Special Campus Memo: Improving Student Experiential Learning

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

As President Raynard S. Kington noted in his February 21 Special Campus Memo, “Moving Ahead,” Grinnell is committed to strengthening the educational components of student experiential learning opportunities on campus. Long-term strategic planning efforts focused on student employment opportunities led to the creation of a Training and Student Employment Coordinator position in the Human Resources office in 2014. Now, we are in the process of creating a new position to focus exclusively on supporting the academic component of paid student positions on campus, and of considering additional opportunities for making sure these positions prepare students with critical career-readiness skills.

In support of this initiative, the Center for Careers, Life, and Service will be hosting a series of brainstorm/ideation sessions to discuss ways we can make learning an even more central feature of these opportunities. During these sessions we hope to explore, among other things, ways of: improving training opportunities for students, faculty, and staff; incorporating mentoring activities; enhancing evaluation processes; and documenting out-of-classroom educational experiences.

To make the most of our time together, we have organized two sessions for students and two sessions for faculty and staff members involved with student positions on campus. Given the interactive nature of these sessions, seating is limited and advance registration is required.

Student Sessions (40 seats/session) | Register by April 15

• Monday, April 22, Noon–1 p.m., JRC 101
• Wednesday, April 24, 7–8 p.m., JRC 101

Faculty/Staff Sessions (35 seats/session) | Register by April 15

• Friday, April 26, Noon–1 p.m., HSSC N2170
• Tuesday, April 30, Noon–1 p.m., HSSC N2170

Lunch will be provided for sessions that occur over the noon hour, and snacks and refreshments will be available at the evening session.

Your ideas, input, and feedback are critical to this process. I look forward to working with you to enhance and improve this important part of the student educational experience.

Sincerely,

Mark Peltz
Daniel and Patricia Jipp Finkelman Dean
Center for Careers, Life, and Service