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Grinnell College

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Grinnell College
File:Grinnell College Seal.jpg
MottoVeritas et Humanitas (Latin)
(Truth and Humanity)
TypePrivate
Established1846
Endowment$1.67 billion (June '06)[1]
PresidentRussell K. Osgood
Academic staff
156 full-time, 43 part-time
Students1500
Location
Grinnell
,
Iowa
,
USA
CampusRural, 120 acres (486,000 m²)
ColorsScarlet and Black
NicknamePioneers File:Honor 'G'.gif
Affiliationsformerly Congregationalist
Websitewww.grinnell.edu

Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States with a strong social justice tradition. It was founded in 1846, when a group of transplanted New England Congregationalists formed the Trustees of Iowa College. It has consistently been ranked as one of the top fifteen liberal arts colleges in the nation by US News & World Report and received the "Best All-Around" college rating from Newsweek magazine in 2004.[2] Grinnell's per student endowment is larger than that of any other liberal arts college in the US.[3]

History

Grinnell students celebrate the end of the semester outside Gates Residence Hall in May 2006.

Grinnell's founding was part of the history of the American West. Established on the prairie, from its inception the College reflected the pioneering spirit common to the men and women who were part of the movement westward.

In 1843 eleven Congregational ministers, all of whom trained at Andover Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, set out to proselytize on the frontier. When the group arrived in Iowa later that year, each selected a different town in which to establish a congregation. In 1846 they collectively established Iowa College in Davenport. A few months later, Iowa joined the Union.

The first 25 years of Grinnell's history saw a change in name and location. Iowa College moved farther west from Davenport, Iowa, to the town of Grinnell and unofficially adopted the name of its new benefactor: an abolitionist minister, Josiah Bushnell Grinnell. The name of the corporation "The Trustees of Iowa College" remained, but in 1909 the name "Grinnell College" was adopted by the trustees for the institution itself.

In its early years, the College experienced setbacks. Although two students received bachelor of arts degrees in 1854 (the first to be granted by a college west of the Mississippi River), within 10 years the Civil War had claimed most of Grinnell's students and professors. In the decade following the war, growth resumed: women were officially admitted as candidates for degrees, and the curriculum was enlarged to include then-new areas of academic studies, such as natural sciences with laboratory work.

In 1882, Grinnell College weathered another storm when a cyclone destroyed both College buildings. Rebuilding began immediately, and the determination to expand wasn't limited to architecture: the curriculum was again extended to include departments in political science (the first in the United States) and modern languages. Grinnell became known as the center of the Social Gospel reform movement, while other firsts pointed to the lighter side of college life: the first intercollegiate football and baseball games west of the Mississippi were played in Grinnell, and the home teams won.

As the 20th century began, Grinnell established a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, introduced the major system of study, began Grinnell-in-China (an educational mission that lasted until the Japanese invasion and resumed in 1987), and built a women's residence hall system that became a national model. The social consciousness fostered at Grinnell during these years became evident during Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency, when Grinnell graduates Harry Hopkins '12, Chester Davis '11, Paul Appleby '13, Hallie Ferguson Flanagan '11, and Florence Stewart Kerr '12 became influential New Deal administrators.

The future of Grinnell can be found in its past. Concern with social issues, educational innovation, and individual expression continue to shape Grinnell. As an example, the school’s travel-service program, Grinnell Corps, preceded the establishment of the Peace Corps by many years. Other recent innovations include first-year tutorials, cooperative pre-professional programs, and comprehensive programs in quantitative studies and the societal impacts of technology globally.

Academics

A Grinnell education is anchored in intense, active learning that occurs in one-on-one interactions between faculty members and students. The school is known for its rigorous academic program and the extensiveness and diversity of its extracurricular activities. The Princeton Review lists Grinnell as one of the "best overall academic experiences for undergraduates" among the nation's top college and universities.[citation needed]

An unusually high proportion of Grinnell's graduates go on to earn Ph.D.'s and its students have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Watson Fellowships, and Fulbright Scholarships. Recent data place Grinnell at No. 10 of all U.S. institutions for the proportion of graduates who go on to earn Ph.D. degrees and No. 15 for graduating female Ph.D. earners.[citation needed]

Grinnell's open curriculum encourages students to take initiative and assume responsibility for their own courses of study, developed under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Outside of the First-Year Tutorial (a one-semester special topics seminar that stresses methods of inquiry, critical analysis, and writing skills), there are no core requirements. To graduate, students are expected to complete at least 32 credits in a major field and a total of 124 credits of academic work, with no more than 48 credits in one department and no more than 92 credits in one division. In the humanities, arts, and social and natural sciences at Grinnell, students have opportunities to conduct original research and undertake advanced study through independent and interdisciplinary projects that foster intellectual discovery.

