President
February 13, 2025
GC faces reality of new presidential administration
In light of President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders and policies on immigration, Goshen College has begun establishing protocols for the possibility of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers appearing on campus. Amidst feelings of fear and anxiety from students who may be affected by these changes to national policy, GC leaders are doing their best to provide reassurance. ICE is a branch of law enforcement that focuses on “criminal investigations and enforcing immigration laws,” according to the organization’s mission statement. Peter Claassen, a supervising attorney at the Goshen branch of the National Immigrant Justice Center, described the specific section of...
November 3, 2024
Cormmander and thief
I am writing this article as an announcement and declaration of my campaign to become the next president of Goshen College. The people are tired of Sleepy Stoltzfus and are ready for change in the Oval Office. This article is my concept of a plan for my first week as President. On day one of my presidency I vow to restore the Broken Shield that sits in the center of campus as a stark reminder of failed presidencies past to its former glory as just The Shield. On day two, I’ll turn the lousy outdated convo credits into the new...
October 10, 2024
Letter to the editor: Anniversary of Anguish
As we pass the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, we are witnessing the predictable horror that unfolds when the arithmetic of revenge – “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” – is taken as an exponential license to crush and exterminate. The Hamas attack killed 1,200 people and 254 people were taken hostage from Israel. As of today, 70 of the hostages are known or believed to be dead, and 101 are still in captivity. More than 40,000 Gazans have been killed in the retaliatory attacks by Israel, Gaza’s infrastructure has...
April 13, 2023
When the president of a Mennonite school almost turned Baptist
A month ago, the president of Goshen College hugged U.S. Senator and preacher Raphael Warnock. That was before she realized she wasn’t supposed to. Every year, President Rebecca Stoltzfus takes a trip with her sisters, Tina and Melinda. This year, they went to Atlanta for a few days — and although there was “so much to do” in the city, Stoltzfus said one destination was a must. “The one thing that we wanted to do for sure was go to the Ebenezer Baptist Church,” she said. The church in downtown Atlanta — where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and...
March 23, 2023
Bontrager adds on VP for finance role
After just over a year of working at Goshen College as a vice president for finance and the college’s chief financial officer (CFO), Jim Alvarez resigned from his administrative roles last month on Feb. 1. Ben Bontrager, previously serving as the school’s chief operating officer (COO), has taken over his responsibilities and the titles of VP for finance and CFO. Bontrager will remain a member of the President’s cabinet. In an email sent to faculty earlier this semester, President Rebecca Stoltzfus said that she was “deeply grateful” for the work that Alvarez and Bontrager did as vice presidents. She continued...
November 4, 2021
Becky’s first appointment of the day, reserved for tai chi
Rebecca Stoltzfus, the president of Goshen College, begins her mornings at around 5:45 with tai chi, an ancient Chinese discipline involving gentle stretches and movements. In an effort to connect the mind and body, tai chi flows from each motion to the next, maintaining constant movement in a meditative state. If the weather is nice, she will take her practice outside to her favorite spot on the back deck, which includes a view of the Goshen Dam Pond as well as a silhouette of Stoltzfus’ treasured hackberry tree, which she calls “Lady Hackberry.” “It’s just really lovely to be awake,...
March 18, 2021
President Stoltzfus appointed to second five-year term
Goshen College President Rebecca Stoltzfus was appointed to a second five-year term by a unanimous vote from the Goshen College Board of Directors. This term will begin July 1, 2021. “The board strongly believes that Rebecca is the right leader for Goshen College at this time and that we are very fortunate to have her in this role,” Bruce Stahly, the chair of the board of directors said. Stoltzfus promptly accepted the invitation for reappointment. “I am delighted with the reappointment and very pleased to have the opportunity to continue to lead Goshen College,” President Stoltzfus said. “I’m very excited...
September 5, 2019
New Presidential Cabinet in place for new school year
On July 1, the Goshen College Presidential Cabinet welcomed four new faces to the team as they prepare for a busy academic year of campus-wide changes. Jodi Beyeler, Dominique Burgunder-Johnson, Gilberto Perez Jr. and Todd Yoder have all started their new roles, each serving as vice president of their respective fields. The change came close to the end of President Rebecca Stoltzfus’ second year as president of Goshen College. Upon her arrival in the fall of 2017, President Stoltzfus was introduced to the president’s council that was in place at the time, and was welcomed with open arms. “I walked...
