Courses Tailored Toward Leadership and Innovation
The Wilson Center sponsors courses that complement the existing curriculum of majors and concentrations, as well as provides course offerings in areas of student demand consistent with our mission but with no departmental home.
Wilson gives special attention to connecting our students with professionals, particularly alumni, who serve as leaders and innovators in their fields and can offer inspiration, mentorship, and valuable lessons. Our courses also feature opportunities for discovery-mode, practice-based or experiential learning.
Each year, Wilson offers a core repertoire of courses, including our highly popular Creative Careers: Learning from Alumni. Wilson also sponsors a number of short courses with diverse and varying foci, often taught by our accomplished alumni. Lastly, Wilson sponsors enhancements to existing courses to add opportunities for leadership and innovation to the existing curriculum.
Fall 2025
Emotionally Intelligent Entrepreneurship (WIL-101-01)
Short course with visiting instructor Kevin Allen. This course provides a framework and tools to explore contemporary, successful entrepreneurship. The application of proven, practical emotional intelligence skills helps students navigate the different stages of entrepreneurship including developing business concepts, leading teams, and overcoming challenges. The course culminates in the weekend-long start-up competition, Pioneer Weekend (09/26/25-09/28/25), where students will receive additional mentoring from alumni leaders and entrepreneurs. Sponsored by the Wilson Center for Innovation and Leadership.
Introductory Special Topic: The Art of Writing a Musical (THD/MUS-195-01)
Short course with visiting instructor Sophia Schott. This course leads students through the process of writing a short musical, from the spark of an idea to the festival submission process. Through the aid of creative workshops, students will generate story ideas, identify and organize the structure of a musical, expand their songwriting skills, and prepare an integrated script and score for an end of course celebratory reading of their work. Sponsored by the Wilson Center for Innovation and Leadership.
Learning from Alumni (WIL-210-01)
Taught by Henry Reitz '89. Students engage with alumni to learn about their lives and careers. Leadership and career-focused readings together with discussion with alumni will help students think creatively about their Grinnell education and possible futures. The second goal of this course is to help create a multi-generational network or community of Grinnell alumni, faculty, and current students in order to enhance our potential for changing the world.
Special Topic: Career Catalyst (WIL-295-01)
Half-semester course. The second and third years of college bring vexing decisions before students. What is the relationship between my academic interests and my post-college goals? How might my interests, values, and strengths inform this process? What additional experiences do I need (and how do I get them)? What knowledge, skills, insights, and relationships will I need to realize my post-college goals? This course, Career Catalyst, is designed to provide students with the personal insights, tools, action plan, and overall career development foundation to fuel and guide their planning, decision-making, and goal-setting at Grinnell and beyond. Prerequisite: second-year standing.
Spring 2026
Resourcing Social Change (WIL-101-01)
Short course with visiting instructor Diane Marty '92. To change the world, you must first change yourself. This course presents tools to assess physical, mental, social, and spiritual health and develop strategies to obtain and maintain good health and wellness for a lifetime. Students will learn to create habits that increase performance capability in order to achieve worthwhile purposes through understanding and living principle-centered leadership.
Spark Challenge (WIL-110-01)
Taught by J. Montgomery Roper. Students are provided with a framework and guidance as they research and present solutions to social problems in the community using a hybrid approach based on applied anthropology, design thinking, and policy analysis. Students may focus on issues they have identified themselves or tackle an issue identified by a Grinnell community organization. While not required, all students are encouraged to pitch their solutions for the chance to win up to $8,000 as part of the Wilson Center's SPARK Challenge. All SPARK participants must enroll in the class for credit or as an audit.
Learning from Alumni (WIL-210-01)
Taught by Henry Reitz '89. Students engage with alumni to learn about their lives and careers. Leadership and career-focused readings together with discussion with alumni will help students think creatively about their Grinnell education and possible futures. The second goal of this course is to help create a multi-generational network or community of Grinnell alumni, faculty, and current students in order to enhance our potential for changing the world.