What is Self-Governance?
Self-governance is the organizing principle on which the Grinnell community is based. It’s difficult to create a hard and fast definition of what “self-governance” means, because by its very nature, self-governance is constantly being modified to changing situations. It has adapted over the decades to accommodate changes in campus culture and evolved to meet the needs of its practitioners. However, the goal of self-governance remains steady: to give Grinnellians the tools they need to build a community based on respect and accountability. Self-governance is grounded in responsibility and respect for others. It gives Grinnell community members a framework to resolve conflict. Community members take responsibility for their actions and respect the rights of others, and trust that their fellow Grinnellians will do the same. Self-governance only works if everyone is committed to it. With such a large degree of freedom comes immense responsibility. Participants must actively work to maintai
