2019-20 Meeting Summaries

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JUNE 1, 2020: MEETING SUMMARY

Present: Jared Hoffman, Meghan Mason, Alex Johnson, Miracle Mahle, Brittany Balo, Brittany Ball, Jennifer Bleiler, Kelly Briscoe, Angel Harmon, Shannon Hashman, David Hoyt, Tristan Neviska, Grant Wallace, April Woodward-Ginther

I. End-of-Year Business

  • Jared and Meghan: Thank you all for a great, albeit interesting, year
  • Subcommittees: Please make sure you are completing your end-of-year reports
  • June 10: 36-hour giving day, with a 1:1 faculty/staff challenge match

II. Office of Communications (Janet Marsden, Adam Gilson, Patty Burns): Kenyon’s New Graphic Identity

  • Graphic identity guide: new shortened “Kenyon” logotype; mew type system; refreshed color palette (still with Kenyon purple), brand architecture: new hierarchy for some sub-brands
  • Canva Pro: an online design program for non-designers. Currently working to build out some template pieces to give offices and departments access to highly used/requested items. We do have to pay per user so not everyone will have it.
  • New way to order Kenyon stationery: Transitioned to a place connected with VistaPrint. There is a website to select your office/information/items needed. Standard letterheads, name tags, business cards, etc. Pricing and shipping is pretty reasonable and quick. Looking to set up one person per office to reduce the amount of accounts. There will also be a digital letterhead available in the toolkit that is scheduled to be deployed in the fall.
  • New website: One of the big goals is to introduce Kenyon in a more focused way. Moves away from the news-driven type of website. Navigation has been adjusted to look/work more similar to the mobile experience. More students, potential students, faculty and staff are accessing the website via their phones and tablets. The master subpage has two options, built to be more flexible in how we arrange information on the page. Pushing hard to get it launched this fall before students come to campus. Patty has been and will continue to reach out to departments about their specific pages.
  • Please feel free to reach out to the Office of Communications with any questions.

III. Title IX: Samantha Hughes

2020 Title IX regulations

  • May 6: Regulations were finalized. Very little changed from the proposed regulations. We don’t have a choice and must follow them. This involves aAdding a hearing (when a complainant wants to formalize the process). First and foremost, the person who reports unwanted harm has control.
  • Working very closely between the board of trustees committee and Sam’s office to work through a few pieces we do have flexibility on. A hearing does have financial implications, etc. There will be a set of town hall meetings that help explain things a bit better. Please be on the lookout for more information. 
  • Prohibited Relationships draft policy: Discussion of “Affiliated Individuals.”

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MAY 5, 2020: MEETING SUMMARY

Present: Jared Hoffman, Meghan Mason, Alex Johnson, Brittany Balo, Brittany Ball, Jennifer Beck, Jennifer Bleiler, Kelly Briscoe, Angel Harmon, Shannon Hashman, David Hoyt, Alyssa Gómez Lawrence, Tristan Neviska, Grant Wallace 

I. Upcoming KSC events/announcements

  • Next KSC meeting is on June 1

II. Human Resources — Jennifer Cabral, Leah Miller, Mary Spence

General Updates

  • Leah is working on open enrollment, May 1 through June 1
  • Many changes intended to go into effect regarding benefits have been postponed, but two things are still moving forward: Teladoc (went into effect May 1) and the addition of a vision plan (July 1)
  • e-Trieve is a new option for submitting information
  • Please feel free to reach out to Leah directly if you have questions or concerns

  • Mary is watching everyone’s hours, vacation or otherwise, and working with Payroll Manager Amanda Moran to make sure everyone is receiving their normal paycheck
  • Following up with employees and supervisors as needed to enter and approve hours as needed — a surprising number of folks are forgetting to submit their timesheets, but this is likely due to the abnormal working environments
  • Working on a spreadsheet to track non-exempt vacation hours: can carry-over 1 week of time (the specific amount of hours varies slightly per position)
  • We are on a hiring freeze right now, but she is working with all hiring managers on their open searches: most are leaving them open and continuing to accept applications
  • Our website does have a note stating it will be taking longer than normal to fill the positions given the circumstances
  • Some have closed their searches and are reaching out to applicants to let them know

