Student Life

Visit the Student Life department website at goshen.edu/campuslife.

Creating a Culture of Care, Trust, and Inclusion

The Office of Student Life strives to create a culture of care, trust, and inclusion for all Goshen College community members, but particularly students who commit to pursuing an academic career here. The mission of the student life team is to cultivate hope-filled, joyful relationships and experiences through our commitment to care, trust, and open communication. Student Life is formed by a team of professionals committed to helping each student succeed in a variety of areas.  Almost all of the Student Life team is located in Wyse Hall, first floor.  Residence Life Coordinators can be found in their respective residence areas (Kratz/Miller/Yoder Hall or Romero Apartments). Athletics staff can be found in the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center.

Student Life Departments

Athletics

Athletics are a huge part of life at Goshen. It’s one of the main ways we, as a community, come together: in spirited support of our student-athletes. Goshen College Maple Leafs compete at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and are members of the Crossroads League. The men’s volleyball team competes in the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference.

Men’s sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis, track & field, volleyball.
Women’s sports: basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, volleyball.

Campus activities

Campus Activities aims to create fun, inclusive, and safe programs for students to participate in. The Campus Activities Council (CAC), a student-led programming board, collaborates with other clubs to hold social and recreation events on campus. CAC sponsors a variety of events that include Kick-Off (annual talent competition), movie nights, game shows, professional performers, and various other activities. 

Campus ministries

Campus Ministries offers hospitality and welcome for all students in all places on their spiritual journey. We recognize that college can be a time of asking questions, exploring faith, and being exposed to different beliefs. While Goshen is a Christian college rooted in the Mennonite faith tradition, we welcome seekers and people of all religions to attend campus spiritual life activities as we seek to glorify the Creator. We want to accompany students in their faith development by providing opportunities for spiritual growth through worship, service,  and community.

Worship. Goshen College offers regular corporate worship in regular chapel services, Bible study groups, and Sunday morning worship services at a variety of local congregations. Special seasonal services and times of prayer are also offered as spaces to gather for reflection and worship. Interdisciplinary summer internships are also available to sophomore and junior students through the Camping, Ministry and Service Inquiry Programs.

For individual worship, our campus offers several spaces for contemplation, spiritual development and renewal:

• Labyrinth – an outdoor space for contemplative prayer, located between East Hall and the Music Center.
• The Quiet Place and Prayer Room – rooms for individual reflection and small group meetings in the basement of Kulp Hall and in the Church- Chapel building.
• Witmer Woods and College Cabin – an 18-acre arboretum of plants native to Indiana located across Main street from the campus. The College Cabin, adjacent to Witmer Woods, is available to students for meetings and recreational activities. A Meditation Garden is located near the College Cabin along the Elkhart River. It is a place for quiet reflection and contemplation.
• Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center –a 1,189-acre nature preserve located 30 miles southeast of the campus. Picnic areas and eight miles of hiking trails through forests, wetlands and meadows. Geodesic dome and cottages also available for modest rental fees.

Service. Campus Ministries can connect students to service projects of many kinds, providing a way to put faith into action and extend compassion for the needs of the world. Types of service include the Big Brother/Big Sister program, tutoring, Habitat for Humanity, working with the elderly, housing rehab and collecting supplies to be sent for world relief.

Community. As a liberal arts college, Goshen College integrates the entirety of the student campus experience, with dedicated staff, faculty, and administrators who offer support from a faith perspective. Academics, social justice, research, making music, and creative performance are just some of the many ways that GC students integrate their faith and learning. We encourage students to ask questions, to dig deeper, and to follow their passion within this community, as part of their faith development and formation.

Convocations and chapels

Convocations and chapel services gather the campus community to focus on themes that connect with our personal lives and also to the world at and beyond Goshen College. Chapel services foster Christian worship and faith formation. They may include guest speakers, faculty faith stories, hymn sings, or student presentations. Convocations are educational events that promote the mission and core values of Goshen College. They may include faculty speakers, guest lecturers, drama or music performances or student panels and presentations.

Wednesday morning chapel and convocation services are both held in the church- chapel, which is also the worship space for College Mennonite Church. Several additional events are available each semester for convocation credit. Attendance requirements for convocation and chapel are publicized at the beginning of each semester. Students can monitor their attendance record online.

Campus safety

The Mission of Campus Safety is to monitor, secure, report, and enhance the living, learning, and working experience at Goshen College. Forming an alliance with the community that we serve, we are committed to the philosophy of “Community Care-taking” while working with local police, fire department, students, staff and faculty to build lasting partnerships. For more information on all the services Campus Safety offers, visit goshen.edu/safety.

Additionally, all students are encouraged to download the Annual Campus Safety Report and campus crime and fire statistics updated each year on our website.

Career networks

The Career Networks staff at Goshen College assists students at every stage during their career preparation, from self-assessment, leadership assessment, career decision-making and choosing a major to practicing interview techniques. Our staff is available to assist students in finding internships by offering a variety of connections to local employers (not-for-profit and for-profit), career coaches, performance tracking, job searches, interview preparation, customized connections and more.

