A Message from President Anne F. Harris

Dear students, faculty, and staff,

As we conclude this academic year, I’d like to share the exciting new work related to our Strategic Plan that will begin in the 2025-26 year. This work builds on the twelve strategic planning initiatives currently being advanced, capably led by cross-functional teams across campus.

I would like to thank the Strategic Planning Steering Committee for their dedicated work this year in reviewing the 47 actions discerned by the campus community now reflected in the strategic plan, and identifying four important initiatives for the 2025-26 academic year that focus on enhancing our experience as Grinnellians, strengthening our community, and stewarding the College’s relationship with our environment. The 2025-26 actions will address:

faculty workload
our culture of recognition
planning for sustainable enrollment and equitable access
the intersection of CERA, environmental studies, and environmental stewardship.

You can see the full descriptions of each action below.

Looking ahead, I encourage you to consider your own work on campus and how you can best connect with these Strategic Planning efforts to further support and enrich our community. If you are interested in engaging with Knowledge into Action: A Strategic Plan for Grinnell College more deeply, I invite you to reach out to the working group leaders. You can always explore the full plan, its principles, and its development process on the Strategic Planning webpage and monitor progress of all the initiatives currently underway by visiting the Strategic Plan Progress Dashboard.

Finally, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the many groups and individuals who are advancing the many initiatives underway that together will strengthen our lived experiences and ensure that Grinnell and Grinnellians are prepared to thrive now and into the future.

Warmly,

Anne F. Harris

President

Catalyst For Educational Excellence

Professor Al Lacson teaches tutorial in an HSSC Classroom

ACTION: FACULTY WORKLOAD

Led by the Dean’s Office, in 2025-26 this group will undertake the first steps of a broader 5-year effort (2025-2030) to identify policies and practices that rebalance faculty workload and allow for meaningful work.

Belonging and Connection

Robert Willey Terry Mason Anne Harris James Shropshire and Gina Donovan

ACTION: CULTURE OF RECOGNITION

Led by Susan Ferrari and the office of Corporate, Foundation, and Government Relations, this initiative is focused on building a culture of recognition that celebrates contributions to our campus and community. The first year of this work, 2025-26, will inventory the college’s existing recognition programs to set the stage for subsequent recommendations.

Collective Equity

ACTION: PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE ENROLLMENT AND EQUITABLE ACCESS

Facilitated by Joe Bagnoli and Brad Lindberg, this 2025-26 work will convene campus partners and governing groups to establish institutional policies and practices that better support sustainable enrollment, equitable access, and student success.

Shared Goals and Common Ground

Students observe the northern lights at the Conard Environmental Research Center

ACTION: CERA, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Led by Peter Jacobson, Chair of Environmental Studies and Faculty Director of the Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA), this work will be initiated in 2025-26 with the aim of further structuring and deepening Grinnell’s educational commitment to environmental stewardship through increased coordination of environmental activities via CERA, the Center for Prairie Studies, and Environmental Studies.

Measuring Progress

The Strategic Plan Progress dashboard gives our campus community the ability to track the many strategic planning initiatives underway to improve the lived experience of Grinnellians. We invite you to take a closer look at what’s involved with each project and to check back periodically to see the progress colleagues across campus are making.

View the Steering Committee Membership

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