Questions

  • Jared Hoffman: What have you noticed has been working well (or not well) for your office? 
    • Jennifer Cabral: Was pleasantly surprised how much work she could actually get done at home
    • Leah Miller: I-9 has been able to do some verifications via telemeeting and connect with them face-to-face, which doesn’t typically happen. Agreed about working from home
    • Mary Spence: Enjoys her co-workers and their space, so she was reluctant to work from home. But she has realized how much she really can get done there.  They also have a once a week “happy hour” with the entire building (for whomever wants to participate). That has been nice just to hear their voices and see their faces!
  • Meghan Mason: We’ve talked a lot about students and what things look like for them to come back to campus. Are there any concerns about new staff or faculty coming to campus in the fall?
    • Jennifer Cabral: Any hires that were previously made are continuing as far as she knows.
  • Jared Hoffman: Will there be any extensions who were term hired?
    • Jennifer Cabral:  She imagines not.
  • David Hoyt: Once we can hire people again, but perhaps still have social distancing measures, have you thought about the hiring process and what that might look like being completely virtual? 
    • Jennifer Cabral: It’s not to say it couldn't be done, but we have not discussed the possibility yet. Personally she feels it would be difficult to hire someone without ever meeting them face-to-face, but it could happen. Previous to this, many searches had parts that were virtual but not the whole thing.
  • Jared Hoffman: Are you getting any feedback regarding child care concerns?
    • Jennifer Cabral: Our office has not gotten a lot of feedback regarding childcare.
  • David Hoyt: At the February board meeting, the standard 2 percent pay increase for the 2020-21 academic year was approved. Do you have any updates regarding whether that will still occur?
    • Jennifer Cabral: She would assume that will be revised during the spring meeting this weekend
  • Jared Hoffman: What is the best feedback mechanism if we are approached with questions or folks ask how to get a hold of your office?
    • Mary Spence: Email is probably best, but Zoom or Google Meet are options for “face-to-face” conversations if they prefer. Office phones are also being forwarded to their cells.

III. End of Year Business

  • End of Year Reports are typically less than a page per subcommittee. What worked this year?  What would you like to do looking forward to next year? They are saved year to year, so take a look at what has been done in the past for reference. No need to reinvent the wheel.
  • June Meeting: Currently scheduled for the 1st but could potentially be moved to June 8. Jared and Meghan will confirm and send out updates as needed. Communications has asked to meet with us to chat about Kenyon’s new branding and website redesign 

IV. Officer Elections/General Election

  • Brittany is working to finalize the nominations for next year, with employees restricted to voting in their Division and the At-Large positions, and will be done by the end of the month
  • Thank you to the officers for next academic year! Co-Chair (returning): Meghan Mason; Co-Chair (new): Jennifer Bleiler; Secretary: Alex Johnson; Treasurer: Miracle Mahle; Election Coordinator: David Hoyt (pending general election results)

V. Prohibited Relationship Document

  • Jared shared that with the group
  • Samantha Hughes asked that we look at that and provide some feedback

VI. Subcommittee Reports

  • Benefits and Policy: Miracle was in a car accident… she is ok! Campus benefits committee meeting on Friday (no agenda to share).
  • Events: No updates. Alex is due in approximately 5.5 weeks, so any updates over the summer will likely come from the other members of the subcommittee.
  • Communications: Website has been updated on a regular basis. We did receive one question, but Jennifer responded to their question. Alyssa is due in 10 days, so the other subcommittee members will continue monitoring things and providing updates as needed.
  • Outreach: They have been sending electronic outreach in lieu of physical items. If you do have people you think could use some outreach, please let them know. We want them to know the Kenyon community is still there for them.

