retention
January 19, 2023
King convocation highlights women, musicians of color
Goshen College hosted its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day convocation this past Monday at 10 a.m. titled “Hidden Treasure: Untold Stories.” The event’s keynote speaker was Dr. Daryl Heller. Heller serves as the director of the IU South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center and an assistant professor of women’s and gender studies. As students, staff, and community members filed into and nearly filled up College Mennonite Church, Roy Jennings blissfully played the piano. Jennings is the founder and artistic director of Arch Angel Productions, a not-for-profit performance company for the presentation of African-American concert music, with a special emphasis...
January 19, 2023
Representation and retention fall short
On Jan. 3, Goshen College men’s volleyball coach Lauren Ford left GC to take a job at Edward Waters University, a historically Black school in Jacksonville, Florida. Ford’s departure was notable for many reasons, including her success with the team. Crucially, though, it marked the latest occurrence of a recent trend: women of color leaving GC. According to Justin Heinzekehr, GC’s director of institutional research and assessment, there were 16 women that were Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC) employed by GC on Nov. 1, 2021. On Nov. 1, 2022, 11 of those 16 were left. Moreover, two of...
September 30, 2022
Retention is at a 7-year high: Enrollment is dropping
Retention is at a seven-year high. Enrollment is dropping. Down 10% from two years ago, total undergraduate enrollment sits at 699 students, and the incoming first-year class is only 165. This year’s student retention rate was 80%, which rose 10% from the fall of 2022 and met the five-year goal set by the retention task force last year. “We’re thrilled at this number, looking to hold it,” President Rebecca Stoltfutz said. “Is [it] sort of an unusual high? We’ll see.” Stoltfuz explained that high schoolers’ experience with the education system has been spotty, and the job market is hot. She...