Academics
October 10, 2024
Classroom space stretched for large first-year class
This fall, Goshen College has seen a spike in the number of first-year students with the enrollment of 201 first-year students compared to last year’s 156. After five consecutive years of classes numbering less than 200, the college must now figure out how to accommodate these extra students in the classroom. GC has many classrooms of varying sizes to meet the needs of classes as some need more space than others or need to be held at a certain location or time. This new class has presented several challenges in order for GC to meet those needs. To find appropriately...
October 10, 2024
Students learn together in new United Sound course
“Music with United Sound” is a new 16-week, three-credit course in collaboration with Elkhart High School, and allows Goshen College students to learn a string instrument alongside high school students with disabilities. The course is a part of the nationwide United Sound Program. Within the college, the program is run by Hillary Harder, Community School of the Arts director and GC chapter leader, alongside Tracy Weirich, special education teacher and Elkhart High School chapter leader. It offers high school students a college-level experience. United Sound said, “Our mission is to remove barriers and foster social change through music.” In the...
September 12, 2024
Maple scholars seek to meet students’ needs
“I think a lot more people struggle in college than those who don’t,” said Peace Muhagachi, a senior sociology major. This summer, Muhagachi worked on a project aimed at addressing these struggles and meeting the needs of students at Goshen College. Also collaborating on the project was Gabe Martinez ‘24 and supervising was Emily Hahn, program director for interpersonal violence prevention, education and advocacy. The project, completed over the course of GC’s eight-week Maple Scholars program, sought to combine outside research and aspects of internal review in order to determine how GC can become a health-promoting campus. “We...
September 12, 2024
New Master of Arts in Teaching
After two years of development Goshen has the final approval for its new Master of Arts in Teaching program. Although the program doesn’t officially start until the fall of 2025 the first cohort is already in swing. Suzanne Ehst, professor of education and director of the M.A. in teaching, said that they have “21 new students in the new version [of the program]. The classes they are taking this year are not yet master’s level, but they will be able to finish the full program with a master’s degree as long as half of their coursework is master’s level.” Despite...
September 12, 2024
Academic Success Center adds new positions
The Goshen College Academic Success Center (ASC) renovated their facilities in the Good Library with help from a $3 million grant from the US Department of Education. The facility was finished on Monday, August 19, just when classes started. This allows them to expand their services and staff in a new environment, and create a space where students feel welcomed. The grant was given to support achievements of Hispanic/Latinx and commuter students, connecting them to careers. “We want to make sure that the students have a solid foundation,” said Michelle Blank, director of academic success. Isacc Hernandez, a connections...
September 12, 2024
New section of academic voice aims to help ELL students
Goshen College has implemented a new section of academic voice, one that is open to a small selection of Hispanic English Language Learners (ELL). The class retains the same curriculum, but is taught by Spanish-speaking instructors; Robert Brenneman is the professor of record, with Areli Bautista serving as a teaching assistant. The class is composed of 14 first-year students. Homework and assignments are submitted in English, and most instruction is in English; however, the use of Spanish is interspersed when it’s helpful. “From time to time when we’re working one on one with students, we’ll switch to Spanish,” Brenneman said....
February 22, 2024
GC proposes master’s degree in teaching
This weekend, the Goshen College Board of Directors will evaluate a proposal to add a Masters of Arts in Teaching program. If accepted, it would be GC’s fifth graduate program and second to be added in two years. Since 2005, GC has offered a transition to teaching program. Through this year, GC has offered those classes at the bachelor’s level, which is uncommon, as most other institutions offer those at the master’s level. The new program would combine the new degree with the preexisting transition to teaching program. “This particular program offers both a license, so you can be a...
February 1, 2024
Public relations for community
Last fall, Billy Gene Easton, a member of the communication degree-completion program at Goshen College, undertook a PR project in the course Principles of Public Relations. Easton focused his project on Importin’ Joe’s, an Ethiopian coffee importation business based in Mishawaka, Indiana. After the initial assignment, Easton expanded his hypothetical marketing plan beyond the classroom. He began interning at Importin’ Joe’s at the request of the owner and continued his course-based PR, servicing the company itself. Easton, raised in South Bend, has been invested in marketing for a while. A musician himself, he worked with several other independent musical artists,...
