Goshen Core

General Education for a Better World

The Goshen Core is the set of courses for all students, regardless of which major they choose, that is similar to the general education courses at most colleges and universities. Students take foundational coursework to build skills like communication, quantitative reasoning and information literacy, that will help them excel in school and beyond. All students take classes in a variety of disciplines — not just their major — to learn how various academic fields solve problems and examine the world.

THE GOSHEN CORE IS DISTINCTIVE IN A FEW SIGNIFICANT WAYS. Global education has a long history at Goshen College, making up about a third of our Core. Students choose to study locally or abroad, in a full semester or one course at a time. All students have an immersive, intercultural experience that will prepare them as global citizens to work for the common good. In keeping with our Anabaptist roots, we also require a course in Bible, religious studies and peacemaking. These classes help students build religious literacy, develop ethical reasoning skills, and see themselves as agents of justice and peace in the world.

For most students, the Goshen Core curriculum is 41 credit hours. Students at Goshen College are also required to attend and participate in convocation and chapel events that foster intellectual exploration and faith formation. Finally, we require that students demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language equivalent to two semesters of college-level study.

Curriculum

We designed the Goshen Core with the college’s core values in mind. Goshen College embraces the five values of passionate learning, Christ-centeredness, compassionate peacemaking, servant leadership, and global citizenship. In order to express these values through our curriculum, we developed a set of Student Learning Outcomes and then created a program with three main parts:

Foundational Coursework is completed in the first three semesters to lay a strong foundation for students’ studies at Goshen College. This component covers skills like research, writing, and quantitative literacy as well helping students form ideas around personal identity, building a career and general wellness in a college setting.
Disciplinary Perspectives courses take a complex real-world problem or question and examine it through the lenses of: arts, natural sciences, religious studies, social sciences, and peacemaking. Students will take one course in each of those five categories.
Global Engagement, sometimes referred to as global education or study abroad programs at other institutions, connects students with communities both locally and around the globe. One of the five core values at the foundation of Goshen College is global citizenship, so intercultural study is an important component of the Goshen Core. There are multiple ways to complete this component.

Student Learning Outcomes

The “Core Curriculum” is aptly named, as it is the core of the Goshen College degree. The student learning outcomes are rooted in our institutional values, the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition, and the liberal arts. These classes allow students to share common learning experiences that enhance their various majors, develop foundational academic skills, and provide a breadth of knowledge to complement the depth of the major. The following learning outcomes are integrated into the Core courses and are reinforced through students’ major and minor programs.

In keeping with this core value, all Goshen College students will…
1. Explore the lenses through which academic disciplines investigate, comprehend, and marvel at the world.
2. Strengthen their oral, written, quantitative, and information literacy skills.
3. Apply disciplinary knowledge to probe complex problems, make well-reasoned arguments, and craft original work.
In keeping with these core values, all Goshen College students will…
1. Expand their knowledge of and appreciation for multiple histories, cultures, and global systems.
2. Acquire language and intercultural communication skills to engage with people and communities across differences.
3. Connect with local and global communities through civic engagement, building restorative relationships, and working toward climate justice.
In keeping with these core values, all Goshen College students will…
1. Reflect on their own identities, gifts and privileges in relationships with other people and communities.
2. Articulate their spiritual and ethical commitments in conversation with the Christian story and principles of nonviolence.
3. Apply their faith commitments and ethical reasoning to their personal, professional, and spiritual lives.

Convocation and Chapel

Convocation and chapel programs gather the Goshen College campus community together for shared learning experiences and for worship, usually in the church-chapel sanctuary. Students are asked to attend a set number of events each semester.

The purpose of chapel is to tend to the Christian spiritual formation of our gathered community. Sometimes chapels feature an invited speaker and sometimes they are planned and led by the student ministry team. Convocation provides opportunities for personal, intellectual, and social growth. In convocation, we explore complex problems and contemporary issues. Some convocations celebrate students’ learning and accomplishments. There are also campus-wide events that can be attended for convocation credit as a way of encouraging students to engage with various lecture series and other academic events. These events will be advertised as “bonus convos.”