Over the last few months, Carleton College has asked itself:  How can we move forward with the extraordinary ideas and energy of the Arts Union planning process in a significantly changed financial environment?

Carleton College and the Northfield High School Nordic ski team are collaborating to provide improved grooming for cross-country skiing in the Cowling Arboretum.  By working together, both groups hope to have improved skiing in the Arb, benefitting a wide range of skiers in our community.

In a year rich in student film projects at Carleton – there were at least five movie productions underway this fall – Nova Roma, an alternate history of the Roman Empire conceived and directed by Alexander Cooney ’11 (Golden Valley, Minn.), stands out for its creative use of resources. The help of other Carleton CAMS (Cinema and Media Studies) students has been essential in the film's production, with filming locations taking place at Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges, as well as in the Minnesota’s capital city, St. Paul.

Dog walkers in the Carleton College Arboretum may have noticed new signs and increased vigilance regarding off-leash dogs in the Arboretum. Cowling Arboretum policy has long been that all dogs must be leashed, but several dog-related incidents over the past few months have encouraged us to be more forceful with educating dog walkers.

On Wednesday, October 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. the Carleton College Cowling Arboretum will sponsor a field trip to the Carleton-owned McKnight Prairie.

Robert A. Oden Jr., 63, Carleton College president since 2002 and a leader of educational institutions for more than 20 years, has announced his retirement effective June 2010, the end of the current academic year. “I’ve personally informed all Carleton Trustees to tell them of my plan to retire at the conclusion of the current academic year,” Oden said. “My wife, Teresa, and I have devoted a great many hours to considering this decision over recent months and reached the conclusion that the time to retire is this coming June. You have my pledge that my commitment to doing all I can for Carleton remains fully in place throughout the current academic year.”

Carleton invites all Northfield area community members to an open house celebrating the completion of the College’s two new residence halls, Cassat Hall and Memorial Hall, on Wednesday, Aug. 26 from 4-6 p.m. The event will take place in Cassat Hall’s main-floor lounge and will be your chance to check out the new facilities and receive a tour of the new facilities.

Carleton is re-roofing a portion of the planned Arts Union facility, located at the site of the former Northfield Middle School. According to Steve Spehn, director of facilities at Carleton, the roof of the 1910 portion of the building is in poor condition and is leaking. Work is scheduled to be complete prior to Defeat of Jesse James Days, which starts on Sept. 9. The College is also in the process of scheduling a limited amount of masonry repairs that it believes is becoming critical to prevent additional decay to the building.  Most of this work is located at the northwest corner of the site associated with the 1934 auditorium entrance. The College will provide updates once the schedule is developed.

Carleton College recently published the results of a special Neighborhood Impact Study (NIS), launched as part of the College’s ongoing planning for its new Arts Union. The study solicitated and encouraged public input regarding the project, and its potential impact on the neighborhood surrounding the campus. The effort reflects Carleton’s desire to maintain open lines of communication between the College and its neighbors, ensuring that the project is a success for the College as well as the Northfield community.

Carleton College recently announced that the proceeds raised from their ninth annual “Lighten-Up” Garage Sale totaled over $23,000 in support of area non-profit organizations. The proceeds will be split evenly between the Northfield Union of Youth (The Key), the Northfield Special Olympics, and Project Friendship.

Carleton has received a $10,000 grant from the Xcel Energy Foundation to fund its “Natural Science in Natural Lands: Improving the Carleton Arboretum” project. The grant will fund the College's new project, which will heighten the educational and recreational value of the Cowling Arboretum. The grant will help provide training for Arboretum staff on state-of-the-art restoration methods, will increase opportunities to participate in restoration activities for everyone on campus and in Northfield, and provide new signs to help visitors enjoy the Arboretum.

Two major annual Carleton College events are set for the coming weekends that will bring a large number of out-of-town visitors to our campus. The College will celebrate its 135th Commencement on Saturday, June 13, 2009, with 506 graduating seniors receiving their diplomas. The following weekend, June 18-21, is our annual Alumni Reunion Weekend, which kicks off on Thursday with the downtown “Taste of Northfield.”