Schedule of Events

You can watch completed sessions on our YouTube Fossil Fuels and Climate Impact playlist.

Managing Grinnell’s Endowment, Trustee Stewardship, and Investment Decisions

Monday, September 18

5:30–6:30 p.m. Buffet dinner, opportunity to talk with Task Force members
Joe Rosenfield ’25 Center, Room 101

6:30–8:15 p.m. Task Force member introductions, role of the Task Force (recorded session)

6:30–8:15 p.m. The Board of Trustees' fiduciary responsibility (recorded session)
Rosenfield Center, Room 101

Tuesday, September 19

4–6 p.m. How the College manages its endowment (recorded session) and Andrew Choquette ’00 and Angela Clement's presentation slides (PDF)
Rosenfield Center, Room 101

7:30–9:30 p.m. The role of the endowment in the College's annual budget (recorded session) and Kate Walker's presentation slides (PDF)
Rosenfield Center, Room 101

Arguments in Support and in Opposition to Fossil Fuel Divestment

Developing insights on the pluses and minuses of fossil fuel divestment and other actions investors can take to positively impact climate

What steps should Grinnell take to impact climate change? Join the conversation.

Tuesday, October 3

4–6 p.m. What are energy companies’ visions for renewable energy? (recorded session) and Cathy Woollums' presentation slides (PDF)
A presentation by Cathy Woollums, senior vice president, environmental and chief environmental counsel, Berkshire Hathaway Energy

7:30–8:15 p.m. What’s happening in the energy world? (recorded session) and Jeff Hanson's presentation slides (PDF)
A presentation by Jeff Hanson, director of environmental services, Alliant Energy

8:30–9:30 p.m. How will Iowa’s renewable energy legislation affect Mid-American Energy’s and Alliant Energy’s renewable energy plans? (recorded session)
A discussion with Cathy Woollums and Jeff Hanson

Wednesday, October 4

4–6 p.m. How does socially responsible investing impact climate change? (recorded session)
A presentation via Skype by Amy O’Brien, managing director, head of responsible investment, TIAA

7:30–9:30 p.m. Resolved: Should Grinnell divest its fossil fuel stocks? (recorded session)
A student debate moderated by Mark Baechtal, the Debate Union's faculty advisor
Case Statement: "This house believes that Grinnell College should divest itself of all its investments in fossil fuel industries."
Government participants: Thompson Teasdale ’20 and Manan Pradhan ’20
Opposition participants: Joel Katticaran ’18 and Sriyash Kadiyala ’21

Curricular Support and Reducing the College’s Carbon Footprint

Divestment decisions by other colleges, reducing the College's carbon footprint, providing more curricular support, and exploring sustainability efforts

Monday, November 6

Noon–1 p.m. Building partnerships to create social change (recorded session)
Matt Remle, Mazaska Talks

5:30–6:45 p.m. Transitioning to Renewable Energy — Practical Challenges (recorded session)
Rick Lancaster ’76, vice president for power generation, Great River Energy

7:30-9:30 p.m. Pitzer’s process leading to divestment (recorded session), and Laura Trombley's presentation slides (PDF)
Laura Trombley, former president, Pitzer College

Tuesday, November 7

11 a.m.–1 p.m., Grinnell Sustainability Plan (recorded session) and Chris Bair and Liz Queathem's presentation slides (PDF)
Chris Bair ’96, environmental and safety manager, and Liz Queathem, senior lecturer in biology

4–6 p.m. How Grinnell College can enhance sustainability in its investments (recorded session) , George Dyer's presentation slides (PDF), and Kristen Spaulding's presentation slides (PDF)
Georges Dyer, principal, Intentional Endowments Network, and Kirsten Spaulding, director, Ceres

7:30–9:30 p.m. Student panel on personal, interpersonal, communal, and societal climate impact (recorded session)
Moderated by Megan Goering ’08, CEO/founder at Action Labs Global
Panelists are Lana Katai ’21, Clare Magalaner ’18, Raghav Daryanani ’20, Morgane Garnier ’19, and Helena Kleiner ’18

SASB Considerations For the Grinnell College Task Force on Fossil Fuels & Climate Change presentation slides (PDF)
From presentation by Matthew Welch ’96, president, The SASB Foundation, to Fossil Fuels and Climate Impact Task Force and Advisory Committee.

We use cookies to enable essential services and functionality on our site, enhance your user experience, provide better service through personalized content, collect data on how visitors interact with our site, and enable advertising services.

To accept the use of cookies and continue on to the site, click "I Agree." For more information about our use of cookies and how to opt out, please refer to our website privacy policy.