Administration CoverageAs journalists, it’s our job to keep GC’s administration in line. The Record is in place to act as a watchdog publication.
As journalists, it’s our job to keep GC’s administration in line. The Record is in place to act as a watchdog publication.
January 15, 2014
Goshen Trims Faculty Positions, Budget in Strategic Shift
At the semester’s end, Goshen College announced faculty reductions and other changes for the 2014-15 academic year. Academically, the college plans to increase student-faculty ratios, implement the use of connected academics “schools” to create more interdisciplinary majors, and offer fewer low-enrollment courses. Further changes will come late in the spring as the administrative side of campus is reviewed and restructured. The changes come during a long-term strategic planning process and preparation for institutional re-accreditation in March 2015. At the same time, the college is in the process of addressing a several million dollar budget deficit for 2014-15. During the course...
March 15, 2012
Financial report boasts new figures
Jim Histand, vice president of finance, announced the tuition rates for the 2012-13 school year to students in an email on February 15, which showed a slight increase from the 2011-12 school year. Although Histand notes that these increases are similar to most years, they leave some students asking more questions about the finances of Goshen College. An operating budget has been set for the 2012-13 school year to cover expenses such as labor, salaries, and benefits; financial aid; advertising and other administrative costs; and maintenance. The total budget, which is funded by a variety of sources, is set at...
February 16, 2012
Tuition costs revealed for 2012-13
The President’s Council has released tuition, room and board costs for the 2012-13 school year. In a statement sent to students Wednesday afternoon, Jim Histand, vice president of finance, revealed that tuition will cost $26,900, room $4,750 and board $4,250 for the full year. “For the past decade or so, Goshen has been taking a very steady and consistent approach to its pricing and working very hard to contain costs from year to year,” said Histand. “Current year increases are very similar to prior years.” The numbers represent a $1,550 total increase for students. However, the option to take 16...
March 10, 2011
People share opinions about tuition increases
“It just kind of concerns me because pricing out certain students gets rid of some diversity and goes against Goshen's core values.” -David Harnish, a junior History and Secondary Education double-major “We continue to work at making Goshen College affordable for students through all types of financial aid. At GC we have been gifted with a large amount of money that we can use to help cover the cost of attendance for students.” -Lynn Jackson, vice president for enrollment management “Goshen College works very hard to provide...
March 10, 2011
Students and administrators discuss tuition increases
The overall cost of tuition, room and board at Goshen will increase by 4.7 percent next year. Administrators argue that this increase is a matter-of-fact trend that is a yearly inevitability, but some students object to the continual inflation rate of their education. This year, the total for tuition plus room and board on campus racked up to $32,800; next year, this figure will jump to $34,350. This rise of 4.7 percent is a relatively normal pace of inflation in terms of how much tuition has increased at Goshen in...
October 27, 2010
Second stage of budget adjustments complete
The academic faculty recently finished an academic review process, completing the second stage of the college's overall institutional budget adjustment process. The first stage included the elimination of 29 positions (affecting mostly the administrative offices), which took place last May in anticipation for the '10-'11 school year. The second stage, which began last spring and was lead by Anita Stalter, academic dean, focused on the academic programs area. According to Jim Histand, vice president for finance, "[The process] identified a number of efficiencies and consolidations that will be implemented for the next academic year, and allows us to keep all...
October 6, 2010
Making Peace with Diversity: GC recieves cultural audit report
The last names Yoder, Friesen, and Klaasen are not prerequisites for being Mennonite at Goshen College. After a campus-wide cultural audit by Salter McNeil & Associates last fall, a final report was revealed last week which included a commitment from GC administration to prioritize ethnic and cultural diversity on campus. According to the report, “Living out this mandate in day-to-day personal interactions, however, remains an ongoing challenge.” Fifty-five percent of the GC student body claims Mennonite faith. According to the cultural audit report, cultural norms found in North American Mennonite circles often exclude and hurt others who don’t fit the...
September 9, 2010
Financial deficit forces changes on campus
As a response to the nationwide financial crisis, the college has formed a teaching faculty task force to review and streamline the academic programs for the fall of 2011. This committee will be processing information from all the departments along with non-classroom expenses in order to maintain Goshen's standards while operating more efficiently. Vice President for Academic Affairs Anita Stalter said, “We anticipate this process will result in a likely reduction in teaching faculty positions.” Last May, 29 positions were eliminated in anticipation of the current school year which saved $1.1 million. Most affected positions were in the administrative offices. ...
January 28, 2009
Goshen College reviews itself: Creating a foundation of excellence
What are all the notes in the Communicator about this “Foundations of Excellence” thing? These messages signal the beginning of a two-year project to review and revise the general education core at Goshen College – beginning with the beginning. Two of the most important program initiatives of the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning are to support the creation of a new first year experience for all Goshen College students, and to lead the review and revision of Goshen College’s general education core. Last May, the college was selected by the Policy Center on the First Year of College as...