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Over the past several decades, "affirmative action" has generated a lot of comments and litigation, particularly for institutions of higher education. Professor of History Emeritus Dan Kaiser joins us to take a look back at affirmative action and how, in 1918, ɬ�﷬ anticipated the idea by identifying and recruiting to ɬ�﷬ African American men. Professor Kaiser will outline the College's plan, the support of a Chicago philanthropist, and the demise of the project whose ambitions later efforts attempted to revive.

Please join us for the next Community Friday on February 7th. This session showcases the robust network of advisers that students have access to at ɬ�﷬. Panelist pairs Kate Ferraro, Academic Advising and Monty Roper, Anthropology; Mary Jane Shroyer, CLS and Jim Swartz, Chemistry; and Alicia Stanley, IGE and Kristen Burson, Physics, will demonstrate how advisers from different areas of the college have communicated and collaborated to meet student needs. 

Through table dialogue, we seek to build capacity for effective communication across both faculty and staff advisers, so when you join us, please sit with people you know less well to get to know them and their work. This session is hosted by Joyce Stern, Dean for Student Success and Academic Advising, and is inspired by the work of the Quality Initiative on Advising, which has raised our awareness of the need to provide more professional development to advisers.

The CTLA thanks Academic Advising for their generous support of this event.

There will be no speakers or presenters at this Community Friday. Faculty and staff are welcome to come and enjoy lunch and conversation with one another.
 

For Community Friday on Feb. 21, we are pleased to welcome Monica Chavez-Silva, vice president of community engagement and strategic planning; Ross Haenfler, professor of sociology; Roger Henderson, field placement and licensing coordinator in education, and Mike Guenther, associate professor of history.

Chavez-Silva will discuss the role of volunteers in meeting the needs of our communities, share information about rural nonprofit leadership, and talk about specific ways that the Office of Community Partnerships, Planning, and Research can support employees interested in volunteering. She currently serves as a commissioner for , the state’s commission on volunteer service.

Haenfler will share his experience serving on the board of Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA). He will discuss how this service has influenced his teaching, helped him build relationships in the community, and has been a source of joy.

Henderson will talk about how serving on the board of directors of the ɬ�﷬-Newburg School Foundation and the ɬ�﷬ School of Music has informed his work as a teacher and in his current position with the education department.

Guenther will talk about his experiences on the board of the new ɬ�﷬ Historical Museum.

We are delighted to be joined by Alexis Steele, the manager of student health and wellness. Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour training. Join Steele to learn why this training is important for everyone, what the training covers, and valuable information about mental health. There will be handouts with resources and fun activities.

Please join us for the next Community Friday on March 7th in JRC 101. We will be joined by Andi Tracy, Associate Dean for Student Academic Life, Cassie Wherry, Bookstore Manager, and Brad Lindberg, Associate Vice President of Institutional Initiatives and Enrollment. They will introduce ɬ�﷬'s new textbook program, GrinnBooks. GrinnBooks is a college-wide program providing enrolled students access to their required textbooks at the start of each term.

According to Tracy, Wherry, and Lindberg: "Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, the cost of textbooks will be included in the student comprehensive fee. By including the cost of textbooks in tuition and purchasing in bulk, students will save money and be guaranteed access to their textbooks. Through GrinnBooks, students have access to their textbooks (whether physical or digital) on the first day of class, eliminating the need to search for or buy materials separately, ensuring they can start their coursework immediately. Students no longer have to worry about having the correct edition, codes for problem sets and online resources, or any of the hassle of buying books online. All course materials are delivered digitally through Canvas (the College’s new Learning Management System) or through a convenient pickup of physical materials at the Pioneer Bookshop. This campus-wide program seeks to ensure greater educational equity among students and to remove the cost of course materials as a barrier to taking a class."

 The CTLA thanks the organizers for their generous support of this event. For information about future Community Fridays, please visit the CLTA website at Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment.

Please join us for the next Community Friday on March 28th. If you are considering requesting a Writing Mentor (peer writing consultant) for a Tutorial or other course next fall, or if you are curious about the work these students do, this is an excellent time to come find out more about the program. 

 In this session, current Writing Mentors and faculty who have worked with Writing Mentors will discuss what students get from working with Writing Mentors, what faculty get from partnering with Writing Mentors, what faculty can do to make these partnerships most effective, and what Writing Mentors themselves get from the program. Faculty: Tamara Beauboeuf, GWSS; Eiren Shea, Art History; Jen Shook, Theatre, Dance, & Performance Studies. Writing Mentors: Ashley Baek ’25, English & French; Ellie Cierpiot ’25, English; Ben Curran ’25, Sociology; Agatha Fusco ’25, Economics & Spanish. There will be time for questions from attendees. The panel is moderated by Tisha Turk, Director of the Writing Mentors Program and the Writing, Reading, and Speaking Center.

The CTLA thanks the Writing, Reading, and Speaking Center for their generous support of this event.

Are you ready for Canvas? You are cordially invited to join us for the next Community Friday on April 4th in JRC 101 to learn more about our new Learning Management System from LMS Administrator Gina Donovan. Gina will walk you through the transition from Blackboard to Canvas, as we prepare for all courses to use this new LMS in Fall 2025. You will see what a Canvas course will look like, learn about the features of the system, and start to think about how to use these features to support your teaching. There also will be details about the timeline for Canvas implementation, information about the training and support that will be available, and the opportunity to get answers to your questions.

Please join us at the next Community Friday on April 11th for an informative panel discussion about real examples of assessment work happening at ɬ�﷬. Faculty members Logan Lee, Josh Sandquist, and Sarah Purcell will share their experiences from the academic departments of Economics, Biology, and History. After the panelists present, attendees will have the chance to ask questions, explore how to apply these insights to their own assessment efforts, and learn effective ways to communicate their assessment work. 

The CTLA thanks the Assessment Committee for their generous support of this event.

Details forthcoming.

Details forthcoming.

Details forthcoming.

As part of the College’s commitment to academic excellence AND financial sustainability, there is renewed interest around building the role philanthropy can play in shaping the future of ɬ�﷬. You are invited to join President Anne Harris and the Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Bernadine Douglas, for a conversation around building a culture that inspires and nurtures giving to support mission of the College.