March 17, 2020

Welch Center Updates

Dear Welch Center Students and Faculty,

Good afternoon. I hope this email finds you and those close to you safe and well. For those of you separated from family and friends by distance, borders, or other barriers, please know that we empathize with the anxiety that comes from uncertainty—and feel that ourselves, as well.

As we all move forward into unchartered territory, it is my goal that your connections to the Welch Center and Goucher College remain strong through your programs and courses. We continue to function effectively and efficiently, fully supported by staff working remotely, and by a virtual learning system and processes that have been in place for many years. The following sections provide current information about our programs and courses to address questions you may have.

Courses & Programs

All Welch Center courses and programs, except for the Sage Institute for Lifelong Learning, will continue as scheduled through Canvas. Face-to-face courses have transitioned to fully online delivery, and all courses will remain online through the end of this semester. Faculty members who are transitioning to online delivery have been in touch with their students, who will now access instructional content through their canvas course sites per faculty instructions. Additional information is provided below:

  • Students and faculty: If you have technology or login questions, please contact the Goucher IT Help desk (helpdesk@goucher.edu).

  • Faculty: If you need Canvas support or instructional design services, please reach out to alice.miller@goucher.edu for most graduate education courses, and to linda.hill@goucher.edu for graduate education online sections and all other courses.

  • Students: If you have questions about your Canvas course site, or about transitioning online, please contact your instructor today.

Schedule availability, advising, & registration

The summer schedule will be available for all Welch Center students beginning April 3. At this point, we anticipate offering a selection of on-campus and online classes for summer as we usually do. Still, we may move to fully online delivery if the current situation continues. Either way, courses will be offered and taught, and students will be able to continue with their program. Additional information is provided below:

  • Advisors: Please email your advisees now and schedule a time to discuss summer course registration in anticipation of registration opening in April.

  • Students: Please check your Goucher email daily and respond to your advisor's request to meet. It is crucial that you and your advisor maintain this contact to support your success as your advance toward completion of your degree. Registration opens online through MyGoucher on April 13. Please look for an email from the Registrar in early April with additional information.

  • Graduation: Graduation clearances have been processed. Students, you should continue to check your Goucher email daily for correspondence related to graduation and Commencement. No decision about Commencement has been made at this time, but graduation and the awarding of degrees will move forward on schedule.

Tuition, financial aid, & billing

All general questions about tuition, financial aid, and billing should be directed to graduatebilling@goucher.edu. Specific financial aid questions should be sent to scott.farquhar@goucher.edu.

General requests & questions

All general requests and questions not related to your course, registration, graduation, or online instruction should be sent to graduateprograms@goucher.edu. Should you have difficulty contacting anyone you need to reach or have any questions that remain unanswered, please email me directly at Kathryn.doherty@goucher.edu.

Summer residency

For faculty and students who attend the summer low-residency programs, we are currently preparing an online and an on-campus option. We will be ready to deliver the high-quality residency experience you have come to anticipate and expect in either face-to-face or virtual format. Please be in touch with your program directors and check your Goucher email daily for updates on residency and residency format.

These are all the updates for now. I will be in touch again as new information becomes available. Please know that we continue to work for your success, and we value your contributions to the college and our Welch Center programs. Stay strong, well, and healthy, and please reach out as soon as possible with questions or for clarification. We have created and continue to maintain a strong and vibrant online community—a hallmark of the Welch Center and Goucher College. Each of you is an invaluable part of that community.

With warm regards,

Kathy

Kathryn Doherty, Ed.D.
Associate Provost and Executive Director
Welch Center for Graduate & Professional Studies
410-337-6208
kathryn.doherty@goucher.edu
(pronouns: she, her, hers)