March 21, 2019
President Stoltzfus announces new mission statement
After several months of discussion, President Stoltzfus has released a new mission statement for the college. The new statement reads: “Goshen College transforms local and global communities through courageous, creative and compassionate leaders. Shaped by Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition, we integrate academic excellence and real-world experience with active love for God and neighbor.” The process of creating a new mission statement began in May of 2018. The committee involved in the process included all employees, student senate, the alumni council, president’s cabinet and Board of Directors. The statement was approved by both the GC Board of Directors and the Board of the...
October 24, 2018
Grants rejuvenate faculty, provide research opportunities
Just like students, faculty are more engaged when they are excited about their work. Upon beginning her tenure at Goshen College, Goshen College President Rebecca Stoltzfus immediately began to think of ways to reinvigorate the faculty. One of the ways Stoltzfus has done so is with Faculty Renewal Grants. Thanks to these grants, GC has provided 20 faculty with funding for academic projects and upgrades to equipment and academic programs. The grants were introduced by Stoltzfus in November 2017. Of the $1,000,000 raised by Stoltzfus in her first six months for a President’s Innovation Fund, $335,000 was dedicated to...
October 3, 2018
President Stoltzfus shares updates on two-year plan
Nearly nine months after she first announced her strategic two-year plan for Goshen College, President Rebecca Stoltzfus gathered all faculty and staff to present a formal update on Monday morning. President Stoltzfus first created the plan after meeting with students, faculty and staff and other GC community members to evaluate where improvements could be made. From these early meetings, four goals were set: GC community will be engaged, inclusive and fun Students’ experiences will be characterized by growth and social belonging Academics will be excellent and distinctive Goshen College will be efficient and effective While each goal is in the...
March 29, 2018
Task force calls for nominations
Reporting by Emily Kauffman In January 2018, Goshen College president Dr. Rebecca Stoltzfus issued a mandate for the creation of a Task Force to focus on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion within the campus community. The Task Force is led and facilitated by two co-chairs that have been appointed by President Stoltzfus for a two-year commitment: Beth Martin Birky, professor of English, women and gender studies director and Title IX deputy coordinator, as well as Dominique Burgunder-Johnson, director of marketing. This new group has intentionally been named a Task Force, as it is designed to be a time-bound working...
February 22, 2018
Who is the presidential family: Becky’s children and husband
Recently, Dr. Rebecca Stoltzfus was inaugurated as Goshen College’s 18th president. Dr. Stoltzfus has an incredible work and academic history, so there is no question as to why she was elected. Even with the busy lifestyle that she now has, Dr. Stoltzfus still has a loving and supportive family by her side, but who exactly is GC’s presidential family? Dr. Stoltzfus is married to Kevin Miller, a 1985 Goshen College graduate. They are the parents of Lydia and Gabe Miller, both current GC students. Gabe is a sophomore majoring in sustainable food systems with a minor in music and Lydia...
February 22, 2018
Who is the presidential family: Becky’s parents
Thirty four years ago, Victor Stoltzfus served as Goshen College’s 12th president. He now lives with his wife Marie on College Avenue, only meters away from the college that their daughter, President Becky Stoltzfus, is now the face of. “I’d of told them to take a cold shower and come back to reality,” Vic said, when asked what his reaction would have been, if someone had told him that his daughter would follow in his footsteps and take on the role he once carried. Vic served as president from 1984 to 1996. Like any parent would admit, both Vic and...
January 25, 2018
President Stoltzfus shares two-year strategic plan
Goshen College President Rebecca Stoltzfus released her strategic plan for the GC community in an all-faculty and staff meeting on Monday. President Stoltzfus’ two-year strategic plan came from a number of different things: her “Soup Talks” where she invited around 130 students, administrative personnel and faculty to her house for dinner and discussion, “heat-mapping” of approximately 150 participants, a cabinet retreat, discussions with presidents from other institutions, and personal reflection and prayer. From the heat-mapping of the 150 participants, all of whom are faculty, staff or administrators, five statements were chosen to be “most vital to GC’s future”: “Known for...