Alumni Council
President's Column
The 2001 - 02 Alumni Council year has been an abbreviated one. The fall meeting was canceled due to the tragedy of September 11. The response of the College has been noteworthy, with the establishment of a scholarship fund to assist the children of victims of the terrorist attacks. This fund guarantees that Kenyon will provide a scholarship to attend the College equal to the full demonstrated need of any child who lost a parent or whose family financial circumstances were dramatically altered as a result of the attacks. The fund is named for Lee Adler '75, who was a victim of the attack on the World Trade Center, and it will be funded through annual fund gifts.The Council members have conducted the business of the Kenyon Alumni Association utilizing technology and alternative communications techniques to perform the essential duties. I send my thanks to the Council members for their willingness to utilize these new capabilities.
This year, we focused on three major initiatives for the Council: develop an action plan for a student and young alumni relations project (chair: Megan Patton '74); improve communication and programs geared to alumni with a focus on online communications (chair: Scott Baker '94); and increase admissions referrals from alumni (chair: Hutch Hodgson '61).
One of last year's projects came to fruition when the Council reviewed the ideas of regional association leaders in regard to what could be done to improve the interaction with approximately 70 percent of the alumni who live in geographical areas covered by regional associations of the Kenyon Alumni Association. President Robert A. Oden Jr. encouraged a restructuring of the regional events. Now, instead of just "learning in the company of friends" while in Gambier, we are able to offer "lifelong learning in the company of friends" with the educational and interactive focus of the regional-association events. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. To the regional-association leaders who said, "Give us a good reason for coming together," the College and the Council have responded with an exciting program. There were a number of other suggestions offered during the review, development, and testing of the ideas, and we intend to follow through on several other initiatives.
To the regional-association leaders, past and present, I send my thanks for your efforts on behalf of your association, the College, and your fellow Kenyon alumni.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the many board members, alumni, and friends of the College who gave so generously to Kenyon's recent campaign. If you have not seen the many tangible benefits of the campaign, it is worth a return visit to the Hill to see the very positive physical changes, such as Storer Hall and the new science complex, all of which make for an increasingly effective educational process for current and future students.
On behalf of the Council members, we look forward to hearing from you.
-John J. Buckley Jr. '66
Do you have feedback on this page?