Grinnell has twenty-six major departments and ten interdisciplinary concentrations. Popular majors include Biology, History, English, Political Science, and Economics. Over half of the student body studies abroad. Grinnell has a campus in London, Grinnell-in-London, as well as Grinnell-in-Washington D.C.

Grinnell’s commitment to the importance of off-campus study reflects the school’s emphasis on social and political awareness and the international nature of its campus. Approximately 60 percent of all Grinnell students participate in more than seventy off-campus programs, including the Grinnell-in-London program and study tours of China, France, Greece, and Russia. These study programs in Europe (including Russia), Africa, the Near East, and Asia, as well as nine programs in Central and South America, provide the opportunity for research in many disciplines, from archeology to education to mathematics. In addition to off-campus programs, Grinnell offers internship programs in such areas as urban studies, art, and marine biology for students interested in field-based learning and experience in professional settings. Second- and third-year students may apply for summer internship grants and receive credit for the experience. Semester programs in the United States include those at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Newberry Library, National Theatre Institute, and Grinnell-in-Washington, D.C.

Intensive teaching, active learning, residence in a community of cultural and global diversity, and the institution's commitment to self-governance in both social and academic life--these elements come together to form a distinctive experience of liberal education.

Tuition

Grinnell's combined tuition, room, board, and fees for the 2007-2008 academic year is $42,422. Tuition and fees are $34,392 and room and board are $8,030. Grinnell offers a significant amount of merit-based aid in comparison with peer institutions with about 90% of students receiving some form of financial aid.[4]

Grinnell College is one of a few dozen US colleges that maintains need-blind admissions and meets the full demonstrated financial need of admitted students. As of the 2006-2007 school year, Grinnell has adopted a "need-sensitive" policy for international applicants.

Athletics

File:Honor 'G'.gif
Grinnell Athletics "Honor G"

The school's varsity sports teams are named the Pioneers. They participate in eighteen intercollegiate sports at the NCAA Division III level and in the Midwest Conference. In addition, Grinnell has several club sports teams that compete in non-varsity sports such as Water Polo, Ultimate Frisbee and Rugby.

Nearly one-third of recent Grinnell graduates participated in at least one of 20 varsity sports while attending the college and the college has led the Midwest Conference in the total number of Academic All-Conference honorees in last six years.

In February 2005, Grinnell became the first Division III school featured in a regular season basketball game by the ESPN network family in 30 years, when it faced off against the Beloit Buccaneers on ESPN 2.[5] Grinnell was narrowly defeated 86 to 85.[6] Grinnell College's basketball team attracted ESPN due to the team's unique style of playing basketball, known simply as "The System." Coach David Arseneault's "system" incorporates a continual full-court press, a fast-paced offense, an emphasis on offensive rebounding, a barrage of three-point shots and substitutions of five players at a time every 35 to 40 seconds. "The System" has been criticized for not teaching the principles of defense. However, under "The System," Grinnell has won three conference championships over the past ten years and have regularly placed in the top half of the conference. Coach Arseneault's teams have also set numerous NCAA scoring records and several individuals on the Grinnell team have led the nation in scoring or assists.[7]

Campus

East Campus dormitories connected by Grinnell's distinctive loggia.

Grinnell College is located in the town of Grinnell, Iowa, halfway between Des Moines and Iowa City. The 120-acre campus contains sixty-three buildings ranging in architectural style from Collegiate Gothic to Bauhaus. The campus is divided into three sections: North Campus, East Campus, and South Campus. Each campus's dormitories, modeled after the residential colleges of Oxford and Cambridge, are connected by a loggia, an architectural signature of the college.

The college maintains a 365-acre environmental research area called the Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA). The U.S. Green Building Council awarded CERA's Environmental Education Center a gold certification. The building is the first in Iowa to receive the designation.[8]

Many building projects have been undertaken in recent years at the College including a new athletics center, the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts, the renovation of the Robert Noyce '49 Science Center and the Joe Rosenfield Student Center. Noted architect César Pelli designed the athletics center, the Joe Rosenfield Student Center, and the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts.[9]

Social activities and organizations

The organizational structure of the Student Government Association covers almost all aspects of student activity and campus life. There are no sororities or fraternities.

The 2007-08 Student Government Association is headed by SGA President Megan Goering, SGA Vice-President in Charge of Academic Affairs Eric Olson, and SGA Vice-President in Charge of Student Affairs Jan Koszewski.

