Grinnell has taken on a new director of campus safety: James Shropshire, former assistant director of campus safety at Augsburg College, a liberal arts college in Minneapolis, where he worked for 17 years. At Augsburg, he also served as a Title IX adjudicator and investigator. 

Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Andrea Conner said that Shropshire’s experience at an institution similar to Grinnell, as well as his personality, were the qualities that made him stand out in the selection process. 

“[Shropshire] stood out to me during the selection process as a knowledgeable professional with many years of campus safety experience at a similar residential liberal arts college in the Midwest,” Conner wrote in an email to The Scarlet & Black. 

“Beyond his preparedness in that way, I also could instantly tell that James had the right temperament for a job like this at Grinnell specifically. He has a great personality, cares a lot about his colleagues and students, and enjoys this work in a way that’s infectious,” Conner said. 

Conner also said that Shropshire’s record at Augsburg College was another indication that he was the right candidate to hire. 

“[Shropshire] has an impressive command of the needs of a modern campus safety department. He was promoted multiple times at Augsburg, which is a signal of his value and worth to the college,” Conner said in a statement from the College. 

Shropshire’s interest and training in inclusivity and trauma-informed response were another reason he was a good fit for the College, according to Conner. 

“[Shropshire] has had training specifically for trauma-informed response and diversity/inclusion. At this writing, he’s also preparing a comprehensive diversity training program for the officers in Campus Safety.  These concepts are deeply important to student affairs and the College and I’m happy James will be able to use these skills in his new position,” Conner wrote. 

Besides revising diversity training, Shropshire’s agenda for campus safety will also include updating the department’s software, computers and other equipment, according to the statement. 

Shropshire said in the statement that he feels he is a good match for the Grinnell community because of the values of social justice and self-governance at the heart of the College.   

“I am excited to be at Grinnell College. It’s an honor to serve an institution with high academic standards, a mission that encompasses social justice, and a commitment to self-governance and personal responsibility. All of these resonate with me.”