A Message from President Anne F. Harris

Dear students, faculty, and staff,

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend this year’s opening Convocation about Knowledge into Action: A Strategic Plan for Grinnell College. We were delighted to be able to come together as a campus community at the beginning of the year for a robust and interactive discussion about the promise of Grinnell’s strategic plan for lasting campus and societal impact, to learn about progress that’s been made so far, and to introduce the specific initiatives that will be the focus of the 2024-25 academic year. In the year ahead, we continue to strengthen collaborations, creating intentional networks of experts across campus to advance initiatives that strengthen YOUR experience as a Grinnellian.

I invite you to learn more about the work at the Strategic Plan website and to engage further by reaching out directly to the working group leaders below or by sharing questions or ideas with the strategic planning steering committee via this feedback form. I am deeply inspired by the passion and expertise that contributors across campus are bringing to this work. Thank you for your collective ideas and energies!

Warmly,

Anne F. Harris

President

2024-2025 Working Groups

Catalyst For Educational Excellence

Staff Development

Led by Bailey Asberry & Robert Willey

With the collaborative leadership of HR and Staff Council, this group will develop a leadership program for new and current staff members to develop leadership skills, experiences, and cross-divisional and community knowledge that increases collaboration with faculty and contributes to the College’s academic mission. Elements should include establishing a definition of leadership in a small liberal arts setting, skills in interest-based negotiations, invited speakers and/or trainers whose sessions can be preserved on GLADIS, and ideas ready for implementation. Campus partners for this work will include ODEI, the Wilson Center for Innovation and Leadership, and the President’s Office.

Belonging and Connection

Athletic Culture and Identity

Led by Holly Roepke, JC Lopez, and Myrna Hernández

With the collaborative leadership of PEAR and DSA, this action identifies high impact practices across Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation (PEAR) through experiential learning and community vitality. With a goal to determine priorities and guiding factors that frame the foundation for a culture and value-set supporting community and belonging through co-curricular and extra-curricular endeavors. The actions will address the visibility of the department and alignment with institutional priorities. Partnership with Admissions will center around recruitment of student athletes. Partners include The President’s Office, Faculty Athletic Representative, Student Athlete Leadership, DAR, CLS, and the Office of Admissions.

Collective Equity

Cultural Centers

Led by Marc Reed & JC Lopez

With the collaborative leadership of ODEI and the DSA, this action develops a plan and timeline for investments and programming in cultural centers on campus. Investment in identity-based spaces will be coupled with defined pathways through which Cultural Centers (and other institutions on campus) can influence institutional policy and practice. The Dean’s Office, Executive Council, Staff Council, HR, and the Treasurer’s Office will be needed partners to establish these defined pathways and their connections to policy and practices. DAR can provide connections to both alumni and fundraising for the sustainability of these investments.

Equitable Interventions

Led by Jana Grimes & Marc Reed

With the collaborative leadership of HR and ODEI, this action seeks to identify and present a timeline for interventions to attract and retain diverse faculty and staff candidates. This work will necessitate cultural/climate assessment work with CPPR to shape recruitment and retention efforts. The partnership of the Dean’s Office and Executive Council will be needed for faculty recruiting and retention, and that of HR/ODEI and Staff Council for staff recruiting and retention. Funds will be available for consulting with other institutions and leaders in faculty and staff recruitment and retention.

Shared Goals and Common Ground

Community Partnerships

Led by Graham Miller, Jessica Stewart, Susan Sanning

With the collaborative leadership of CLS’s Civic Education and Innovation, CPPR, and DAR, this action seeks to reflect on and expand the ways that the College fosters community partnerships on multiple scales, involving alumni and friends of the College. Reflecting on these connections calls for an inventory and mapping of the ways that the College partners with other entities and institutions to further the academic mission of the College and its impact. Once the mapping is complete, areas of expansion can be identified as these meet the goals and needs of the mission of the College, with special attention to the Weingart ‘61 Civic Innovation Pavilion within Renfrow Hall as a hub for such connections. Both the inventory and the proposed expansions will benefit from communications plans to connect campus, community, alumni and at-large audiences with the vital work of community engagement of the College.

Measuring Progress

The Strategic Plan Progress dashboard gives our campus community the ability to track the many strategic planning initiatives underway to improve the lived experience of Grinnellians. We invite you to take a closer look at each project and see the progress colleagues across campus are making and to check back at the start of each semester to monitor the ongoing work.

Strategic Research and Communications will continue to update the campus community twice a semester during the 2024-25 academic year.

Share your thoughts online.

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