A Message from President Anne F. Harris
Dear students, faculty, and staff,
Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for this year’s opening Convocation about Grinnell’s Strategic Horizon. I was honored to be joined by Jerry Seaman, Special Advisor to the President for Strategy, for a thoughtful discussion on our changing higher education landscape and a vison for the near- and longer-term outlooks as shaped by the strategic plan Knowledge into Action.
Grinnell’s strategic plan is deeply rooted in the college’s mission of preparing students in life and work to serve the common good together with our values of excellence in education, honoring a diverse community, and striving for social responsibility. At its heart, the plan centers the experiences of our students, faculty, and staff, building on our values to champion academic excellence for positive change as both are empowered by the individuals and communities who move our mission forward.
As the world of higher education continues to shift and change, I am proud to stand alongside Grinnellians in replenishing our resolve to persist in these commitments to our mission, to each other, and to working together to make the world a better place. I invite you to learn more here about the work that colleagues are pursuing across the College to this end. I am deeply grateful for your engagement with their contributions and collaborations.
Warmly,
Anne F. Harris
President
| | | | New Strategic Plan Activity Beginning 2025-26 | |
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Faculty Workload: Led by Dean Ruth Feingold and the Dean’s Office in coordination with Executive Council and in discussion with faculty to identify policies and practices that rebalance faculty workload and allow for meaningful work.
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Culture of Recognition: Led by Assistant Vice President for Corporate, Foundation, and Government Relations Susan Ferrari and the Office of Corporate, Foundation, and Government Relations to examine practices campus wide that celebrate contributions to our campus and community.
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Sustainable Enrollment and Student Success: Facilitated by Joe Bagnoli, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, and Brad Lindberg, Associate Vice President of Institutional Initiatives and Enrollment, to convene campus partners and governing groups toward better supporting sustainable enrollment, equitable access, and student success.
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The Intersection of CERA (Conard Environmental Research Area), Environmental Studies, and Climate Change: Led by Peter Jacobson, Chair of Environmental Studies and Faculty Director of CERA, to further structure and deepen Grinnell’s educational commitment to environmental stewardship.
| Continuing Strategic Plan Activity | | Catalyst For Educational Excellence | | |
ACTION: ENHANCING ACADEMIC ADVISING
The Academic Advising Quality Initiative, led by Joyce Stern, Dean for Student Success and Academic Advising and Andrea Tracy, Associate Dean for Student Academic Life, was initiated in 2023-24 to focus on the Higher Learning Commission Quality Initiative for advising as a first step in evaluating our institutional understanding of academic advising.
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MILESTONES
The Academic Advising Quality Initiative steering committee has spent the past academic year studying Grinnell’s academic advising program through NACADA’s Enhancing Academic Advising (EAA) framework. This process has allowed many across campus to assess key performance indicators for advising and campus-wide survey data. Following their investigation, the working group held an open retreat on academic advising during the 2025 spring semester. The program drew approximately 60 individuals from across campus, including the President and many members of the senior leadership team. During this time, presenters shared quantitative and qualitative findings from the EAA study and from the advising mapping process undertaken during the 2023-24 academic year. Participants heard and evaluated programmatic recommendations to inform prioritization and implementation in 2025-26.
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ACTION: SUPPORTING HIGH IMPACT PRACTICES
Led by Graham Miller, Director of Strategic Research, this work was initiated in 2023-24 to research ways to integrate High-Impact Practices (HIPs) with College-wide learning outcomes to assist with student developmental planning, advising, and institutional equity.
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MILESTONES
Following data collection and analysis on High-Impact Practices (HIPs) at Grinnell, including administrative data and discussions with leaders in global experiences, internships, service learning, and student research, a small working group will convene during the fall. This group will assess findings related to student participation, discuss HIPs’ connections to College-Wide Learning Outcomes, and identify opportunities to better integrate HIPs into students’ Grinnell experience. If you have not already been contacted and would like to participate in this work during the fall, please contact Graham Miller.
