Chaired by Brackett B. Denniston ’69, the Kenyon College Board of Trustees held its annual fall meeting on October 28 and 29. During its opening session, the Board heard from Campus Senate Co-chairs Delaney Gallagher ’23, Alyssa Gomez Lawrence ’10 and Jon Tazewell ’84 about proposed changes to the College’s moniker, the Lords and Ladies. The Senate representatives reported on discussions with campus stakeholders and alumni leadership volunteers, and the Board offered suggestions on moving forward.
Last spring the Board restructured its standing committees around Kenyon’s strategic priorities and new strategic plan. The new committees met for the first time this fall.
The Student Experience Committee is focused on strategic matters relating to all aspects of the student experience, from academic affairs to residential life to co-curricular experiences. Kenyon’s strategic plan has wellness as a primary area of focus, and the committee dedicated this meeting to understanding the state of student wellness nationally and how Kenyon is responding to challenges on its campus. The committee heard from Dr. Scott Tims, president of the American College Health Association; Robin Hart Ruthenbeck, dean of students; and Chris Smith, director of the Cox Health and Counseling Center, and Skyler Lesser-Roy '22.
The Campus and Finance Committee is focused on the resources and physical infrastructure that support Kenyon’s mission. After reviewing the most recent audited financial statements, current budget projections and progress on capital projects, the committee discussed short- and long-term housing needs. Using the 2020 housing study as a foundation, and considering enrollment projections over the next decade, the committee considered several approaches to building capacity. The committee, as well as the full Board, approved a proposal to accelerate the renovation of Bexley Hall, converting it to a 40-bed residence hall for occupancy in the fall of 2023. The committee also approved the procurement of modular housing to meet short-term housing needs.
The Kenyon in the World Committee is focused on Kenyon’s place in the complex world of higher education and how it affects market position, development activities and alumni engagement. In its meeting, the committee discussed Kenyon’s distinctions, reviewed recent market research about those distinctions, and explored with the Art & Science Group ways that additional research could support the strategic plan and its objective of incremental enrollment growth. The committee also discussed Kenyon’s various peer sets — colleges of similar size and with similar resources, colleges in similar locations, colleges that Kenyon competes with for students — and considered what measures to benchmark, against what set of peers, and for what purpose.
In other business, the Board:
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Approved the 2020-21 audited financial statements.
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Ratified the Boards of the College’s affiliate organizations — the Gund Gallery, Kenyon Review and the Philander Chase Conservancy.
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Ratified the appointment of Vice President for Student Affairs Celestino Limas.
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Adopted a resolution naming the recently constructed English department building for longtime Trustee Charles P. Waite P’77,’81 GP’06,’10 H'97.
On Friday evening, the Board participated in the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Gund Gallery and the dedication of the Gordon Keith Chalmers Library. “I want to extend my gratitude to the nearly 18,000 alumni, parents and friends who have been inspired by the vision for this building and by this moment,” said Trustee Rose Fealy ’84, co-chair of the Our Path Forward campaign. “I am hopeful that today’s students will be just as inspired by the example we have set. I hope that they will see that they, too, can make an impact at Kenyon as alumni by staying connected to each other and to this place. We are all better for it.”