February 1, 2024
Prospective students gather for Celebrate Scholars weekend
Goshen College hosted Celebrate Scholars Day last Saturday, an opportunity for high-achieving high school students to learn more about GC’s offered academic programs. While on campus, students attended presentations and panels from current GC students and staff, as well as a fine arts showcase in Umble, which featured music, readings and more. Prospective students also underwent interviews related to achievement scholarships that they’ve applied for. Steve Wolma, vice president for enrollment management, said, “Celebrate Scholars is an opportunity for us to interact with highly engaged and talented prospective students. We invite them to campus and showcase the educational experience they...
November 2, 2023
Faculty debate dropping philosophy minor
If you go to the Goshen College webpage for the philosophy minor and click on the “faculty & staff” associated with it, the website displays: “Sorry, unable to find any faculty with the specified category/tag.” The GC course catalog lists five classes in the department, but none were offered this year or last year. According to David Housman, the faculty chair this year, the Bible and religion faculty proposed dropping the minor, which was discussed at a faculty meeting on Oct. 19. The discussion was ultimately tabled until the next meeting on Nov. 16. David Housman, faculty chair for this...
April 13, 2023
Students and faculty present research in annual Academic Symposium
Goshen College hosted its 24th annual Academic Symposium this Wednesday. The Academic Symposium provides a platform for faculty and students from various backgrounds and departments to showcase their original research and creative works. “The purpose is to celebrate all the different things that students have accomplished,” said Ann Vendrely, vice president of academic affairs and academic dean. “We know that students are doing lots of interesting individual and small group projects.” This year, GC decided to suspend classes for the day, marking the first time this has been done. When deciding whether to cancel classes, the planning committee will “pay...
September 8, 2022
Sara Method joins GC art department
Sara Method, the new art professor at Goshen College, got the first of her three degrees “at a small liberal arts college [sic] not unlike this one.” She has practiced and studied art throughout her life, growing up in Virginia before moving to North Carolina. “As a kid […] I would always ask people what I should draw on those long road trips we took as family […] and I stuck with it!” Method said, reflecting on what led to her becoming an art instructor. She has an extensive background in studio art and art history, having studied at Salem...
December 2, 2021
New academic programs approved by faculty
This fall, the faculty voted to approve several academic changes including launching a Masters in Social Work program, updating the Core curriculum and adding two new minors. Changes to a few other programs, like the interdisciplinary major and the social policy and advocacy minor were also approved. Most of the changes will take effect with the incoming class next fall, while current students will be given the option to adopt the changes. The faculty body voted on the changes at meetings in the last couple of months and will vote once more at the final meeting of the semester in...
December 2, 2021
High degrees and manatees: marine bio students’ semester in Florida
Nine Goshen College students are feeling the gray Goshen weather a little more than usual this week. “It’s so cold here!” said Nick Davis, a senior environmental and marine science major, one of the students who recently returned from a semester-long marine biology program in Layton, Florida, where it’s currently a sunny 75 degrees. The Goshen College marine biology semester, offered annually in the fall, allows students studying environmental and marine science to take courses and complete an internship with a local marine organization in the Florida Keys. The students who participated in this year’s program were Davis, Carolina Olivo,...
November 4, 2021
Colleen Geier gives grades and gets graded
At 63, Colleen Geier has earned a long list of degrees. That does not mean the Goshen College professor is done learning. Geier, director of the sign language interpreting program and a professor in the department, is currently taking classes at both Goshen College and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart. The professor has an associate degree in liberal arts, bachelor’s degrees in American history and elementary education ‒ “history because I love it, education to get a job!” ‒ a MS in elementary education with concentrations in special education and deaf education and a PhD in adult education. ...