I. Welcome to Simpson College

Welcome from President Byers

Congratulations and Welcome! We are excited that you have chosen to be a member of the Simpson College community. We look forward to the contributions, knowledge and experience that you will add to our team. In the following pages, not only will you learn about policies and procedures that apply to your new employment, but also about the history and mission of our very unique and special learning community.

This handbook was developed to describe some of the expectations of Simpson College and to outline the policies, programs, and benefits available to eligible employees. Employees should familiarize themselves with the contents of the employee handbook, for it will answer many questions about employment at Simpson. Our goal is to provide a meaningful and satisfying work environment, with opportunities for personal growth and well-being for our employees.

We hope that your experience here will be challenging, enjoyable, and rewarding. Again, welcome!

Roll Storm!

Jay Byers, B.A., J.D.
President of Simpson College

A. This is Simpson College

In 1860 pioneer settlers of Indianola, Iowa and the first session of the Western Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church united to establish the Indianola Seminary under the patronage of the Conference.  A building was erected, and classes were started in the fall of 1860.

The institution was renamed Simpson Centenary College in 1866 to honor Matthew Simpson, a bishop of the Methodist Church.  Bishop Simpson (1811-1884) was the best-known and most influential Methodist bishop of his day.  President Lincoln conferred with him, and he was called on to deliver the eulogy at Lincoln’s burial in Springfield, Illinois. The College dropped “Centenary” from its name in 1885 and has been known as Simpson College ever since that time.

Simpson is a Methodist-related college of liberal arts, non-sectarian in spirit, accepting its students without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.  This spirit made it possible for the great scientist, George Washington Carver, the only other American with Washington and Lincoln to be memorialized with a federal birthplace monument, to become one of Simpson’s most distinguished sons.  Scores of other Simpson alumni serve in positions of national and international importance.  Simpson stresses highly personalized education, believing that, in general, education is creative and effective in the proportion that it is personal.  In this process social goals also are kept in view.

For more than 150 years Simpson College has played a vital role in the educational, cultural, intellectual, political and religious life of Iowa and the nation.  The College has grown from one building “worth not less than $3,000,” to an institution, which today has 32 major buildings on more than 73 acres of beautiful campus and approximately 1500 students.

B.  Mission Statement

(Approved by the Board of Trustees Feb. 7, 2020)

Our Mission: Through innovative learning opportunities, individual student attention, and an unwavering commitment to inclusive educational access, Simpson College cultivates a diverse community of learners to lead lives of meaning and purpose. 

Our Vision Statement: To be nationally recognized as the quintessential liberal arts college of the Greater Des Moines area, transforming students through welcoming communities, exceptional programs, and distinctive opportunities.

Our Core Values: Grounded in the liberal arts tradition and drawing from our Methodist heritage, Simpson College affirms these values as guiding principles that create our cultural foundation.

Discovery - We design learning opportunities in which curiosity and creativity flourish, where students venture outside their comfort zone to explore their identity and place in the world.

Access - We extend higher education opportunities to all types of learners, empowering students to pursue intellectual, personal, and professional growth.

Citizenship - We prepare students for global and local leadership through broad liberal arts education, experiential and service-learning, and civic engagement.

Belonging - We engender communities of radical hospitality where all are welcome and unique identities are embraced.

Justice - We defend the dignity and worth inherent in all human beings, creating an atmosphere where equity and inclusion are hallmarks of our community.

Integrity - We recognize a moral responsibility to respond to ethical challenges through our religious, secular, and spiritual identities.

C. Simpson College Inclusivity Statement

(Endorsed by Cabinet April 17, 2017)

We the members of the Simpson College community believe that as an essential component of its mission and history, Simpson College is committed to creating and maintaining a creative, diverse, just, and inclusive community in which all develop their abilities to live and thrive in a complex and interconnected world.

Consistent with our educational mission, we recognize ourselves as a community that respects individual identities linked to varying sociocultural characteristics including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, first language, religious or spiritual tradition, age, functional ability, socioeconomic status, physical attributes or familial status.

Further, we recognize that diversity of identities exists in a context of differential power and privilege that we as a community must critically evaluate and engage.

At Simpson College we strive to create a socially just world that honors the dignity and worth of each individual, and we seek to build a community centered on equality, mutual respect and openness to ideas—one in which individuals value cultural and intellectual diversity and share the responsibility for creating an affirming, safe, and inclusive environment.

We recognize that our community is most inclusive when all participate to their full capacity in the spirited, and sometimes challenging, conversations that are at the center of the College’s educational mission to develop personal integrity, moral responsibility, social justice and global citizenship.

D. Responsibility for Administration of Personnel Policies and Procedures

The Assistant Vice President of Human Resources, under the supervision of the Vice President for Business & Finance, is responsible for administering the College’s personnel policies and procedures. Questions concerning the policies in this Handbook should be directed in the first instance to the Human Resources Department, unless a policy herein directs you elsewhere.

The Human Resources Department maintains all records concerning employment, classification, absences for sick leave or vacation and all other matters relating directly to employees. The Payroll Clerk can answer routine questions relative to payroll records and available sick leave and vacation time, but questions about policies or matters beyond those issues should be directed to the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources.

1. Application of Employee Handbook to Faculty Employees

For faculty employees, the policies in this Employee Handbook supplement those contained in the Faculty Handbook and the faculty contract and/or letter of appointment. Not all policies contained in this Employee Handbook will apply to certain faculty members, and some policies will apply only in limited circumstances. Questions regarding the application of specific policies contained in this handbook to faculty employees will be handled by the Senior Vice President and Academic Dean and/or the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources, as applicable per the subject matter of the question.

I. Welcome to Simpson College