I've been growing a goatee since summer break.  One thing is for sure though, there has been a lot of "reaction" to it by my students and teachers.  In Korea, it seems to me that having facial hair is not the preferred style, but at the same time it's not at all frowned upon.  The more popular style here is the clean shaven, preppy look.  In America any style goes.  They're not all liked, but pretty much any style you can think of is alive and kicking back home.
When my students first saw me growing my goatee out, their reactions were bold no doubt.  Even teachers had their own two cents to put in.  In any case, it's all good to me and I plan on keeping it for a while.  Some of the comments were priceless when I was first hit by them.