Service organizations are popular. The Alternative Break ("AltBreak") program takes students to pursue service initiatives during school holidays, and as of 2005, Grinnell had more alumni per capita serving in the Peace Corps than any other college in the nation.[10] The college also runs its own post-graduation service program known as Grinnell Corps in Grinnell, China, Namibia, Lesotho, Greece, Macau and Nepal, though the Nepal program is currently suspended for safety reasons.[11]

The Scarlet and Black is the campus newspaper and KDIC (88.5 FM) is the student-run radio station.

Endowment

Grinnell's $1.5 billion endowment- the largest among the nation's liberal arts colleges- is evident in the college's facilities, art collections, and generous financial aid programs. The college's Office of Financial Aid has the resources to enable every admitted student to cover the cost of tuition and living expenses- regardless of family income. Under the stewardship of Warren Buffet and Joseph Rosenfield, the college has adopted an opportunistic and innovative stategy in managing its assets. In 1976, Grinnell's capital fund acquired a TV station, [12] one of many investments that were unprecedented in their time for a college endowment. Another innovative move that significantly increased the fund's holdings occurred when Rosenfield and the college contributed to the founding of Intel- an investment exceeding 10% of the venture capital raised to start the semiconductor company (Robert Noyce, Intel co-founder, is a Grinnell alumnus.)[13]

Since the late 1960's, Warren Buffet has played a visible role in growing the endowment at Grinnell, where he serves as a trustee. Buffet's long-term commitment to a liberal arts college with a history steeped in social justice and progressive politics is most likely not coincidental.

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Grinnell College alumni

Harry Hopkins, 1912, senior advisor to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, principle architect of the New Deal, WPA administrator. [14]

Joseph Welch, 1914, Head attorney for the United States Army during the Army-McCarthy Hearings. [15]

Robert Noyce, 1949, nicknamed "Mayor of Silicon Valley", co-founder of Intel, co-inventor of the integrated circuit.[16]

Herbie Hancock, 1960, Jazz musician and composer who has won an Academy Award and multiple Grammy Awards, member of Miles Davis's "second great quintet". [17]

John Garang, 1969, leader of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army, later vice president of Sudan. [18]

Thomas Cech, 1970, Co-winner of 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry ``for [...] discovery of catalytic properties of RNA, president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. [19] [20]

Virtual communities and social networking websites

GrinnellPlans is a virtual community consisting of 3,302 members as of February 26, 2007.[21] Most members are current students or alumni, but faculty, staff members, and (by invitation) other friends of the College have also joined.

In 2003, Information Technology at Grinnell College ordered that GrinnellPlans not be hosted on Grinnell College property because of the College's concerns regarding possibly illegal content on the system. GrinnellPlans moved to an off-campus host. It is supported through user donations and is not affiliated with Grinnell College.

References

  1. ^ data available from college for June, 2006 at [1].
  2. ^ Newsweek. [2]. September 1, 2003
  3. ^ The Chronicle of Higher Education. In Iowa, 2 Colleges Separated by 150 Miles and $1.37-Billion. April 7, 2006.
  4. ^ Grinnell College, Office of Admission. Tuition & Fees. Accessed February 26, 2007.
  5. ^ Amy Farnum. NCAA Sports. Grinnell Goes Big-Time. January 28, 2005.
  6. ^ D3Hoops.com Beloit 86, Grinnell 85. February 3, 2005.
  7. ^ Official 2007 NCAA Men's Basketball Records Book. [3]. Accessed March 7, 2007.
  8. ^ United States Green Building Council. [4]. Accessed May 14, 2007.
  9. ^ The Chronicle of Higher Education. In Iowa, 2 Colleges Separated by 150 Miles and $1.37-Billion. April 7, 2006.
  10. ^ Peace Corps. Peace Corps Announces the Colleges and Universities that Have Produced the Most Peace Corps Volunteers. January 24, 2005.
  11. ^ Grinnell College, Office of Social Commitment. Grinnell Corps. Accessed February 26, 2007.
  12. ^ Time. [5]. Jan 15, 1979.
  13. ^ CNNMoney. [6]. June 1, 2000.
  14. ^ "Harry Hopkins". U-S-History.com. Retrieved 25 February. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "Joseph Nye Welch Biography". The Biography Channel. Retrieved 25 February. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "IEEEVM: Robert Noyce". IEEE. Retrieved 26 February. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ "Herbie Hancock". Grinnell College. Retrieved 02 February. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "Biography of the Late Dr. John Garang de-Mabior". Gurtong Peace Project. Retrieved 25 February. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "Chemistry 1989". Nobel Foundation. Retrieved 11 March. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ "Thomas R. Cech". Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Retrieved 26 January. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ GrinnellPlans. Planlove v2.4.2.
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