ABSTRACT
Goucher College's commitment to respond to critical needs in contemporary society is most appropriate, considering the impulses that led to founding of the college in 1885. Because historic celebrations of a college or university emphasize core institutional values, people wanted to ensure that the inauguration of a new president in 1994 reflected truly representative values of Goucher. A culture of community engagement is fostered not only by a historic institutional legacy and the values students have embraced before arrival, by the structure and size of a small residential college. Goucher's academic program offers students the opportunity to study both traditional liberal arts subjects and to explore the implications of theory and research for today's world. Goucher's Masters in Education (MEd) program, which has received national recognition, is an innovative graduate program grounded in community needs. In the spring of 1994 Goucher tried to implement a big-brother/big-sister type of program, on their own, with a grassroots community group in Baltimore City.