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ACTION: STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Led by Bailey Asberry, Director of Human Resources and Professional Development, along with Staff Council representatives Gina Donovan, Learning Management System Administrator, and Robert Willey, Campus Safety Shift Supervisor, this work was initiated in 2024-25 in order to develop a leadership program for new and current staff members that enhances leadership skills, experiences, and cross-divisional and community knowledge.
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MILESTONES
The project leadership team worked through the 2024-25 academic year to collect feedback and data from College staff and have submitted a final report of findings for consideration by the respective governing groups. While those groups work to assess and implement recommendations, the GLAD program continues to develop and offer new opportunities and programs that cultivate staff leadership skills.
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ACTION: DIVERSITY IN RECRUITING
Led by Sarah Fischer, Assistant Vice President of Admission, this work was initiated in 2023-24 to respond to the Supreme Court’s decision banning race-conscious admissions, with the goal of recruiting and retaining a diverse, well-qualified student body.
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MILESTONES
Admissions continues to collaborate across the College and engage with external partners to strengthen and enhance the Laurel Scholars program. To that end, the College is welcoming 10 new Laurel Scholars in fall 2025. The class of 2029 additionally includes 43 Questbridge National Match Scholars as well as four students from two new pathway partners. These students represent a range of backgrounds and experiences, and each will add immeasurably to the Grinnell community.
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ACTION: REINVENTING THE RESIDENTIAL EXPERIENCE
Led by JC Lopez, Vice President of Student Affairs, and the Division of Student Affairs, this work was initiated in 2024-25 to reinvent a residential experience and student programming to build community, develop self-understanding, and establish collaborative relationships across difference.
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MILESTONES
The G-CORE residential curriculum is now fully implemented throughout the residential system. The program is being assessed through a variety of methods which will inform evolution of the program going forward.
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ACTION: ATHLETIC CULTURE AND IDENTITY
Led by Holly Roepke, Director of Athletics and Chair of the Department of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation, JC Lopez, Vice President of Student Affairs, Myrna Hernández, Chief of Staff and Vice President of Administration, and Ben Cooprider, Deputy Director of Athletics, this working group was initiated in 2024-25 to identify high-impact practices across Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation to support experiential learning and community vitality.
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MILESTONES
In the last year, the leadership group has worked to enhance student engagement, deepen learning, and promote personal development through recreation and athletics. To this end, Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation (PEAR) is currently overseeing an effective transition to leadership under the Dean’s Office. This change will facilitate high-impact work that increases student belonging and supports student academic achievement by linking athletics and recreation more closely with a host of campus experiences, including service-learning opportunities and networking opportunities through internships, field experience, and alumni networks.
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ACTION: Aligning Educational Excellence and Technology
Initiated in 2023-24 and led by Jonathan Colby, Chief Information Officer, and Myrna Hernández, Chief of Staff and Vice President of Administration, this initiative seeks to build a shared understanding among campus constituents and leadership regarding compatibility of data and cybersecurity and the academic mission of the College.
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MILESTONES
The Aligning Educational Excellence and Technology initiative is now fully implemented, and Information Technology Services (ITS) will continue to assess services to meet campus needs. As part of the initiative, ITS undertook a strategic reorganization to better support faculty and address their distinct technology needs. A new Information Technology Implementation Task Force (ITITF) will continuously improve technology services across campus. These efforts have already fostered stronger collaboration between ITS and academic departments and more nuanced processes and policies around cybersecurity and related needs.
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ACTION: Reduce Endowment Dependence (RED)
The Reduce Endowment Dependence (RED) Initiative, initiated in 2023-24 and led by Germaine Gross, Vice President for Finance and Treasurer of the College, is focused on identifying long-term ways to reduce Grinnell’s dependence on the endowment to fund the operating budget.
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MILESTONES
Through the work of the Business Office, and in collaboration with partners across campus, the College has reached its fiscal-year 2029 goal of $5 million in operational savings per year. This effort is critical to the sustainability of Grinnell’s need-blind admission policy for domestic students and our ability to meet 100% of every student’s financial need without packaging student loans. This effort will continue, as the College continues its strong commitment to its academic mission and signature co-curricular programs while identifying $10 million in operational savings per year by fiscal year 2034.
