2008 Woodie Awards
Strategic Plan Revisited: Curry Speaks
Scott Sell
Issue date: 12/10/03 Section: News
Over the past two years the ideas for Goucher's Strategic Plan have been updated, retooled, and changed in shape. In October, concrete plans were announced to the college, courtesy of President Sandy Ungar. Recently signing a contract to maintain his position and oversee the project until its completion, Ungar continues to be enthusiastic about what following years will bring. With the upcoming construction of the Athenaeum and two new residence halls this spring, and an increase in student body and faculty, Goucher hopes it is well on the way of achieving the Strategic Plan's goal to make Goucher a diverse institute.
Vice President and Academic Dean, Michael Curry, is working on the scholastic portion of the Strategic Plan and trying to implement it in sync with the other aspects of the "Plan." Taking over the position of Academic Dean in the fall of 2002, Curry has been anxious to start making changes in the way Goucher learns and teaches.
"We hadn't done anything with the Strategic Plan for a while, but we had all these great ideas floating around," Curry says. "Now, it's high time to examine what will work and what won't and begin to put some of those ideas into action."
Months after his department transfer, Curry began to organize a committee of select faculty, students, staff, and trustees. The goal was to convene on a casual basis and gather opinions on topics concerning the curriculum presentation, department structure, international studies, and above all, the much talked about 4-1-4 semester plan that looks like it will see the light of day over the next year.
"This alone will be a major undertaking. The new group is currently taking care of specifics and giving Sandy [Ungar] and myself great things to feed off of. Above all, the student input has been tremendous and I hope to get more of the student body involved. This gives us the opportunity to mobilize appropriately."
The two proposals that have been put forward are: 1) a mechanical extension of the academic calendar to four semesters, implementing [an] intensive course(s) in a foreign country, domestic travel, or independent study for one of those semesters during each year and 2) making use of "cluster" courses, in which students would take a four course maximum workload and have a one credit add-on course, opening up the calendar week to create to do various other side projects.
Vice President and Academic Dean, Michael Curry, is working on the scholastic portion of the Strategic Plan and trying to implement it in sync with the other aspects of the "Plan." Taking over the position of Academic Dean in the fall of 2002, Curry has been anxious to start making changes in the way Goucher learns and teaches.
"We hadn't done anything with the Strategic Plan for a while, but we had all these great ideas floating around," Curry says. "Now, it's high time to examine what will work and what won't and begin to put some of those ideas into action."
Months after his department transfer, Curry began to organize a committee of select faculty, students, staff, and trustees. The goal was to convene on a casual basis and gather opinions on topics concerning the curriculum presentation, department structure, international studies, and above all, the much talked about 4-1-4 semester plan that looks like it will see the light of day over the next year.
"This alone will be a major undertaking. The new group is currently taking care of specifics and giving Sandy [Ungar] and myself great things to feed off of. Above all, the student input has been tremendous and I hope to get more of the student body involved. This gives us the opportunity to mobilize appropriately."
The two proposals that have been put forward are: 1) a mechanical extension of the academic calendar to four semesters, implementing [an] intensive course(s) in a foreign country, domestic travel, or independent study for one of those semesters during each year and 2) making use of "cluster" courses, in which students would take a four course maximum workload and have a one credit add-on course, opening up the calendar week to create to do various other side projects.
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