faculty Chair; and Luchen Li, Associate Vice President for Global Education. They shared that faculty are excited to be back in the classroom after a year of virtual learning. There will be an implementation of new governance legislation in the spring and the Faculty Affairs Committee is reviewing the faculty workload to assure equity and appropriate compensation.
  • There is a new Global Education Seminar that will allow us to engage alumni. We are focusing on the re-opening of study abroad opportunities for students. Goucher has a new partnership with ISEP that will allow Goucher students to choose from 300 academic programs in 50 countries. The ISEP program will provide more accessibility and affordability for our students.
  • We met the new Goucher Student Government Interim President, Ty’lor Schnella ’22. He sees himself as the chief student advocate and not just the president. There has been a big change in student leadership within GSG and it is currently operating without any senators; there will be a special election in November. He is working with student government leaders from other area schools to learn about best practices.
  • Goucher is working with Susaki, the original campus master plan creators, to create a new campus master plan. The task force has been created and includes faculty, staff, and students. The plan will be realized in 2035 – Goucher’s 150th anniversary.
  • The AAGC continues to support the work of the admissions office through our Admissions Officer position helping to recruit young alumni to assist with recruitment. Additionally, the Annual Giving Officer works directly with the Annual and Affinity Giving Office to assist with fundraising strategies. The new Center for Race, Equity, and Identity (CREI) liaison reported that the Center will be moving from the fourth floor of the Athenaeum to the first floor to occupy a larger space. The Athletics liaison reported that 30% of our enrolled undergraduate students are student athletes.

Summer Retreat Highlights

July 17, 2021

  • AAGC members from near and far gathered in person and via zoom to hear from President Kent Devereaux, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Jonathan Lindsay, and Vice President for Advancement, Michele Ewing.
  • President Devereaux shared information about the new strategic plan and upcoming master plan as well as new academic partnerships and programs.
  • Jonathan Lindsay provided an update on new and returning student numbers, recruitment efforts during covid and information on the new LAUNCH program for first generation students.
  • Michele Ewing shared the good news that the Undaunted campaign has reached the $70M goal and that the Science Research Center remains the top priority.
  • We had several small group discussions around the following topics:
    • Micro Internships and the new Internship Pipeline Program
    • Give Campus Demo and peer-to-peer fundraising
    • Alumni Affinity Group Proposal
    • Alumni Events, In-Person, Virtual, and Hybrid

Annual Meeting

April 24, 2021

Click here to watch a video of the 2021 virtual annual meeting of the AAGC.

February Board Meeting Highlights

February 27, 2021

Advancement: Undaunted Campaign relaunch – New Spirit, Same Determination. Michele Ewing, VP of Advancement, shared the updated campaign website and priorities with a focus on the Science Research Center and academic resources, while celebrating successes including the First Year Village, Mary Fisher Dining, Froelicher Hall relocation/renovation, and the Schroedl Tennis Center.

Micro Internship Program: students who participated in the fall's pilot program participated in a panel. The pilot placed 22 students in virtual micro-internship experiences with alumnae/i hosts. Students shared that their experiences bolstered their current skills while learning new ones. After making a meaningful connection with their Goucher alumnae/i hosts, panelists re-applied for the spring edition.

Admissions: VP of Enrollment Management Jonathan Lindsay updated the board on the unique challenges of enrollment during the pandemic, including student deferrals. Recruitment for the fall 2021 semester is going well, including a renewed focus on increasing international student applicants. The revamped Virtual Campus tour includes multiple languages. Recruitment events are being held virtually throughout the spring.

October Board Meeting Highlights

October 17, 2020

  • We had five student leaders join us for a panel, helping us better understand their experiences during this online semester and their activism as student leaders maintaining community during this unprecedented time.
  • We welcomed President Devereaux for updates on COVID-19 protocols, the re-opening task force, starting of the 2025 strategic plan that will work across five themes: Sustainability, Student success, Social justice, Global education, and
  • We renewed our commitment to 100% giving by our AAGC Board as we strive to: lead the way for all alumnae/i, help Goucher during this time, and strengthen our rankings in various sources. (Alumni participation is a factor for college rankings.) We discussed improving graduate alumnae/i engagement and the steps we're taking to create Equity-Related leadership positions within our ecosystem.
  • We're seeking nominations for board and committee positions for the next term starting on July 1, 2021 and are also seeking nominations for the Elizabeth Statuta Baker ’70 Public Service Award (due by Dec 1).

Board Governance: We formally approved four amendments. These will be posted prior to our April 15, 2021 AAGC Annual Meeting where the general alumnae/i body will have the opportunity to vote on them. If majority-approved, the new amendments would go into effect on July 1, 2021. Among these is firming up our Athletics Liaison role to improve communication and collaboration between the AAGC and the Athletics Department.

Partnerships: We successfully piloted a Micro Internship program with the Career Education Office and Office of Alumnae/i Affairs, placing 22 students in virtual internships. We hope to expand the program in the future.

Summer Retreat Highlights

July 25, 2020

Introductions with new senior staff: We met with Dr. Aarika Camp, VP & Dean of Students; Erik L. Thompson, VP of Campus Operations; Dr. Elaine Meyer-Lee, Provost & Senior Vice President; and Michele Y. Ewing, VP Advancement to learn more about their expertise and understand from each of their perspectives on short and long-term futures for our alma mater.

Focused discussions regarding the Center for Race, Equity & Identity: We discussed current issues for students of color and Black students in particular with Nicole Johnson, Associate Dean of Students and Dr. Aarika Camp, VP & Dean of Students. We're exploring how our AAGC Board's structure may better support equity-related priorities moving forward, and want to reiterate some of the initiatives on campus want to uplift the Center for Race, Equity, & Identity; Goucher Prison Education Partnership; Imani Fund; Hallowed Ground Project; Bias Training & Response Team; Africana Studies; Peace Studies; Center for Hispanic & Latinx Studies; Community-Based Learning; and Goucher Black Student Union-Umoja.

The importance of the Greater Goucher Fund and other support for the College during this unprecedented moment. We each committed to at least three ways to show we're Goucher Proud, and encourage others to think about these methods, too: recruiting prospective students, volunteering, advocating, giving today, giving tomorrow, and helping others in our alumnae/i network.

Information from the Career Education Office regarding support for current students, including digital internships, Goucher's Career Communities, and GoucherRecruit.

AAGC Response re: Goucher's Statement on Racism

June 3, 2020

In 1885, the founders of Goucher College took bold action to arm women with the ultimate power to transform the world around them: knowledge. It took nearly a century for that ideal to be extended to African American women, leading to Jewell Robinson and Marguerite Barland forging their historic paths to our campus. Now, we find ourselves as an Alumnae/i Association struggling with how to best support our College during a time of overdue social transformation. Read more...

Alumnae/i Updates re: Covid-19

March 18, 2020

As you may have heard by now, in response to the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, Goucher College has moved to online classes for the rest of the semester and asked students not to return after spring break. You can read the full announcement and other response measures on the college’s dedicated website. Read more...

March 13, 2020

We are writing today to inform you about the status of Goucher College as everyone responds to COVID-19/Coronavirus. President Kent Devereaux announced a temporary shift to online classes (through March 29) as well as restrictions on college events and travel. Read more...

Questions?

Email the Office of Alumnae/i Affairs at alumni@goucher.edu.