Geneva College has a unique approach to Christian higher education, shaped by many distinctives. Student life and formation at Geneva are largely impacted by accessible leadership at the College.
Whether because of the smaller school size or the servant-heartedness of its leadership, Geneva’s leaders are accessible and excited to interact with students outside of the classroom or office hours.
The College president, senior leadership, and a high percentage of faculty and staff regularly eat in the dining hall with students or with one another. At least one well-loved faculty member can be seen walking his dog around campus several times per week. Professors and staff are likely to attend formal lectures and special events but also weekly student events like Upper Room.
The president particularly embodies this type of interaction. He and his wife host nearly every student group in their home (just a five-minute walk off campus) each year. It’s not uncommon to walk in and see high stacks of shoes and coats beside the entryway fireplace, watch fifty or more students pile around their large table, or witness friends eating bowls of ice cream on the floor while laughing together. My socked feet regularly feel the ridges of old wood floors as I pad back into the kitchen and grab a mug for a post-dinner cup of tea.
In my time at another institution within Christian higher education, I had the opportunity to talk to the president just once and that within a formal leadership event held in the sterile, ceramic-tiled student center. Just through student involvement while at Geneva, I would have already had at least five opportunities to be in the president’s home. Here, students are known personally and their stories and questions are valued.
This matters because these professors and staff members become references for students in their questions, assist them with interdisciplinary study, serve as mentors within their field, and just help students feel more at home while they are at college.
I love watching students sit down at “staff” lunch tables or hearing faculty ask if they can join a group of students. I am thankful to hear about professors making time to discuss a topic of curiosity after chapel or class — or even scheduling it — whether or not that student is their advisee or in their major. I am glad for the few opportunities I have to ask my own interns about different goings-on in class or life, follow up with them, and encourage them.
While these types of interaction were likely possible at my undergraduate institution, I am thankful that they are part of the consistent culture at Geneva College. Because leadership is accessible, students don’t just receive instruction; they have mentors, advocates, and people who know them well enough to guide real decisions.
Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
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