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ACTION: Cultural Centers
This effort, initiated in 2024-25 and led by Marc Reed, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, and JC Lopez, Vice President of Student Affairs, is focused on developing a plan and timeline for investments and programming in cultural centers along with defining pathways through which those offerings can influence institutional policy and practice.
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MILESTONES
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI), in collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs (DSA) has progressed on several key milestones to strengthen, support, and expand Grinnell College’s cultural centers. The Latinx/e Cultural Center (LCC) was inaugurated in the 2024-25 academic year and now occupies Windsor House, with the main floor serving as a community space and the second floor serving as a living learning community that centers Latinx/e identity.
In the coming year, this working group will work with faculty colleagues to implement a faculty advisory model for cultural centers, with faculty liaisons in place for the spring 2026 semester. If you have not already been contacted and would like to participate in this work during the fall, please contact Marc Reed.
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ACTION: Equitable Interventions
Initiated in 2024-25 and led by Jana Grimes, Vice President of Human Resources, and Marc Reed, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, this initiative is focused on developing interventions to attract and retain diverse faculty and staff candidates.
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MILESTONES
This work has made significant progress under initiative leadership and in collaboration with partners across campus. Phase I of the institution’s transition to ADP will eliminate several disparate tools and integrate core functions (e.g., payroll, benefits, recruitment) into one platform, easing staff and faculty recruitment and hiring processes and creating one location for critical employment information.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have also met, hosting collaborative events including estate planning and student engagement. ERGs are voluntary, staff-led organizations with participation open to any Grinnell faculty or staff member—regardless of identity—who is committed to the group’s mission and goals. Both Umoja (Black employee resource group) and Queer Employee Resource Group (QERG) collected survey feedback data this year and have evaluated data to inform future activities. In addition to the existing ERGs, staff and faculty on campus have made progress toward founding Latinx/e and disability-focused ERGs.
| | Shared Goals and Common Ground | | |
ACTION: Community Building through Renfrow Hall
Initiated in 2023-24 and led by Monica Chavez-Silva, Vice President of Community Engagement and Strategic Planning, JC Lopez, Vice President of Student Affairs, and Mark Peltz, the Daniel and Patricia Jipp Finkelman Dean of Careers, Life, and Service, this group is working to support community-building and dialogue, with Renfrow Hall as a focus and inspiration, and the Katherine Howell Weingart `61 Civic Innovation Pavilion as a place to gather.
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MILESTONES
The Katherine Howell Weingart `61 Civic Innovation Pavilion is now open, and program planning is already well underway. A weekly “Coffee with the College” program began September 5, 2025, featuring President Anne F. Harris as the inaugural guest in this series intended to strengthen campus and community connections. Other examples of early use of the Weingart Pavilion include a Volunteer Fair hosted by the CLS’s Civic Education & Innovation group, the first Grinnell Listening Project dialogue of the year, and the community’s Bucket Course series, which will commence a monthly evening session in the pavilion beginning in September. Multiple area agencies and organizations have expressed interest in the pavilion for future programming, and all campus groups are invited to consider exploring the Weingart Pavilion to build community in new ways.
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ACTION: Mapping Community Partnerships
Initiated in 2024-25 under the collaborative leadership of Graham Miller, Director of Strategic Research, Susan Sanning, Associate Dean and Director of Civic Education and Innovation, and Jessica Stewart, Senior Associate Director of Alumni and Donor Relations, this initiative seeks to reflect on and expand the ways we foster community partnerships on multiple scales.
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MILESTONES
In fall 2024, the Mapping Community Partnerships working group surveyed and interviewed faculty and staff across campus to better understand the College’s external partnerships with local, state, national, and international constituencies. Using this information, the group created data visualizations that demonstrate the scope and variety of campus partnerships and help identify areas where more information might be needed. This work provides a foundation for demonstrating the breadth of current collaborations and can serve as an entry point for establishing a more coordinated approach to future partnerships. Findings will be shared with the campus community in the coming year.
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