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The Grinnell College Board of Trustees met in October 2007 and lent support
to the following campus initiatives:
The Board supported the College's commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 20% below anticipated 2010 levels. The two largest sources of emissions are electricity (66% of total) and direct natural gas consumption (32% of total). The following efforts will help to reduce the emission levels:
- Drive "green" behavior on campus
- Tie environmental initiatives to new buildings
- Prepare for construction of a wind turbine near campus
- Continue renovations and retrofits of existing facilities
"With the Board's support, Grinnell will undertake an ambitious and achievable program to reduce our carbon footprint," said President Russell Osgood. "Our commitment to measurable reduction practices is stated clearly in four action items for which we intend to hold the campus community accountable."
One of the action items is related to the construction of Athletics Phase II and installation of geothermal heat pumps to reduce emissions approximately 7 percent (see below). The wind turbine project is expected to be undertaken following the completion of Athletics Phase II in 2010.
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The Board authorized the College to contract for and construct Phase II of the Athletics and Fitness Center, which includes a natatorium and fieldhouse. The Phase II project will form a reversed L-shape around Rosenbloom Field and adjoin the college's Les Duke Track on the north perimeter of the campus.
Phase II involves:
- A natatorium with an eight-lane 50-meter pool connected via underground link to the current center on 10th Avenue. The natatorium will include spectator seating deck for 600 and will also be accessible to local community members and the high school swim team.
- Classrooms, a climbing wall, lockers, and a dance studio will also be housed in the underground link.
- The fieldhouse, with a competition track and tennis facility, will be located north of the Athletics and Fitness Center and include racquetball courts, training spaces, additional classrooms, locker rooms, and athletic department offices.
Phase I architects from the firms of Sasaki Associates Inc. and Pelli Clarke Pelli will continue to collaborate on Phase II. Construction on Phase II will begin next spring, although preparatory work including installation of a geothermal well field and re-routing of storm and water lines will begin this fall on Springer Field (on 10th Ave. between Athletics and Fitness Center and Black Cultural Center). The geothermal well field will lie underneath Springer Field, which will be used as a staging area for construction and restored at the conclusion of the project. Once completed in spring 2010, the state-of-the-art center is expected to be LEED certified.
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The Board encouraged the College administration to accelerate the timing for implementation of loan reduction efforts, including capping need-based loans. In addition, the College plans to:
- Continue to budget and seek contributions to buy-down graduate loan debt to zero (within demonstrated need)
- Index merit aid
- Cover 100% of study abroad within aid packages (within demonstrated need)
- Eliminate the work requirement for one summer for students who use that time completing an education-related internship or social justice volunteerism
- Fund internships in full
"Grinnell College is a place with unlimited opportunities for intellectually curious students," said Osgood. "We are firmly committed to ensuring our graduates make life choices based on their passions, talents, and interest, rather than their need to repay large loan debt."
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