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APRIL 6, 2020: MEETING SUMMARY

Present: Jared Hoffman, Megan Mason, Alex Johnson, Jennifer Beck, Jennifer Bleiler, Kelly Briscoe, Angel Harmon, Shannon Hashman, David Hoyt, Alyssa Gómez Lawrence, Miracle Mahle, Lori Moore, Susan Morse, Tristan Neviska, Grant Wallace, April Woodward-Ginther

I. Upcoming KSC events/announcements

  • Next KSC meeting is on May 5

II. President Decatur

  • Thank you to everyone for your hard work!
  • The Governor’s “stay at home” has been extended through the end of April 
  • Looking ahead to summer and next year: Admissions, endowment, developing contingency plans for the different scenarios 

Questions

  • Jared Hoffman: Will the Years of Service ceremony still happen?

Sean M. Decatur: The President’s Office is working through what that looks like; the biggest concern if will we be able to gather in large groups in May, but yes, we will celebrate when we are able

  • Shannon Hashman: One employee asked if there would be a way to donate the money to students in need, rather than receive the milestone gift,should they choose

SMD: Will pass this along … thank you!

  • JH: As our work normalizes to “work from home” there have been questions about cross-departmental/division work and helping where possible

SMD: Was a conversation that was started but we should go back to that

  • SH: Has the construction on campus been impacted?

SMD: So far not much. Construction was exempt from the stay-at-home order, assuming they are practicing good social distancing 

  • JH: There are certainly a lot of expenses right now, but how do those things affect us now vs. a year or two out?

SMD: In talking with Todd Burson, we feel comfortable for this fiscal year. There are some new expenses, but there are also savings that are happening due to students not being on campus or events that are no longer happening. The next fiscal year is the one where there is the most uncertainty, because we really don’t know where admissions and endowment stand, but will have a better idea in May how those things are looking

  • Megan Mason: Are there going to be hiring freezes? Or how will this affect the on-going job searches?

SMD: Generally the biggest concern for the on-going job searches is that we can not conduct in-person interviews right now. Looking to next year, we will start evaluating again in May 

  • MM: Original dates of employee travel restrictions have expired.

SMD: The stay-at-home order supersedes the dates we issued, although we should probably send out an official announcement.

  • JH: With travel restrictions to conferences, etc., what are your thoughts on professional development?

SMD: Certainly if there are opportunities to connect online, continue to do so as you are able

  • MM: What happens if things slow down and get better over the summer and we come back to campus in the fall, but then as winter gets closer, there is another uptick in cases? Would we go back to virtual instruction? 

SMD: There was a model that suggested a “block style” scheduling, where students would take two classes the first part of the semester, then two the second part of the semester. This would allow for a slightly cleaner break if things were to get messy again in the middle of the semester. Would there be any benefit to delaying the start of school? Perhaps, because some of our groups do start coming back at the beginning of August. Having too many students on campus vs. having too few students on campus are both difficult to handle for different reasons

  • MM: Is there anything Staff Council can or should be doing within our departments/divisions right now?

SMD: We will be looking for feedback on topics as they happen. KSC may have thoughts on how we can provide more informal support to the community, especially as we will likely start to see an increase in cases

III. Subcommittee Reports

    • Benefits and Policy: n/a
    • Events: The April luncheon is unfortunately canceled. Alex will send an email to the Communications subcommittee to make it official
    • Communication: Will announce the official cancellation of the April luncheon
    • Outreach: We have implemented a spending freeze on any additional supplies for outreach but we still want to be supportive if there are outreach requests

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MARCH 3, 2020: MEETING SUMMARY

Present: Jared Hoffman, Meghan Mason, Alex Johnson, Brittany Ball, Jennifer Beck, Jennifer Bleiler, Angel Harmon, David Hoyt, Alyssa Gómez Lawrence, Lori Moore, Tristan Neviska

I. Upcoming KSC events/Announcements

Next KSC meeting is on April 6 at 10 a.m. at 2 p.m.

