THANKSGIVING BREAK SERVING HOURS
THE MARKETPLACE will be serving meals daily throughout Thanksgiving Break. Special serving hours are as follows:
Wednesday 11/21 - regular hours for breakfast and lunch, Dinner 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Thursday 11/22 Thanksgiving Day
Continental Breakfast 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Mayflower Thanksgiving Buffet 12:00-1:00 p.m. (guests are welcome - cash, check, or credit cards are accepted at the door!)
Box Dinners will be distributed for the evening meal to allow staff a partial holiday with their families.
Friday 11/23 through Saturday 11/24
Continental Breakfast 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Lunch 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Dinner 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Sunday 11/25
Lunch 11:30 am-1:30 p.m.
Dinner 5:00-7:00 p.m.
THE SPENCER GRILL will close Wednesday 11/21 at 4 p.m. Regular hours resume Sunday 11/25.
OUT TAKES will close Wednesday 11/21 at 12:30 p.m. Regular hours resume Monday 11/26.
Pioneer Bookshop Toy Sale
We have a table full of toys, games, puzzles and craft kits on sale at the downtown location, 823 Fourth Avenue. These selected toys are at least 40% off while supplies last. During your visit to the Pioneer Bookshop, check out the new arrivals of developmental toys by Brio, Ambi and wooden toys made in the U.S.A. Each can be paired with a special children's book recommended by our knowledgeable staff, Sarah, Jeff, Helen, John and Joyce.
Hours are Monday – Friday 10am – 6pm, Thursday 10am to 8pm and Saturday 10am – 4pm.
Staff Council Update
Happy almost Thanksgiving! We're sure everyone is looking forward to a small break in all the busy of the academic year.
Since our last update, a couple of interesting questions have been asked of the Council. Here they are, with the provided answers!
Q: With the College implementing strategic planning and showing fiscal responsibility in regards to financial aid and admissions, has there been any benefit or rewards that Grinnell has seen as a result (whether directly or indirectly) of these prizes?
A: [Thank you to Melisa Chan, who very helpfully provided this information!] There are many benefits from the Prize. We have developed student internships with winners. Winners have returned to teach short courses or give workshops. Winners and students have developed mutually beneficial relationships and connections (e.g., Kevin Jennison '12 created a non-profit, Tab for a Cause, and is now partnering with last year's winners, Eric Glustrom and Boris Bulayev of Educate!). The office is one of the few offices that offer international development opportunities for staff: we provide two staff fellowships per year to volunteer and work with the winners. Last year's staff fellows traveled to Ghana and worked for three plus weeks at Challenging Heights, an organization focused on preventing child trafficking and labor. Through the Prize, we have been able to engage prominent individuals from Des Moines as part of the Prize's Selection Committee and strengthen Grinnell's connection with Central Iowa. We have on our committee CEO and President of Bankers Trust, Suku Radia, and Marsha Ternus, former chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court. Marsha will also be teaching a short course on restorative justice next spring. These opportunities developed because of the Prize's existence.
There are many more benefits since the Prize's short two year existence, but another benefit is getting Grinnell's name out globally. The first year, more than one thousand individuals were nominated; this and last year, hundreds more. Many of these folks have never heard of Grinnell, so to have Grinnell's name be associated with a meaningful and important part of our mission, social justice, has been invaluable.
The College has also addressed this question in the FAQ for the Grinnell's Future website: http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/president/grinnells-finances-and-enrollment-management-strategies/faq#prize.
Q: CAFA (Committee on Admission and Financial Aid) has reps meeting with faculty at their division meetings to get input for their recommendations to the trustees regarding need blind admission. Are there any analogous meetings for staff?
A: We are working to arrange an open forum for staff between now and early December. We hope it will be an opportunity for staff to speak openly and share their ideas in regards to the strategies being discussed to help manage our enrollment and maintain fiscal responsibility. In the meantime, there is much information on these strategies and their impacts at http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/president/grinnells-finances-and-enrollment-management-strategies/additional-resources.
Filed Under Follow Up – We said we would try to more fully answer the following question:
Q: Do faculty have to split parental leave, like staff must if both work for the college?
A: From the faculty handbook (http://web.grinnell.edu/dean/Handbook/FacultyHandbook.pdf): If both parents, as Grinnell faculty members, are eligible for a family leave on account of the birth or placement of a child, the College will grant a one-semester paid leave to only one of the two parents. If the parents select the two-course reduction option, this reduction may be divided between the two parents. If both parents, one as a Grinnell faculty member and the other as a member of the Grinnell staff or administration, are each eligible for a family leave on account of the birth or placement of a child and both wish to have paid leaves, the College will grant a one-course reduction to the faculty member and up to a six-week paid leave to the staff member.
From the staff handbook (http://www.grinnell.edu/files/gc_staff_handbook_final.pdf): If both parents work for the College and are eligible for leave, each is entitled to six weeks of paid leave (or equivalent if the spouse/partner is a faculty member). This benefit is not transferrable to the other parent. In addition, the couple may only take a combined total of twelve weeks of leave under the Family Medical Leave Act.
Regardless of position, the College tries to accommodate staff and faculty with parental leave. Questions regarding individual circumstances should be discussed with human resources.
As always, if you have a question you'd like us to answer, please don't hesitate to contact your closest staff council member, or send us all a note – staff_council@grinnell.edu.
