Please select a category to view frequently asked questions about Switchboard, an online space that brings all Kenyon communities together.
FAQ Categories:
The Basics | Signing Up | New Users
Switchboard is an online space that brings all Kenyon communities – alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends – together. You can make “Asks” or “Offers” that everyone who has a connection to Kenyon can respond to. These Asks and Offers come in all shapes and sizes: whether you’re moving to Chicago and want advice or you've lost your lightsaber at the AD Bullseye Halloween party and need help finding it, let Kenyon Switchboard know!
Yes, Kenyon’s Switchboard is up and running. Even better, there is a team working behind the screens to help promote and connect your posts. Make a post and let them help it grow!
Kenyon Switchboard is a place to ask for or offer help. Of course "help" comes in many forms and all are appreciated. We have nine subcategories for you to specify what kind of help you’re looking for: Jobs, Internships, Hosting & Housing, Advice, Goods, Lost & Found, Rides, Events and Other.
Sure!
“Swap houses this summer?”
“Need housing for a job shadow opportunity in Cleveland”
“Advice needed on beekeeping”
"Looking for a ride to the Columbus airport this Friday"
Yup!
“Room in Columbia Heights (DC) Starting August”
“Dog walker needed: Walnut Creek, CA”
“Driving from Columbus Airport to Kenyon 9/22!”
“Free Moving Boxes”
True! And that’s the beauty of “tags.” Add keywords to clarify what your Ask or Offer is about. Those keywords will make it easier for other Switchboard users to find your post.
Yes. Items that are a one-time sell can be sold on Switchboard. It’s like a virtual garage sale!
Not so much. Switchboard wasn’t designed to promote businesses. Please only list items on Switchboard that are one time opportunities and not part of a business, or even a side business. We want this to be a helpful space and not the yellow pages. However, if you want advice on how to best advertise your book, that you can do!
Somethings like asking for a ride, offering an event, or looking for a dogsitter only apply for a brief time period. These are still viable posts to make! However, there is an option called "Ephemeral" that tells Switchboard your post's subject is only viable for a brief period. By clicking this option, Switchboard will highlight your post with a lightening-bolt to help promote it.
An "Evergreen" post is an offer that never expires, so the opposite of "Ephemeral." Examples of these kinds of posts are offering career advice, serving as a contact in a city, or opening your vacation home up to the community. Marking your post as "Evergreen" helps other users know your offer always stands.
Love your enthusiasm! Signing up is easy: simply type in your email address, create a password, and tell us how you are affiliated with the College. You can also connect your Switchboard account to Facebook, Twitter or Google.
Don’t worry! Your email address is not made public and any messages about your post will occur on Switchboard itself. You won’t get any emails clogging up your inbox. Switchboard only uses your email address to send you posts if you have requested notifications in your account settings.
If you have an email address that ends in @kenyon.edu, you are good to go. Have fun posting! Be sure to sign up with the big Google button so your username and password are synced with your existing email address.
If you have an email address that does not end in @kenyon.edu, your account will need to be approved. This won’t take very long, so don’t worry! We approve email addresses to ensure that only folks within the Kenyon community can access Switchboard. We don’t want any trolls bothering you!
Simple, go to the top of the homepage and click either Ask or Offer. Give it an informative title and type your message. Make sure to include any tags and locations that pertain to your post!
That’s okay! Click on the Edit button in the lower right corner of your post. You can make all the edits you want, including deleting your post.
You can use the top row on the homepage to clarify what kind of posts you are looking for. Use the drop-down menus to specify Ask/Offer, location, subcategory, and any particular tags. You can also use the search functions on the right of the screen.
Click on the circle in the top right corner of the screen. Select “Edit Profile” from the drop-down menu. Here you can add your photo, hometown, and bio!
Click on the circle in the top right corner of the screen and select “Interests.” From here, you can tell Switchboard exactly what you’re interested in hearing about. Type in a location or a topic and Switchboard will watch out for posts about those things and let you know!
Click on the circle in the top right corner of the screen and select “Settings.” From here, you can tell Switchboard under what circumstances you want to receive email notifications.
Hearts let our Switchboard community know that you appreciate what you've read. Whether it's interesting posts, helpful comments, or awesome success stories, it's always nice to show your love.
We’re in the summer launch stage of Switchboard officially bringing Kenyon communities into Switchboard deliberately as the summer progresses. The Friends group will come online in the early Fall so stay tuned!
Friends of Kenyon come in many flavors – it might be the spouse of an alumnus or alumna who has been a supporter of the Kenyon Career Network, or perhaps a Gambier-area resident with a space to rent for reunion weekend.
Having a hard time getting folks to respond to your Ask or Offer? Here's a quick guide to help you get the response you need!