II. Howard Grier — Director of Campus Events 

Staff:

  • Bethanne Fowler: Academic events (the big five) and Faculty Lectureships
  • Carol Duvall: Reservation work and card access 
  • Vacant (previously Barbara Kakiris): Summer programs and external events

Long term goals:

  • Looking to make the office a clearing house for all events: Hoping that groups and offices on campus will come to them with dates (or potential dates) to help make sure there aren’t competing topics, i.e. two dance events on the same night
  • Make the office a consultancy for the entire campus: To assist in putting on better events, i.e. helping determine the right space for certain speakers, selecting the correct services, looking at the contracts (making sure we can fulfill their needs), etc. 
  • Ironing out a few policies and procedures 

Fielded questions:

  • The Common Hour spreadsheet/calendar? They are working through what this looks like
  • The amount of events that are on campus … how they are promoted, how many happen, etc.?
  • How can KSC help/work with the Office of Campus Events? Feel free to reach out to Howard with any and all questions. He thinks an event of 40 or more would be something he definitely wants to be aware of
  • Are there departments that you would like to work more closely with or are still developing relationships with?
  • What are you looking for in your vacant position? Ideally, someone with conference or event experience (4-5 years); can prioritize and is organized; will represent the College well and be able to handle themselves in tense situations

III. Relationship Clause

  • Sam Hughes asked the Benefits and Policy Committee to review the Relationship Clause 
    • Our recommendation is to look at it in conjunction with the Prohibited Relationships Policy
    • Perhaps use the same wording for consistency

IV. Committee Reports

  • Benefits and Policy — Parental leave policy: gathered information from all the GLCA schools; Kenyon was probably fourth best out of the 15 schools; a few had more; table this for now. Telecommute policy: going to pick back up the work on this. Advocate and share the insurance meeting information
  • Events — Next luncheon is March 18: Breakfast for Lunch; location is in Peirce Pub. February luncheon feedback: It was a highly requested, well attended luncheon, but not necessarily a favorite; comments about the amount of salt and the things that were supposed to be “crispy” were not
  • Communications: Email for the next luncheon will be sent tomorrow, next Wednesday, and the following Tuesday. Considering sending a separate email regarding outreach in lieu of a box at the bottom of the lunch email
  • Outreach: Had a big wave of outreach bags

V. Parking Lot

  • Coronavirus
    • Folks are still traveling and the CGE is not recommending people limit travel
    • Listen to the CDC and travel warnings
    • Prevention is key: ff you are sick, you really should just stay home
    • Chris Smith is working with the local Health Department: they would be managing any emergency response we need
    • Chris also mentioned the flu vaccine: we have exhausted our stock 
    • Topic of conversation at the KEPT meeting last Friday; there is now a Task Force that meets tomorrow

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FEB. 3, 2020: MEETING SUMMARY

Present: Jared Hoffman, Meghan Mason, Brittany Balo,Alex Johnson, Brittany Ball, Jennifer Bleiler, Kelly Briscoe, Angel Harmon, Shanon Hashman, David Hoyt, Barbara Kakiris, Alyssa Gómez Lawrence, Tristan Neviska, Grant Wallace

I. Upcoming KSC events/Announcements

Next KSC meeting is on March 3 at 2 p.m. in Timberlake House.

