In September of 2024, Goucher College announced a plan to create a University Retirement Community (URC) with Edenwald Senior Living. While there are still many unknowns about this project, recent town hall meetings and Goucher website updates have helped clarify the project. Edenwald has entered a 99-year, three-acre land lease with Goucher College, bringing in “millions in revenue” for the college, according to Kent Devereaux. This land will be used to build three new apartment buildings for seniors interested in access to some of Goucher’s resources. Edenwald residents who pay to live in the new housing will be able to audit classes, and access the Goucher library, events, and other programming.
Edenwald residents will not have access to Goucher residence halls. Goucher will be able to access some of Edenwald’s resources, including the classrooms built into the new apartment buildings. This project has been in the works for years and will not be fully realized for several more years. While programs will be piloted in the 2024/25 school year, building on the leased land is not expected to begin for at least two years, due to permitting processes and demand requirements. 75% of the planned apartments must be claimed for land to be broken.
The land Edenwald has leased is in the front of the campus near the gatehouse. Construction of this project will cut down the trees in this area, and the gatehouse will be moved next to the pond. According to Maryland law, any cut trees must be replanted. The replanted trees will be designed as a buffer between the new buildings and the Goucher campus. This project will cost $190 million, with the current cost to live at Edenwald ranging from $130,000 to over a million dollars. The new residential options will most likely be about the same. Tuition for Edenwald residents will be built into the cost of living. Goucher will not contribute to building costs.
According to President Kent Devereaux in an interview with the reporter, this partnership will not impact undergraduate tuition whatsoever. Moreover, this partnership will not affect undergraduate course registry. Undergraduate students will have priority when enrolling. While the building process will not be complete for over two years, Edenwald and Goucher are piloting intensive courses abroad (ICA) and intergenerational classes in the spring of 2025.
Three courses will be piloted, a 200-level anthropology course, a 200-level theater analysis course, and a 300-level literature course on Critical Race Theory. Goucher’s international students will have the opportunity to participate in an adopt-a-grandparent program with Edenwald residents in the near future as well.
Goucher does not currently have plans to reopen or build additional dining halls to manage the new population of students. According to Devereaux, very few Edenwald residents are expected to take advantage of the URC, approximately 30. Edenwald is planning to provide resources to improve the Goucher garden. Goucher aims to improve classroom and campus accessibility through the URC. To ease the partnership, Goucher plans to hold a multi-day orientation for Edenwald residents taking classes.
Students have expressed both concern and excitement for this project. There are questions about the social, environmental, and educational impacts of this project. At a recent SGA meeting, one student asked about the impact of construction on wildlife. Another student expressed excitement for the opportunity to improve Goucher students’ communication outside of the undergraduate population. One student expressed concern about resource allocation towards this project versus preexisting issues on campus. Another student shared their goals to network and learn from the new demographic.
If you are interested in sharing your opinion, asking questions, or learning more about the URC, reach out to Lindsey Johnson in Community Based Learning (community@goucher.edu) or contact the Student Government Association.
For more information, visit the URC FAQ page
By Quinn Bolster ’28
