Town Hall Summaries

This fall, Grinnell College began a series of town hall meetings to encourage transparency and frank, civil discussion of topics that faculty, staff, and students consider important. Each town hall has sessions at noon and in the evening.

Here are summaries of the first two town halls:

Tuesday, Sept. 24
Harm Reduction, Title IX, Diversity

Discussions were overwhelmingly respectful and revealed a number of concerns, even anxieties, about campus issues, including:

• The College’s commitment to racial, ethnic, religious, political, and socioeconomic diversity. 
• Potential effects of changes in Grinnell’s enrollment policies on students of various backgrounds and levels of need. 
• The role of the Black Cultural Center within the present-day context of a diverse campus. 
• Implications of Title IX for students engaging in sexual activity under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 
• The need to help students manage the stress of being involved in campus conduct hearings.
• Perceived racial and gender biases in the conduct process.
• The right of police to enforce laws on campus, including in campus buildings.

Wednesday, Nov. 13
Technology and Learning

The College’s Ad Hoc Committee on Technology-Rich Learning is trying to understand technology’s impact on liberal learning, residence life, and a Grinnell degree. Some of the points discussed:

• Additional staff and infrastructure would be needed to support future technology initiatives.
• Many are debating how professors will think creatively about incorporating technology into their courses without substituting technology for teaching.
• There is a trend on campus away from lectures in the classroom. Studies in education and learning indicate that an interactive environment in the classroom is far more useful.
• Grinnell uses both open-source and proprietary software.
• There is interest in making sure current technology on campus works before expanding into new areas.