II. Samantha Hughes — Civil Rights/Title IX Coordinator 

Anticipated Changes in Enforcement from the U.S. Department of Education, Spring 2020

  • Law, Regulations (where we are currently, Notice and Comment), Guidance, Policy.
  • We anticipate that the Rules will be published to the Federal Register by the end of February.
  • Live Hearing Model: This is the biggest change for Kenyon as it reinstates a model which was replaced nearly six years, and is what has given students the most pause. Direct questioning, and appointment of an advisor when a party doesn’t self-select an advisor.
  • Definition of Sexual Harassment: Proposed definition: “unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive.”
  • Kenyon’s Timeline — January through May 2020: Notifying campus community of pending/anticipated changes (Jan); Solicit feedback on existing policy (Jan and Feb); Draft policy which implements new regulations (early March) and circulate proposed policy (late March); Campus governing bodies vote to adopt for implementation when regulations take effect (April and May).

III. Jared — Health care changes

  • There have been a few changes, from what was initially shared last year.
  • The biggest thing we should be telling our departments and divisions is to pay attention. There will be emails, sessions, paperwork packets, etc. available soon.

IV. Subcommittee Reports

  • Benefits and Policy: See Jared’s update above.
  • Events: Next luncheon is Feb. 19. Had a brief conversation about the appropriate name for our luncheon.
  • Communication: Needs the name of the luncheon winner to send the announcement; Meghan is working to get the name.
  • Outreach: Passed around a new set of cheer cards and support cards. In 20 days, we did 19 care packages.

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JAN. 7, 2020: MEETING SUMMARY

Present: Angel Harmon, Shanon Hashman, Jared Hoffman, Alex Johnson, Miracle Mahle, Alyssa Gómez Lawrence, April Woodward-Ginther, David Hoyt, Brittany Ball, Meghan Mason, Lori Moore, Grant Wallace, Jennifer Beck, Brittany Balo

I. Upcoming KSC events/Announcements

From Jared: Sam Filkins is resigning from his KSC position for the rest of this year and his remaining term.

II. Michael Sweazey — Director of Campus Safety
Sweazey spoke briefly on his background in the Secret Service and at his previous institution, then spoke of his goals for the department and for Kenyon. One of his first objectives was hiring an assistant director, Todd Bell (effective Jan. 1). Sweazey would like to look at the training schedule for officers, increasing their certifications and maintaining their re-certifications.  He would also like to increase partnerships and outreach within the community and county. An example of that is the “table-top workshop” for the KEPT group in a few weeks. Mount Vernon Nazarene University, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and other local groups have been invited to observe. 

Sweazey hopes to continue looking at Campus Safety’s budget, duties and personnel to try and be more efficient. He is hoping to come up with some creative ways to increase morale and hopefully minimize employee “burn out.” Had a brief conversation explaining KEPT (Kenyon Emergency Preparedness Team) and NIMS (National Incident Management System). The department is currently fully staffed, so you may see new faces on campus. Please have patience if you are meeting new folks and they are asking you to do something in a way you may not be used to, as they are still learning.

III. Subcommittee Reports

  • Benefits and Policy: Nothing to report
  • Events: Next luncheon is next Wednesday, Jan. 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m, Looking for some assistance from Communications — we have had some feedback that we aren’t getting our announcements sent out in enough time, that folks aren’t being notified enough. Events has been trying to closely follow the timeline setup between the groups, so we are not sure where the breakdown is happening. If there is anything Events can do to help expedite the process we would love to know. We need to get the announcement sent ASAP for the next luncheon as it is next week.
  • Communications: Nothing to report
  • Outreach: Communications asked for the name of the monthly employee appreciation winner (so the luncheon announcement can be sent out). Brittany Ball was the only Outreach member at the meeting and was going to let Meghan know the name is needed quickly.

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DEC. 2, 2019: MEETING SUMMARY

Present: Angel Harmon, Shanon Hashman, Jared Hoffman, Kelly Briscoe, Miracle Mahle, Barbara Kakiris, David Hoyt, Tristan Neviska, Alyssa Lawrence, Lori Moore, Brittany Ball, Jennifer Beck, Grant Wallace, Meghan Mason, April Woodward-Ginther

I. Campus Senate Update — Accessibility Statement

Jared shared President Decatur’s charge with Campus Senate to draft a statement of accessibility for the College. Example of Amherst College statement. Jared is on the Senate subcommittee drafting a statement, so please share any accessibility concerns with him.

