Kenyon collected top honors for its Alumni Bulletin and College website in this year’s Circle of Excellence awards competition from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
The Alumni Bulletin won the Robert F. Sibley Award, the highest award for excellence among alumni magazines, for the third time in six years—a feat unprecedented since Harvard Magazine won four between 1971 and 1975. The Bulletin bested six gold-medal winners in a pool of 144 entries to receive the 2014 prize.
“Kenyon was the clear leader in every element of a great magazine: story selection, writing, editing, photography, illustration, layout and design, and print quality,” the judges said in their report. “This magazine makes Kenyon shine.” The Winter 2012 and Fall 2013 issues that Kenyon submitted for consideration featured hip hop photographer Jonathan Mannion ’93 and President Sean Decatur on the respective covers.
This marks the third Sibley for longtime Bulletin editor Shawn Presley, Kenyon’s associate vice president for college relations who died on April 1. Since becoming editor in 2003, Presley shifted the Bulletin into the national spotlight by elevating the publication’s editorial and design standards. The judges called Presley “a beloved force among his fellow editors not only for the high bar he set through his work, but also for his humor, friendship, teaching, and mentoring.”
“The Sibley award is terrific for Kenyon,” said Mark Ellis, editor of the magazine and interim director of public affairs. “It’s not about us. It’s all about the College. We respect our readers, who expect the best. Our goal is to meet and exceed the high standards set by Shawn Presley.”
Kenyon’s website, which was redesigned last summer, received a silver award for best institutional website, a category in which no gold awards were given. The fully mobile-responsive site features a multifaceted news platform, “Along Middle Path,” and a virtual tour that allows visitors to experience Kenyon without stepping foot on campus. The website also was named “Best Overall Website” in the eduStyle Higher-Ed Web Awards last fall.
"It’s great to see Kenyon’s website recognized by CASE. The judges have very high standards. They’re not only interested in how a site looks but how it works and whether it effectively meets the College’s goals," said Patty Burns, director of new media. "Many members of the Kenyon community contribute to the success of the website—maintaining pages, updating information, sharing photos and ideas for stories. The award really reflects that team effort. "
CASE is a leading professional organization in the fields of education fundraising, communications and alumni relations. Circle of Excellence is the organization’s premier international awards program recognizing top accomplishments of higher-education institutions.