Beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 11, the College’s main phone number (740-427-5000) will be answered by a new automated system for call routing. This phone line was previously answered by telecommunications officers operating the Office of Campus Safety switchboard.
The new system aims to improve callers’ experiences. Callers will be presented a menu of options when they dial Kenyon’s main number, but will also retain the option to speak to a switchboard operator. Callers can also find direct phone numbers for Kenyon employees by consulting the online directory at kenyon.edu/directory.
Emergency calls can be directed either to 740-427-5000 or to the pre-existing number for medical and safety emergencies, 740-427-5555. Once the x5000 number is connected to the automated system, Campus Safety’s new direct administrative phone number will be 740-427-5221.
The new automated system will increase the efficiency of Campus Safety, allowing telecommunications officers to focus on critical tasks like dispatching officers and facilitating communications during patrols and responses, as well as handling requests from walk-in visitors to the Campus Safety office. In the one-year period from Nov. 1, 2021, to Oct. 31, 2022, Campus Safety answered over 35,000 calls on the x5000 line, most of which were transferred to other offices or departments, with a total talk time of over 430 hours, and over 3,500 calls were answered on the x5555 emergency line.