II. Subcommittee Reports

  • Benefits and Policy: Met with Ron Griggs to discuss telework policy. Second item to discuss will be parental leave policy, comparing with other GLCA schools.
  • Events: 196 people attended the November Holiday Lunch. Taco bar is Jan. 15. Feb. 19 menu is TBD.
  • Communications: Ask a Question of Staff Council form — the form has an option to be anonymous, but Staff Council will have a record and keep it confidential. Frequency of luncheon emails — might be better to send reminders the day before, rather than the day of; three messages for luncheons seems like a good amount; will look into adding a link to add event to your calendar.
  • Outreach: Few requests; Communications sent a message. Outreach to new employees? Check with HR to see what current orientation is, how we could make new employees more aware. Students staying over break: reach out to CGE or ODEI if you have concerns about students — they are open for students to use the kitchen and have resources for low-income students.

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NOV. 5, 2019: MEETING SUMMARY

Present: Angel Harmon, Shanon Hashman, Jared Hoffman, Alex Johnson, Miracle Mahle, Alyssa Gomez Lawrence, April Woodward-Ginther, David Hoyt, Kelly Briscoe, Meghan Mason, Jennifer Bleiler, Jennifer Beck, Barbara Kakiris

I. Upcoming KSC events

  • Nov. 20: Holiday Meal.
  • Dec. 2: Next meeting.

II. Joe Klesner, Provost — Mission Statement Committee


Joe was glad to be back in front of the group. The preliminary draft has been shared with the Board of Trustees and Staff Council, and will be shared with faculty and students in the coming week.

We had time to review and discuss our thoughts on the draft. The general consensus was it is a great start. There were a few words and sentences that caught our attention as needing to be addressed. However, we appreciated that our ideas and conversations from the brain-storming session seemed to be captured in the text.

The committee is meeting next week to review comments and take another pass at the draft. They will then work to make it more public. If KSC has any recommendations on the best way to distribute and potentially collect feedback from the rest of the College, he would be happy to hear it.

III. Suggestions for meeting visitors?

  • Emily Heithaus — The new KenyonFit Resource Center (meeting down there and tour the space?)
  • Chris Smith — Mental health and wellness at Kenyon
  • Michael Sweazey — New Campus Safety Director
  • Timothy Bussey — ODEI, LGBTQ+, staff awareness

IV. Subcommittee Reports

  • Benefits and Policy: Currently working to review the Parental Leave policy; still reviewing the telecommunication guidelines/policy.  From Jared: Campus health benefits.
  • Events: Halloween was a huge success, with approximately 160 guests. Jennifer asked that we list all the meal options on our employee-info emails, especially the vegetarian meal options. There was a request to increase the number of group costume winners. The sub-committee has already had that conversation and will review for next year. Holiday meal is Nov. 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The first employee-info email should hopefully come out tomorrow.
  • Communication: Is working to add the minutes online and events to the calendar. Tristan will continue sending the employee-info emails. Will also try to promote the Outreach link for people to submit them.
  • Outreach: Please let us know if there is anyone celebrating something or has had something bad happen in their lives. We didn’t have any in October.

V. Parking Lot


Mail (and Printing Services): Lots of comments and concerns about the mail services and printing. The feedback will be given to Susan Morse. We are encouraging folks to talk to their Divisions and Senior Staff members.

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OCT. 2, 2019: MEETING SUMMARY

Present: Brittany Ball, Angel Harmon, Shanon Hashman, Jared Hoffman, Alex Johnson, Miracle Mahle, Alyssa Gomez Lawrence, Lori Moore, April Woodward-Ginther, David Hoyt, Kelly Briscoe, Brittany Balo, Meghan Mason, Jennifer Bleiler

I. Upcoming KSC events

  • Oct. 30: Halloween Luncheon & Costume Contest.
  • Nov. 2: Next meeting.

