President’s Report

Dear Goshen College community and friends,

The 2019-2020 academic year was one of the most challenging years in Goshen College’s 125-year history, and certainly the most challenging year of my presidency! In March 2020, our campus closed down due to COVID-19 — that dastardly little virus that continues to wreak havoc with our economy, our society, our travel and our brains. As we opted for virtual classes, we were called to become more creative in our learning, more flexible with our well-laid plans and more compassionate as we went about our relationships.

As I reflect on the past academic year, I notice the many ways that your generosity has continued to shape this learning community in creating courageous, creative and compassionate leaders. Here are a few highlights I want to share with you from the 2019-2020 academic year on campus: • We celebrated our quasquicentennial (125 years!) during Homecoming Weekend and throughout the year, looking deeply at our past and expectantly toward our future. You can revisit some of that at goshen.edu/125. • The Union Building reopened its doors after an eight-month renovation project, welcoming visitors to the new Hunsberger Commons, which is home to the Hunsberger Haitian Art Collection and the relocated Juanita Lark Welcome Center, as well as an overhauled Leaf Raker Cafe. • The new Center for Communication Studies was created in the transformed Newcomer Center west wing, bringing radio, television, journalism and public relations co-curriculars together under one roof. • Our first ever “Together Goshen Day” in April brought in $357,470 from more than 1,200 donors, and so members of the President’s Cabinet, some adventurous faculty, and Kevin and I dyed our hair purple to celebrate! • We unveiled two new majors — public health and criminal justice & restorative justice — at a time when both topics are at the forefront nationally and around the world. • We ranked second nationally among bachelor’s colleges in the 2019 Washington Monthly magazine’s annual college rankings, and the magazine specifically cited Goshen College as “the face of successful twenty-firstcentury higher education.” • We recognized five outstanding alumni with alumni awards during Homecoming Weekend: Minh Kauffman ’74, Carolyn Sauder ’55, Rob Vander Giessen-Reitsma ’05, Kari Heusinkveld ’12 and Garrett Cannizzo ’12. • The Record, GC’s student newspaper, was named “Indiana Newspaper of the Year” by the Indiana Collegiate Press Association, and 91.1 FM (WGCS) The Globe and FiveCore Media earned more awards than we could possibly list here. • Giving to Goshen College increased and was one of the highest years of undesignated giving ever. Overall giving to Goshen College totaled $6,420,981 with nearly 2,000 more gifts than last year, and more alumni made a gift to Goshen College than in any of the past five years.

Through it all, I have been grateful for God’s abundance and the creative and meaningful learning opportunities our faculty and students have had this semester, and I’m so proud of how our students have valiantly navigated the complex school year. Virtual learning, virtual co-curriculars and a virtual commencement marked a year in which we all had to come together — while keeping apart — to deliver on our promise of integrating academic excellence and real-world learning with active love of God and neighbor. And we all take comfort in knowing you continue to walk alongside us every step of the way. Thank you! In joyful service,

Dr. Rebecca J. Stoltzfus ’83 President of Goshen College