Inside Gustavus December 5, 2019 | Volume 52, Number 13

President Cabinet Summary

November 26, 2019, Cabinet Meeting Summary

1. Members debriefed on the two strategic planning employee meetings held on November 21. Considering the positive comments from these two sessions, members agreed that additional meetings with employees and students should be planned in early 2020.

2. Discussion was held regarding funding and plans for the South Mall.

3. Vice President Young shared a document outlining a communication strategy for the expansion and renovation of Lund Center.

December 3, 2019, Cabinet Meeting Summary

1. Chaplain and Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Siri Erickson was present to give an update on the work of the PCDEI, share a draft proposal for employee DEI learning, and review a charter for the College’s Indigenous Relations Working Group.

2. Members reviewed a written update on sustainability efforts over the last month from Director of the Center for Environmental Innovation Jim Dontje.

3. Members approved the hiring of a full-time Physical Plant replacement position (Maintenance Services Manager).

News and Announcements

Visit Gustie Newswire for more news...

Holiday Angel Tree...The annual Holiday Angel Tree, supporting children in Head Start, is up and located outside of the Community Engagement Center. Please stop by, pick up a tag, purchase the gift requested by a youth (ages birth-12), and return it wrapped with the tag to the Community Engagement Center by Wednesday, December 11. Do your holiday shopping and make it a little brighter for a child in Saint Peter.

Lucia Festival - Invitation to Employee Children...Employee children in kindergarten, first grade, or second grade are invited by the Guild of St. Lucia to participate in the Lucia Festival. The festival will take place from 10-10:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 12 in Christ Chapel. As a participant, your child will wear a festive costume, walk and sit in front of the Chapel with Lucia and her court for the Lucia Festival Chapel service. There is also a mandatory rehearsal from 6-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 11. Space is limited. If you are interested in your child participating, please contact Sarah Anderson.

Festival of Saint Lucia...The Festival of St. Lucia will take place on Thursday, December 12. The community is invited to gather in Christ Chapel for Gustavus' annual service featuring the Gustavus Lucia Court, singing by the Lucia Singers choir, and a message of inspiration based on the Lucia legend given by the previous year's St. Lucia, Tyra Banks. This event is free and open to the public and will be live streamed and archived.

This year's Saint Lucia court:
Hanaa Alhosawi
Lily Engebretson
Nora Hagestuen
Kendra Held
Melanie Kistnasamy
Abigayle Paulson

Voting will take place through December 6.

Gymnastics Open Gym for Youth...Gustavus Women's Gymnastics is hosting a Youth Open Gym from 6-9 p.m. on Friday December 6, in the gymnastics studio. It is open to all kids ages pre-k through 12 years old. The cost is $20 per child or $40 for two or more from the same immediate family. The Youth Open Gym will be staffed by members of the gymnastics team and supervised by the coaching staff. Please contact Aryn DeGrood with any questions or to pre-register your child(ren).

Date Change for February All-Employee Meeting...All employees are encouraged to attend to hear a progress report on institutional goals and other related topics on Friday, February 21, 2020, at 10:30 a.m. in Cec Eckhoff Alumni Hall. This meeting was originally scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20. The year-end meeting is still scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2020, at 2:30 p.m. in Cec Eckhoff Alumni Hall.

Call for Submissions - Lindell Research Paper Award 2020...The Library is now accepting submissions for the Patricia Lindell Research Prize/Paper. This $400 prize is awarded by the library faculty for a paper already written for a Gustavus academic course. This paper should demonstrate excellent use of source material. Papers may be submitted from Fall Semester 2018 through Spring Semester 2020. As faculty endorsement is required, please encourage eligible students to submit their work. More information about the prize and the nomination process can be found online.

Weekend Home Athletic Events

• Men's hockey hosts Saint Mary's at 7:05 p.m. Friday
• Women's hockey hosts Saint Mary's at 2 p.m. Saturday

Off-Campus Events of Interest

The Live Nativity...The First Lutheran Church in Saint Peter is again hosting The Live Nativity from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, December 7. This is an opportunity to experience the Christmas story through music, written panels and live actors (including sheep and a donkey) without leaving your vehicle. We encourage you to bring a car full of your friends and neighbors to share the Christmas message as you drive through our church parking lot. Entrance to The Live Nativity will be on Traverse Road and the Saint Peter Boy Scouts will also be collecting food for the Saint Peter Area Food Shelf at the exit on Sunrise Drive. Funding provided by Thrivent Financial.