II. Samantha Hughes, Civil Rights/Title IX Coordinator

Prohibited relationships clause in the Sexual Misconduct and Harassment policy

This all started in 2017 when a faculty member (on behalf of a larger group of faculty) approached Samantha about concerns regarding different relationships within their group. Junior faculty vs. tenured, etc.

The new version is not significantly different from the older version, but is hopefully more clear. The policy is not saying that people at Kenyon can not date or have relationships with each other. It’s more about how the relationships are being navigated in a professional capacity. It really comes down to supervisory roles and mentorships and making sure those are being handled appropriately.

III. KSC Meeting Scheduling

Jared would like to thank everyone for participating in the scheduling spreadsheet.  There are a few more folks to fill in their availability, and then Jared will look to evaluate and come up with a few options.

IV. Subcommittee Reports

  • Benefits and Policy: Parental leave is on their list of items to review. The health insurance conversation is ongoing. The telework policy was taken to Susan Morse, and she has asked the subcommittee to review and perhaps adapt it to be an actual policy in lieu of general guidelines.
  • Events: Halloween luncheon and costume contest is Oct. 30 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Menu is mashed/baked potato bar. The employee-info email should be sent out this week.
  • Communication: David is responsible for incoming email triage and website updates. Tristan is responsible for outgoing emails (e.g. sending luncheon announcements). Grant is the secretary.
  • Outreach: Continuing their outreach when they receive requests.

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SEPT. 4, 2019: MEETING SUMMARY

Present: Brittany Balo, Brittany Ball, Angel Harmon, Shanon Hashman, Jared Hoffman, Alex Johnson, Miracle Mahle, Grant Wallace, Barbara Kakiris, Alyssa Lawrence, Lori Moore, Tristan Neviska, Cindy Burgett, April Woodward-Ginther, David Hoyt, Kelly Briscoe, Meghan Mason, Jennifer Bleiler, Jennifer Beck

I. Upcoming KSC events

  • Sept. 18: First luncheon of the year from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Location: Alumni Dining Room in Peirce Hall
  • Oct. 2: Next meeting at 10 a.m. Location: TBD

II. Carrie Knell, Ombudsperson

Carrie Knell works in an independent office reporting directly to President Decatur. Conversations in her office are kept off the record, but there are exceptions: threat of harm to property or persons, sexual misconduct, felony crimes and child abuse. Carrie has worked with individuals, small groups and whole departments. One of her goals is to help people become advocates for themselves.

Programming is another part of her job. Carrie tries to hold several “Lunch and Learn” trainings per semester. A variety of topics are covered and she is always looking for suggestions on topics.

A new program this year: become a campus mediator. Open to faculty, staff and students. One may apply by Oct. 19 via the ombuds office webpage. There will be two six-hour training sessions on Jan. 10 and 11, 2020 (with monthly follow-up trainings.) The members will be trained in co-mediation and also learning how to facilitate dialogue.

Kenyon Listens is a campus-wide dialogue program focused on having conversations about life experiences, with people you don’t know, and being able to reflect on them. Diving into topics that are a little deeper but not overly risky. The hope is they will spark creative and honest conversations, creating a more connected community.

Carrie asked if there are themes or topics that we are seeing in our spaces. She also asked that we display her poster in our spaces and make sure people know she is a resource for the campus.

III. Subcommittee Reports

Jared would like each subcommittee to discuss what our monthly meeting time will be. Each subcommittee should also have a lead to help with communication and planning.

  • Benefits and Policy: Health insurance is going to be a big topic this year. Need to follow-up on the telework policy.
  • Events: First luncheon is Sept. 18. Email should be sent out this week.
  • Communication: Have not met yet.
  • Outreach: Cards were passed around today to sign. There is an online form where people can submit outreach requests anonymously.

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