The Kenyon College Board of Trustees convened in Gambier on Oct. 24-25 for its fall 2024 meeting. The meeting coincided with the College’s bicentennial Founders’ Day, which included an address from the eighth Lord Kenyon, Alexander Simon Tyrell-Kenyon. His visit continued a long-standing family tradition: the second Lord Kenyon was one of the College’s original benefactors, and a sitting Lord Kenyon has visited campus every 25 years since the centennial to celebrate the anniversary of the College’s founding.
“I am so proud that my family name is spoken with respect and reverence with regard to this College,” Lord Kenyon said, “and I hope that each and every one of you here today feels the same pride for being part of this great establishment and community.”
Founders Day celebrates all that links Kenyon generations together, including the College’s philanthropic origins. As part of the festivities, trustees were pleased to spend time with other donors and volunteers who, along with nearly 23,000 people, helped propel the recently concluded Our Path Forward to the Bicentennial campaign to record heights. As Kenyon begins its third century, investment will again play a driving role in implementing key priorities.
“Kenyon is recognized for the excellence of our faculty and students and for the beauty of our campus, and this campaign has only strengthened that reputation,” President Kornfeld said in her remarks that evening. “We now have an opportunity to distinguish Kenyon even further — not just for what happens on this hill, as extraordinary as that is, but for all the ways we reach beyond it.”
With that as a backdrop, trustees enjoyed an opportunity to talk directly with faculty and students about their collaborations inside and outside the classroom. They met in small groups with eight faculty-student teams who have been engaged in research, internships and collaborations with community partners. A highlight of the meeting, these conversations provided a window into the nature of teaching and mentorship at Kenyon, and its power as a model for preparing students to address the world’s most pressing challenges.
Trustees focused the balance of their discussions on the board’s goals to support the implementation of key initiatives of the strategic plan, including providing direction for long-term financial planning and endowment growth. In their plenary session, trustees hosted Jeff Perry, chair of the Babson College Board of Trustees, for a conversation about board governance and leadership.
The discussions continued in the meetings of the strategic committees:
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The Student Experience Committee discussed their goals for the year, which include supporting the College in identifying strategic partnerships; developing high-impact experiential learning opportunities with an interdisciplinary focus; and enhancing students’ connections to, and sense of belonging within, the Kenyon community.
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The Kenyon in the World Committee reviewed the overall assessment of Our Path Forward to the Bicentennial and discussed future fundraising and alumni engagement priorities for the College.
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The Campus and Finance Committee discussed the development of the 2025-26 operating budget and a five-year budget model.
The operational committees of the board — Audit and Risk, Governance and Nominating, Inclusion and Equity, and Investment — also met to review their priorities for the year.
In other business, the board:
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Approved the following promotions to full professor: Anton Dudley, associate professor of drama; Ross Feller, James D. & Cornelia W. Ireland associate professor of music; Sarah Heidt ’97, associate professor of English; Stephen Volz, associate professor of history.
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Adopted a community engagement policy for socially responsible investing; this policy establishes a structure and process for members of the Kenyon community to raise questions about the College’s investments, and it reaffirms the College’s goals to align investments with Kenyon’s mission and values while meeting the board’s fiduciary responsibility to secure the College’s long-term financial health.
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Adopted memorial resolutions in honor of former trustees: James C. Niederman ’46 P’76 H’81; Randolph D. Bucey; and Burnell R. Roberts P’77 H’92.
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Adopted resolutions of appreciation for retiring trustee Liz Myers P’17 and for members of the Campaign Leadership Committee.
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Approved the 2023-24 audited financial statements.
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Ratified the Board of Directors of the Gund Gallery, the Board of Trustees of the Kenyon Review, the Board of Trustees of the Kokosing Nature Preserve, and the Board of Directors of the Philander Chase Conservancy.