Our Plan
In the spring of 2019, we set out to better define our values and priorities as an educational program while outlining the actions and initiatives we believe will move Goucher Athletics forward in the next five years. This document is aspirational in that it presents where we would like to be, but it also identifies directives that describe how we will get there. We expect our plan to provide guidance and clarity of purpose to student athletes, staff, the Goucher community, and all current and future members of the Gopher family.
Higher education, collegiate athletics, and the people and priorities in our community are constantly shifting. With that in mind, this document is presented as a webpage that can be updated and shifted as needed. Successful initiatives, progress, and adjustments will be reflected on this page following periodic updates.
We are thrilled to present our 2019-24 Goucher Athletics Strategic Plan. Go Gophers!
Mission Statement
We aim to provide an environment where all student athletes are challenged and inspired to achieve their full potential.
Vision Statement
We strive to earn the reputation of a transformative and competitive athletic program in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region.
Diversity, Equity, AND Inclusion
Through Athletics, we empower all Gophers to find their agency, honor and respect various perspectives, and celebrate difference. We are dedicated to our responsibility to provide educational, developmental, and career opportunities to individuals belonging to historically marginalized groups.
GOUCHER COMMUNITY PRINCIPLES
We are committed to representing the values of Respect, Inclusion, Communication, Service & Social Justice, and Responsibility.
Student Development
We aspire to prepare student athletes for the rest of their lives.
- Utilize program and campus resources to ensure student athletes earn higher GPAs and graduate at a higher rate than the greater Goucher student body.
- Introduce yearlong Gopher Leadership Academy.
- Enrich student athlete advisory committee by adding advisement to a staff member’s job description.
- Focus on programming for students and staff that addresses issues of wellness, resilience, identity development, social justice.
Competitive Excellence
We aspire to promote a winning tradition at Goucher, be a competitive force in our region, and earn postseason berths with regularity.
- Attract elite student athletes who seek a Goucher educational experience
- Refocus the ambitions outlined in the Athletics Master Plan (2017) and prioritize projects based on student impact, urgency, and feasibility
- Increase accountability by developing clear expectations and performance review processes for coaches while investing in staff development
- Implement annually reviewed recruiting and roster standards for each program
- Invest in the currently grant-funded strength and conditioning coordinator position
Gopher Family
We aspire to build thriving networks of engaged alumnae/i, family members, community partners, and sponsors.
- Revitalize Blue & Gold society in partnership with Advancement and Communications
- Develop new community partnerships and sponsorship structures
- Revise athletic director job description to reflect the need to be externally facing
- Set community-based and service learning expectations for each program
Institutional Commitment
We aspire to be major contributors to college goals and align our operations and values with the college’s mission, vision, and objectives.
- Develop research and data collection strategies that provide rich assessments of the value and impacts of the student athlete experience at Goucher
- Name a DEI officer on current staff to be responsible for assessing and addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion issues within Athletics
- Build clear financial philosophies, budgeting processes and tools, and a values matrix to identify opportunities for increased efficiency and resource consolidation
- Deepen relationships and expand collaborations between Athletics and campus partners
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to each person who provided input, time, and effort into the creation of this document. We are particularly grateful to the entire team in the Office of Communications for their expertise, guidance, and work in designing this publication. The Strategic Plan Committee Members are listed below:
- Sally Baum, Associate Athletic Director
- Michael Herman, Student Athlete
- Mikayla Hinnant, Student Athlete
- Mileah Kromer, Assistant Professor and Faculty Athletics Representative
- Bryan Laut, Assistant Athletic Director and Head Men’s Soccer Coach
- Dave Musil, Director of Athletic Communications
- Andrea Preston, Head Women’s Basketball Coach
- Madi Resolme, Student Athlete
- Tom Till, Associate Athletic Director, Aquatics Director, and Head Swim Coach
- Andrew Wu, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Athletics
- Nina Zacharias, Athletics Operations Manager