Report from the Alcohol Task Force

Dear members of the Kenyon College community,

The report from the Alcohol Task Force (ATF) is now available at kenyon.edu/atf-report (PDF). As a reminder, the ATF was formed last fall to consider and recommend strategies for the Kenyon community to address the high-risk practices and behaviors related to the presence and consumption of alcohol on campus. Over the past six months, this group of students, faculty, trustees and staff examined Kenyon’s current policies and data in the context of national research and best practices, looking closely at campuses similar in size and character to Kenyon. They have put forth a set of recommendations that are consistent with Kenyon’s commitment to student safety, personal accountability and shared responsibility.

I would like to thank the members of the ATF for their thorough and careful work on behalf of the Kenyon community: Meredith Harper Bonham ’92, vice president for student affairs (co-chair); Jeff Moritz ’86, trustee (co-chair); Mike Durham, interim co-director of college counseling; Marla Kohlman, professor of sociology; Emma Mairson ’17; Edgar Martin ’17; Jordan Potter ’19; Wade Powell, professor of biology; Dave Suggs, professor of anthropology; and Wendy Webster P’18, trustee. They, as do I, invite feedback and plan to meet with Campus Senate, Student Council, Staff Council and the faculty in the coming weeks to discuss their findings and recommendations.

Community members may provide their feedback via an online form at kenyon.edu/atf-feedback.

Alcohol-related issues are not unique to Kenyon — they exist on campuses large and small across the country. How a campus chooses to address the complex dynamics that influence the culture of alcohol is what can set a college apart, and I am confident that the Kenyon community will move forward responsibly, and with care for our friends, colleagues and classmates.

Yours truly,

Sean Decatur, President