On Monday evening, Goucher announced a new AI assistant for students, also known as the “Gopher Guide.” On Tuesday morning, I was notified my position as a peer educator for the Wellness Center would no longer exist after this semester. Whether or not these two events are connected, Goucher has chosen to stop supporting student employees and instead use an undetermined amount of money to fund an AI chatbot.
Peer educators are an essential part of campus life. They support students emotionally and physically, and according to the Goucher College website, “are a group of students whose goal is to educate and empower their peers to live healthier lives.” Beyond that, peer educators and the Wellness Center is the main resource for campus sex education. Although the space will still exist and will still be supplied with resources, the future of major events like Let’s Talk About Sex and individual student support services are in question.
The programming that the peer educators put on in the Wellness Center is invaluable to the Goucher community. It is oftentimes aimed at stress management, which is a major concern for college students across the globe. Peer educators and the Wellness Center provides students with strategies and methods to deal with and manage stress and mental health concerns.
The Wellness Center is more than a place for student resources and health education. It is yet another third space for students that is in jeopardy. It brings people together in a calming environment, and frequently hosts events that encourage mindfulness, health, and community.
While the space will still exist, the peer educators that occupy the office will no longer be there. The programming and budget is going to be cut down greatly, and the offering of a peer support system on campus will be greatly limited.
Other spaces exist that will provide students with physical health, mental health, or sex education (Health Center, Counseling Center, Title IX), but they are all by appointment only. Some students prefer to talk to one of their peers about their struggles and speak to someone that has been through similar situations, and will be more hesitant to reach out for help when there is a power dynamic. Students with immediate questions and concerns about their health will have nowhere to turn to. Are students supposed to go to this AI with concerns about their health or with personal questions?
The only thing covered by the new “Gopher Guide” is simply directing students to an office and answering baseline questions. However, if Goucher keeps continuing at the rate they are now, there will be no essential offices left for the AI to send them to.
By Sara Geitner ‘28
Featured Photo by Sam Rose
