Delahunty announces retirement
Jennifer Delahunty, associate dean of admissions for the West Coast, recently announced her plans to retire. President Sean Decatur expressed gratitude for her years of distinguished service.
"A highly regarded expert in the world of higher education admissions, Jennifer's contributions to Kenyon have been profound,” Decatur said. “Through her leadership and vision, Kenyon consistently enrolled outstanding classes for more than a decade. I'm grateful for all her efforts on behalf of Kenyon."
Delahunty assumed her current role as Kenyon’s West Coast representative in January 2015, after serving as vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid for 12 years. In her tenure as dean of admissions, she significantly increased both domestic and international student diversity. The College’s percentage of domestic students of color increased from 9 to 19 percent during her tenure. Delahunty also launched the College’s first international recruiting program, which led to increased presence on campus of students from all over the globe. Through marketing and outreach initiatives during her tenure, applications more than doubled in number, placing Kenyon firmly on the national stage.
Former chairman of the Board of Trustees Barry Schwartz ’70 H’15 praised Delahunty’s accomplishments. “Jennifer enabled our admissions program with her bold vision and warm embrace. She taught us to reach beyond levels of success we couldn't even imagine when she joined us in 2003. Kenyon is a better place because of Jennifer Delahunty. We will miss her.”
Since relocating to Oregon in 2015 to be near family, Delahunty has expanded Kenyon’s recruiting efforts on the West Coast, serving families in northern California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Southwestern states, where student populations are on the rise.
“It was such an incredible honor to work with the students and families I met over the years,” Delahunty said. “And the support admissions received from the president, trustees, coaches, alumni and faculty was simply extraordinary. It takes a village to enroll a class — and everyone in Gambier and beyond made it a priority. Kenyon was, in so many ways, a dream assignment for me. I have no doubt Kenyon’s admissions success will continue under Dean Anci.” Diane Anci, a longstanding dean at Mount Holyoke College, succeeded Delahunty in 2015.
“I’m truly honored to follow Jennifer as the head of Kenyon’s admissions program, and I’m thrilled to be able to build on her remarkable legacy,” Anci said. “We are all the beneficiaries of her commitment and dedication to Kenyon.”
Delahunty is a founding member of the Education Conservancy, a group that promotes educational values and resists commercial interference in admissions. She is an advocate for student-friendly and ethical admissions practices, and she has made it her mission to work closely with parents about their role in the admissions process.
Delahunty is the editor of “I’m Going to College – Not You!” (2010), a collection of essays for parents of college-going students. She served as an adjunct member of the Program of American Studies faculty and taught a course on first-person narratives. Delahunty has worked in higher education since 1982. She is a frequent and valued source for the news media, and her 2006 New York Times essay brought national attention to admissions gender issues. She attended Carleton College and earned a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in fine arts at the University of Arizona. She serves on the board of several nonprofits in Central Oregon and looks forward to continuing her writing career.