As President Raynard S. Kington communicated in his Feb. 21, special campus memo, “Moving Ahead,” the College has been working on three proactive initiatives: possible selective expansion of the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers (UGSDW), a task force to address financial support for student success, and improving the educational and developmental components of student work experiences.
Over the past few months, College administration and staff have been engaged in a lengthy and rigorous process to assess the various student positions across campus. This groundwork was laid to explore the potential to selectively expand the union by including a limited number of student positions.
During the annual spring meeting of the Grinnell College Board of Trustees held May 2-4, administration provided Board members with updates on the status of this work, including a summary of discussions to date with the UGSDW concerning selected expansion of the union to include a limited number of positions determined to be similar in character to the dining service positions. After thorough discussion, the Board determined that given the complexity of the issues, it needed more time to deliberate the implications of union expansion. Consequently, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted on a motion that directed the administration to suspend talks over voluntary selective expansion of the UGSDW student bargaining unit pending further discussion by the Board at its October meeting.
College staff will continue ongoing efforts to assess the educational and developmental value and potential of student positions. However, no further action on voluntary expansion will be taken until the Board and administration have had time to fully review that work and assess its potential impact.
The College will carry forward with other important and substantive efforts to improve the academic component of experiential learning for all students, and with the work of the Board Task Force on Student Financial Support and Success.
David Maxwell ’66
Chair, Grinnell College Board of Trustees