The Kenyon College Board of Trustees convened for its winter meeting on Feb. 6-7 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Trustees Matt Voorhees ’95 and David Horvitz ’74 H’98 graciously served as hosts.
For its opening plenary, the board invited Brian Zucker, founder and president of Human Capital Research Corporation (HCRC), to lead a discussion about the changing enrollment landscape and Kenyon’s position in it. HCRC is a Chicago-based educational consultancy that provides research and analytic services to more than 150 colleges and universities. HCRC has been a valued partner to Kenyon for eight years, and Zucker knows the College’s strengths and challenges well.
President Julie Kornfield provided opening remarks, reporting on the College’s strategic plan and the work faculty and staff have done to recommend priorities for implementation. These include adopting a team-based approach to advising; integrating experiential learning and career exploration more fully into the student experience; and introducing interdisciplinary themes that invite students to explore how their interests, coursework and accumulated experiences can create pathways to impactful lives and careers. These both build on Kenyon’s strengths and respond to market interests.
“What will the world demand of an excellent liberal arts and sciences college committed to building a better future?” President Kornfield asked. “This question has guided me since I stepped into this role, just as it guides the board.”
The plenary session on Friday focused on governance. A trustee group led by Christine Gould Sharkey ’80 presented its recommendations for an updated set of expectations for trustees, rooted in the College’s values. Provost Jeff Bowman and Chair of the Faculty Bob Milnikel provided an overview of faculty governance structures. The board explored opportunities for meaningful engagement with faculty leaders.
The board heard a brief update on the legal and regulatory landscape for higher education, both at the national and state level. The Audit and Risk Committee reported on their work to develop a dashboard for monitoring risks across the College. Finally, the board saw an overview of recent marketing updates.
In routine business, the board:
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Approved the election of Samantha Hughes, senior director of presidential operations, as assistant secretary of the Board of Trustees.
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Approved the awarding of a posthumous degree to Julia Igoe ’25, a sociology major who died suddenly last May in her home state of Rhode Island. She minored in English, had a concentration in women’s and gender studies, and studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.