Tyson Miller: When you were thinking about leaving Cornell and going to Goshen, a colleague said to you, “We will miss you, but your leadership will matter much more at Goshen.” Can you explain what they meant and how that factored into your decision to come here? Rebecca Stoltzfus: That particular quote was from a professor who taught leadership in the department of labor relations. She was somebody with a lot of cred in leadership. I remember there were a couple of days when I was making calls and letting people know that I was leaving. I had made my...

By Tyson Miller • March 27, 2025 • Features

 Elevators were supposed to be the pinnacle of human ingenuity — metal boxes whisking us up and down buildings like royalty in chariots. Yet, across campus, something peculiar is happening: people are getting stuck in elevators at an alarming rate. The situations, strange and borderline absurd, suggest something far more sinister than faulty machinery. Take, for instance, the case of President Becky. On her way to the third floor of Wyse, the elevator jolted to a stop. Maintenance arrived two hours later, only to discover Becky surrounded by 37 balloons. She swore she’d entered the elevator alone. “They just started...

By Grace Stevens • January 23, 2025 • Funnies

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...

By Amber Heydon • March 18, 2021 • News

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...

By Elsa Lantz • March 21, 2019 • News

At the beginning of this month, a new member of Goshen College was welcomed to campus. It was not a new student who finally found their way to Goshen, or a professor coming back from sabbatical, but instead, incoming President Rebecca Stoltzfus. On November 1, Stoltzfus made a tour around campus to take in the sights and sounds as well as interact with students and faculty she encountered along the way. Stoltzfus is looking forward to diving into the campus community and getting to know people and she did just that on her first day. Armed with boxes of donuts,...

By Nathan Pauls • November 9, 2017 • News

Although Dr. Rebecca Stoltzfus doesn’t officially begin her role as President of Goshen College until November 1, she is excited to “help create an environment of well-being.” Dr. Stoltzfus previously worked as the vice provost for undergraduate education at Cornell University, an Ivy-League institution located in Ithaca, New York. Prior to her time at Cornell, Stoltzfus worked as an assistant and associate professor of human nutrition at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. While Stoltzfus has wrapped her position as provost, she’s still finishing up her research of global health and nutrition in Tanzania, Zimbabwe and India at...

By Abby King • September 7, 2017 • News