Goddard College
Thoughts 2008

(all content copyright 2008 by Glenn C. Koenig)

I visited in Goddard in early October 2008, two years after my last visit. I learned some things:

1. Goddard is still here and now has a solid financial footing. The challenges to staying open have been met and the budget is now balanced.

2. Even small contributions by alumni can help Goddard. That's because some grants depend on the percentage of alumni on record as having donated, regardless of how much they give. "Should I bother to sent a check to Goddard, even if it's only for $15.00?" I asked, at a recent meeting. The answer was a resounding "Yes." The more contributions the college receives of any size, the easier it is to raise money from donors with more to give. I decided to send in my modest contribution right away.

3. Many of us hope that Goddard can build on what it has now, to better serve the surrounding Vermont community, offer more options to potential students, and continue to adapt its programs to the rapidly changing world around it.

"Why does this matter?" you might ask. I say it's important because Goddard College is one of the few places, still, where you can get the support and encouragement to learn the way you learn best, instead of the disrespectful regimen of grades, exams, and all the other trappings that many in "higher education" still feel is necessary to learn.

Let's be honest. Perhaps you remember being angry at Goddard about something. Maybe you felt that the administration wasted money when you were there. Or you disagree with the decision to close the Resident Undergraduate Program a few years ago. Or somebody did something else that upset you. I get that.

But, to me, there is only one question, regardless of what might have happened in the past. That question is this: Is it better for Goddard to still exist today or would it be better if it disappeared? I think the answer to that is easy. I'd rather know that Goddard is still there, with people still working at fulfilling the promise of student directed education in today's world, with all the challenges there are to doing that. That's why I wrote that check and I encourage you to write one as well, even if it's for just a few dollars.

I was 'reborn' at Goddard, in a way, in the 1970s, when I first attended. I want to make it possible for others to have that same opportunity today and tomorrow.

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