Goddard Leads Trend Thanks to Long-Established Pedagogy

Goddard Graduate Institute students meet with advisors during residency to establish their study plans.

I recently read an article in the Chronicle of Higher education titled When One-on-One Learning Can’t be Side by Side.  In the article, the author expounds upon the creative way that one faculty member created engagement when the pandemic forced her college to move to remote learning.  The article talked about how the students present their independent study plans, do field work on their own, and check in with their faculty regularly via phone and/or web conferencing.  

As I read the article, I confess, I was a little annoyed.  Goddard has been creating engagement remotely for decades.  Our programs are low-residency.  This isn’t new for us.  

Goddard students have always led their own education.  As technology has progressed, our communication has gone from snail mailed “packets” to phone conferences to email to web conferencing.  Most of our faculty work remotely as a matter of course.  Additionally, one-on-one mentorship is the cornerstone of our model.  Every student is assigned a faculty advisor who they work with individually throughout each semester.  Engagement is not based on a syllabus or class schedule, but on the unique study plans of each student.

When you enroll at Goddard, you enroll at a place that has been creating strong faculty/student engagement since the beginning of our college in the late 1930’s.  We have almost 100 years of experience letting students guide their own educational path.  

The pandemic didn’t change much for Goddard.  Our students are still living in their own communities, taking meaningful action for themselves and the world with the guidance and support of their faculty advisor.

This is what works for our students to achieve what they set out to accomplish with their degree. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Want to learn more?  Connect with the admissions department at Goddard College today.


Written by Lucy Bourgeault, Director of Admissions for Goddard College.

Lucy has dedicated her entire career to higher education admissions–over twenty years in the field.  She is passionate about helping people find their way in higher education–especially those who haven’t followed a traditional path. Outside of the office, she shares an old farmhouse and studio with her husband, a German shepherd, and 2 cats.  She is a fiber artist, and philosopher who finds inspiration in nature, people, and literature.

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