Faculty advisors play an important role in nurturing students’ intercultural competence and interest in the wider world.  This page provides current information on advising your students. Also see our newsletter, Global Connections.  This page provides language for explaining why SST is more important than ever and describes our progress in making it available to all students.

Fall 20-21 update: The first time we will attempt to go abroad again for SST is in the May/Summer Term. That will depend on the availability of a vaccine and conditions in Ecuador and Senegal. If students are interested in Senegal, please ask them to sign up ASAP so we know whether we have enough students to go. They will need to have two semesters of French this year or test out of French 102 to be able to go.

Summer 2021 Ecuador is full with a waiting list. We will offer ASL in the Fall 21-22 Ecuador unit if there are enough students signed up.

Website overview

The following web pages will help students decide how to earn their SST credit:

• Intercultural requirements reviews the three ways to fulfill Goshen College’s expectations: international SST unit, short-term courses in the U.S. or abroad and outside study abroad programs.
• Preparing for SST covers language requirements, costs, the orientation process and other basics students need to know to make an informed decision about a semester abroad.
• SST Current Destinations: Scanning the pages for China, Ecuador, Indonesia and Senegal will acquaint you with the opportunities and themes unique to each country.

Ecuador: Indigenous cultures and sustainability

China: Education in a communal culture

Indonesia:  Interfaith dialogue in a religiously diverse society

Senegal: Post-colonial peacebuilding in a Muslim society

Tanzania: Migration of resources, people and ideas

• Overcoming Barriers addresses student questions about SST, including scholarships, scheduling, career and identity concerns such as fears about racism.

New U.S.-based courses

Please be aware of NEW courses that we are piloting to give immersive/experiential options to students who hoped to be on SST during the 20-21 academic year:

• We have forged a partnership with Mennonite Central Committee to offer the Global Public Health Virtual Practicum in the 20-21 school year. This will span Fall, Spring and May Terms – one course in each for a total of 8 credits that will count as SST credit. The program begins October 5.
• Merry Lea’s Sustainability Leadership Semester is adapting its program to accommodate the SST intercultural learning objectives.  Students can get SST credit for participating in SLS this fall.
• Also in the fall, Julia Schiavone Camacho of the History Department will be offering an SST pilot course, Community Engaged Learning: Latino Community Histories. Students will gather oral histories with the Goshen Historical Society.
• In the Spring semester, we are offering Dreams and Journeys: Immigrants and Refugees as a full SST semester–half on campus and half off-campus in trips and service assignments in Northern Indiana, if we get enough enrollment.
• See our full listing for the May Term SST courses we are also piloting. Offerings include working with Mennonite Disaster Service, From Chicago to Amish Country and Hiking the Inca Trail in Peru. Two Summer Terms will travel to the Navajo and Hopi reservations in Arizona.