A Letter from President Decatur

A Strong Future

I spent the first year of my presidency talking to as many people as possible: students, parents, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as members of the broader Knox County community. What is it that makes Kenyon so special, so unique, I asked? And what can we do to expand on those qualities to ensure this College remains in a strong position going forward?

Listening to people with so many points of view has been invaluable to me, giving me both a broad perspective of the value of a liberal arts education - something I hold dear since I am a product of it - and specifics about this singular place in Gambier that Kenyon calls home. At our core is the education of our students. That must be the lens through which we view everything else.

The world of higher education is more competitive than ever, with prospective students facing the challenge of selecting a school that best fits their dreams for a successful future - however they define that. Kenyon remains a superior choice because of our stellar teacher-scholars, important service-learning opportunities, an amazing campus and important assets such as the Gund Gallery, Kenyon Review, the Center for American Democracy and the Brown Family Environmental Center. The number of students applying and enrolling each year validates the Kenyon experience.

Once students arrive on the Hill, we have a responsibility to help them achieve their goals by providing a rigorous liberal arts education in an intimate, close-knit community and maintaining campus facilities that foster learning and friendships. We must provide an environment that educates the whole person with a rich extracurricular life coordinated with the curricular life to assure we prepare our students for life after Kenyon. And we must do all we can to make our student body inclusive and diverse because different kinds of people from different cultures foster a multiplicity of ideas and opinions.

As we implement plans to maintain our enduring values, I look forward to more discussions with those involved in what lies ahead for the College. I am confident of Kenyon’s place in the world both now and in the future.

Sincerely,

Sean M. Decatur
President
Kenyon College