Approximately 400 staff members work with Grinnell’s faculty and students. They are integral not only to the administration, maintenance, and operation of the College, but also to its educational mission. The staff’s loyalty, hard work, and commitment to a shared mission are critical to the College’s success. Students value the support and guidance they receive from staff members in their academic pursuits, in residential life, and in financial aid. Staff members supervise students in on-campus employment and help students develop an ethic of professional responsibility, an important component of the civic education at Grinnell. Staff members, often longtime residents of the town, help to further solidify bonds between the campus and the town. Most important of all, every year staff members, in greeting a new generation of students, exemplify Grinnell’s caring.