Goshen College | United States

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Institution type	Private

About Goshen College

Goshen College is a private liberal arts college in Goshen, Indiana. The institution was founded in 1894 as the Elkhart Institute of Science, Industry and the Arts, and is affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. It has an enrollment of around 775 students. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Goshen College maintains a distinctive Christian Mennonite environment, but admits students of all religions. U.S. News and World Reports ranks Goshen as a third-tier national liberal arts college.

Goshen is known for its Study-Service Term (SST), a program that takes students to another country for three months. Students' time on SST is split into two sections. For the first half of the semester students study the country's language, history and culture, usually in the capital. In the second half, students live with host families in smaller cities or rural areas where they do service work. Service placements range from teaching English to working on a farm, recording traditional natural remedies to playing with children at a childcare facility. The Study Service program was founded in 1968 before study-abroad programs became widespread. Current SST destination options are Peru, Senegal, Tanzania, China, and Cambodia. The college has also offered a domestic SST to immerse students in the Latino culture and community in northern Indiana.

Goshen College is home to The Mennonite Quarterly Review and the Mennonite Historical Library, a 75,000 volume library compiling the most comprehensive collection of Anabaptist Mennonite primary source material in the United States.

Goshen tends to maintain a fairly steady 55/45 ratio of women to men. Goshen's student percentage of Mennonite students to other affiliations is 43/57.

Campus information

Goshen College has four dormitories, apartment living, and several small group houses. Outside the original quadrangle, Goshen's current campus has not been the result of a single master plan; rather the campus has evolved eclectically from building to building as the institution grew. Four-year residency was typical until the mid-1970s, when a growing student enrollment prompted school officials to forgo building new dormitories and allow upperclassmen to live off campus. In 2005, Goshen College announced its plan to return to four-year residency. With more students on campus, the school has spent over $10 million building and renovating dorms.

The Roman Gingerich Recreation and Fitness Center is a $7 million facility constructed in 1994 with three full-sized basketball courts, four racquetball courts, a 200 meter indoor track, (formerly) swimming pool (for recreational swimming only) and hot tub, climbing wall, and weight room. The fitness center is open to all students and staff, and is used by community members as well.

The $24 million Music Center, completed in October 2002, has become regionally renowned for its design and acoustics. The Music Center consists of several main sections: Sauder Concert Hall, Rieth Recital Hall, the Art Gallery, and various classrooms, practice rooms and offices. Several highlights are a central recording studio, MIDI labs, and Taylor and Boody Opus 41, a 1600-pipe tracker pipe organ, the first in the world with tempering based on alumnus Bradley Lehman's research of Johann Sebastian Bach's notation. The facility was designed by Mathes Brierre Architects (design architects), Schmidt Associates (architects of record), and TALASKE (acoustics and audio consultants

Goshen, Indiana is known as the Maple City because of its many maple trees. The city offers many diverse cultural, educational, employment and recreational opportunities. Most notably, we maintain our small town values and charm while offering a multitude of activities and experiences often found in nearby larger cities.

It is also a “City on the Go”! On the First Friday of every month – throughout the year – businesses, artists, and entertainers throw a party (with great attendance) in downtown Goshen. Hours are generally from 5 to 9 p.m.

Accommodation

Traditional Residence Halls
The residence halls are often the place where students first meet friends, come together as a group with other students and begin to feel a sense of belonging. All full-time single students younger than 25 are welcome to live in one of four traditional residence halls. Each hall houses men and women on separate floors.

Student Apartments
Apartments offer increased independence and flexibility within the campus context. Each student apartment on Goshen’s campus has its own kitchen, living area, bathroom and separate bedrooms, while some feature unique lofts and spiral staircases. This option is available for older students.

Intentional Living Communities
Intentional Living Communities offers an opportunity to deepen friendships in a largely self-governing environment. Students apply for housing together as a group, and groups are chosen based on several criteria. This option is available for third and fourth year students.