Message from David Maxwell '66, Chair of Grinnell's Board of Trustees

Dear Grinnell Faculty & Staff:

Yesterday, the Board of Trustees Executive Committee participated in a 90-minute WebEx meeting with President Kington, the administrative leadership team and Prof. Todd Armstrong, Chair of the Faculty. The purpose of the call was to provide the Executive Committee members with an update on all of the efforts that the College has been making to facilitate the departure of our students from campus (and to accommodate those who cannot), and to be attentive to the health and welfare of faculty and staff.

I am writing to let you know that there was heartfelt and unanimous appreciation and praise from members of the Board for the incredible efforts that so many faculty and staff have put in in recent weeks. Beyond your usual enthusiasm for your normal job responsibilities, helping students with the logistics of travel, pitching in to wash dishes, helping students pack up their belongings and move out, and much, much more are appreciated more than words can express. We also recognize, of course, that the transition to virtual learning places a whole new set of demands on faculty, and we are most grateful for the enthusiasm with which you are undertaking those efforts, and for your flexibility and understanding of the impact on our students.

All of us connected to Grinnell College have always cherished our commitment to collective responsibility, to the common good and to caring for one another. The current COVID-19 crisis has challenged that commitment in unimaginable ways, and you all are personifying on a daily basis the powerful fabric that holds us together. Please know that all of us on the Board of Trustees are not only immensely grateful to you all, but that what you have done—and what you are doing—makes us all the more proud to be associated with this remarkable institution.

Please stay well, and stay safe,

David

David Maxwell ’66
Chair, Board of Trustees, Grinnell College
Senior Fellow/Senior Consultant, Association of Governing Boards
President emeritus, Drake University