Community engagement and impact

The reach of Student Life does not stop with our campus community. In addition to
our students participating in on-campus activities, students have the opportunity to serve the community through community partnerships, mentoring local students, and cultivate a sense of place. Community engagement through the Office of Student Life is dedicated to supporting students’ academic and social integration through advocacy events and educational partnership with the wider community.

Commuter student life

The Commuter Student Lounge is located above the Schertz Computer lab in the Union building. The lounge has a full kitchen, work tables, study rooms, personal lockers, social space, and WiFi. The commuter student association meets weekly to discuss special interests and concerns of students who live off campus.

Counseling

The counseling office, located in the Wyse 1st floor suite, provides professional, short-term, on-campus counseling services to students on a free and confidential basis. Students are eligible for 8 free sessions per semester. Services support students’ emotional, social and spiritual health while increasing students’ ability to succeed academically. Counselors can also help facilitate referrals to community providers.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

At Goshen College, we seek to understand, engage and live with difference while honoring family structures, spiritual values and cultural values.  We are dedicated to developing a world in which our social structures and everyday interactions are based on the premise that justice, mutuality, respect, equality, understanding, acceptance, freedom, diversity and peacemaking are the norm.

Understanding that diversity, equity, and inclusion can encompass many facets of student identities, Student Life aims to provide opportunities and spaces for students to connect with each other. There are 6 intercultural student clubs that foster community and identity: Black Student Union, Latino Student Union, Asian Student Association, the International Student Club, Commuter Student Association, and Advocates (LGBTQ+).

Student Life also manages the Intercultural Student Space for intercultural student groups to gather for programming and community. 

Intramural sports

Intramural sports offer students with a wide range of athletic abilities the opportunity to participate in organized sports leagues and game tournaments that are both competitive and fun. Over half the student body participates in intramural sports programs. Intramurals offer full seasons and one-night tournaments in a wide variety of sports, including soccer (indoor/outdoor), basketball, volleyball (indoor/sand), racquet sports, spike ball, kickball, and more.

Leadership development

Students at Goshen College can receive leadership development support through Student Life Leadership Summits and various student leader positions throughout campus.

New student orientation

Orientation activities are offered for all new students. Fall orientation includes special activities for international students, transfer students, first-year students, and parents. An abbreviated orientation is also offered to new students in spring semester. Students are offered opportunities to serve as orientation leaders and support students all throughout the academic year.

Parent engagement

The Student Life office provides avenues for parents to learn about their student’s education and to communicate with administrators and faculty. Parent access to student information can be found at goshen.edu/parents/.

Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention (RSVP)

The RSVP Office at Goshen College addresses issues of interpersonal violence through prevention, education, advocacy, and response. Funded through the Campus Program Grant from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, the RSVP Office is a capacity-building program that seeks to elevate GC’s prevention and response efforts through training, best practices, educational events, collaboration, and institutional accountability. The Office of Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention is guided by a dedicated Coordinated Community Response Team (CCRT). 

The Goshen College CCRT is an interdisciplinary team comprised of leaders, allies, educators, and campus and community representatives committed to the effective prevention of and response to dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in our community. Guided by our shared values, trauma-informed best practices, and collaborative expertise, we will create a campus culture that pursues transformative justice, cultural inclusion, and empowering awareness and education. The RSVP Office seeks to equip students, faculty, and staff at Goshen College with the knowledge, resources, and skills necessary to create a safer and more equitable community through social, institutional, and cultural change.

Residence life and housing

The Residence Halls are a part of campus life and contribute in many ways to the education residential students receive. Students live and work in groups in residence halls. All full-time students enrolled at GC who graduated high school in 2020 or later must live in campus housing unless they meet any of the following requirements:

• 4-years removed from high school
• Turn 23 years of age prior to Dec. 31
• Registered as a part-time student
• Live at home with parents/guardians or spouse within 30 miles from campus

New students’ living arrangements are completed during the admission process. During spring semester, returning students select their housing for the following academic year.

• • Residence halls

  Kratz, Miller and Yoder Halls each house first and second-year students. Kulp Hall provides traditional residence hall living space for juniors and seniors. Kulp is designed to offer increased independence with the convenience of an on-campus location. Students who graduated from high school at least two years prior to the first day of classes are eligible to live in Kulp Hall. Each residence hall is co-ed and features men and women living on separate floors.

  • Intentional Living Communities

  Students who graduated from high school at least two years prior to the first day of classes can live in one of several designated intentional living community options. This program offers an opportunity to deepen friendships in a largely self-governing environment. Small groups are responsible for managing and cleaning their own facilities.

  • Romero Student Apartments

  Romero Student Apartments are available for students who graduated from high school at least two years prior to the first day of classes. Each apartment is fully furnished and is configured with a kitchen, living area, one or two baths, and two-four bedrooms. The fourth floor features a loft area for additional lounge space. Laundry and individual apartment storage spaces are available to students in the basement. Apartments offer increased independence and flexibility within the proximity of the campus.

Student Senate and clubs

The student body is represented by the Student Senate. A five-member cabinet is elected each spring to lead the next year’s Senate of At-Large members and identity-based groups representing broad areas of campus. Student Senate appoints members to campus committees where students are actually involved in making decisions side by side with faculty and administrators. The Senate also manages all club funds and club development for various student clubs and organizations.

In all cases, membership is open to any interested student. New clubs or organizations may be formed with the approval of Student Senate. Following is a complete listing of groups that currently have club status:

• • • Advocates 
    • Art Club 
    • Asian Student Association (ASA) 
    • ASL Club
    • Black Student Union (BSU) 
    • Chess Club 
    • Commuter Student Association (CSA) 
    • Creative Writing Club 
    • Digital Eve
    • Eco-Pax 
    • E-Sports
    • GC Nursing Students Association  
    • Goshen Monologues 
    • International Student Club (ISC) 
    • Latino Student Union (LSU) 
    • Literary Film Club
    • National Association for Music Education 
    • PIN (Prevention Intervention Network) 
    • Roller Skaters
    • RP-GC 
    • Spikeball Club

Other Student Life Services

Motor vehicles and bike registration

Students, faculty, and staff must register all motor vehicles to be used on campus. Register vehicles through the campus safety website at goshen.edu/safety/parking. A validation sticker will be sent in campus mail or, if the student does not have a campus mailbox, the director of campus safety will make arrangements for delivering the sticker. Vehicles must be covered by liability and property damage insurance. Tickets are issued for parking, driving, or registration violations. Goshen city ordinance requires that all bicycles used on campus must be registered, which can be done at the physical plant office. Indoor winter bicycle storage is available for students in the basement of Howell House.

Withdrawal procedures

Student Life staff works closely with full-time students who must withdraw from college for medical or other reasons. See the Academic Policies section of the catalog for detailed information.

Privacy rights

Student Life staff members honor the national FERPA law, which protects individual student information. See the Academic Policies section for more details.

Health and wellness services

Goshen Family Physicians provides medical services to GC students and is located 1.5 miles from campus. GFP provides preventative healthcare, diagnosis and treatment of illness, SST physical exams, and general medical information. Regular fees and insurance rates apply.

Goshen Family Physicians: 1811 Charlton Ct Goshen, IN 46526
(574) 534-8200
On-call after-hours line: (574) 364-4146

The Goshen College Student Health Services Coordinator can assist students in connecting with Goshen Family Physicians. Please call Student Life at: (574) 535-7474. All health records are kept in accordance with HIPAA laws and regulations.

Commitment to Community Standards and Restorative Practices

As a community of higher education, Goshen College seeks to center its campus life on the Core Values. Christ-centered, passionate learners, servant leaders, compassionate peacemakers, and global citizens are what we seek to become and emulate in our relationships with each other (goshen.edu/aboutgc/mission). Similarly, values and principles inform program, policy, and relationships within Student Life.

Five ethical principles in Student Life

Student development theory reflects the typical developmental tasks commonly engaged by young adults during the point in their lives when most students decide to pursue higher education. Most are making decisions and investing in relationships that will impact them for years to come. The strengths perspective and student development provides a framework for empowering students in these life tasks.

The five ethical principles that inform our work as student life professionals are

• • • Equity
    • Inclusion
    • Strengths
    • Service
    • Civility

In the principle of Equity, there is a commitment to address historical and current manifestations of social bias and exclusion, including the ways in which social arrangements disadvantage some groups and legitimate others. As professionals, we will strive to make student life work about opportunities for all of our students. By practicing Inclusion, staff strives to create an environment where students are respected, accepted, and connected to one another. Staff engages with students in a caring, friendly, and authentic manner that allows for opportunities to increase belonging and build traditions within the campus community. By starting with the student’s Strengths, staff creates opportunities for students to think about who they are and how they can contribute to the Goshen College community. Staff work with students to go deeper in understanding their strengths and encourage students to explore untapped strengths that can lead to self-discovery and growth. Through Service, staff invites students to create connections and relationships through serving the other. This can be done through service opportunities on-campus or off-campus. Students work to bring out the potential they want to help bring out in the community. Practicing Civility for staff means having conversations in a respectful manner that honors the differences in others. Talking about aspects of diversity and inclusion requires students to build trust with one another. 

Restorative process

The response process is meant to be a positive, restorative means of assisting individuals in achieving their goals by developing a greater sense of responsibility and maturity. In short, the goals are personal growth, resolution of the problems, and reconciliation where alienation has occurred. If an individual does not change behavior, then separation from the community may result. The process is designed to assist individuals in monitoring their own behaviors, rather than relying on external rules and regulations.

Student Conduct Standards

Members of the Goshen College community are expected to demonstrate individual responsibility by showing consideration for the beliefs and feelings of others; abiding by federal, state and local laws; and demonstrating exemplary conduct. When a student’s behavior has direct implications for others and/or the well-being of the campus community, there is cause for community involvement, regardless of where the situation occurs (e.g. home or abroad). 

The Student Handbook can be found on Goshen College’s website and contains guidance related to the expectations which govern the conduct of Goshen College students.