Update: Progress to date, current conditions and move-in plans for 2020–21

Office of Communications
August 3, 2020

Dear members of the Kenyon College community,

I write to you today, exactly four weeks before the start of the fall semester, to report on our progress to date, our next steps in planning, and the evolving conditions in Ohio and our home of Knox County. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present a great deal of uncertainty both in the broader world and close to home, and its dynamic nature introduces new challenges to planning for the fall. The stakes are high: We must protect the health and safety of our community, and we must work to provide a strong educational experience for our students.

Some changes at the national, state and local levels have required us to revisit or redesign aspects of our plans. These include:

Government action — On July 22, the Governor issued a travel advisory recommending that people who travel to Ohio from states reporting positive COVID-19 testing rates of 15 percent or higher to self-quarantine for 14 days. This is a very dynamic situation; in the 10 days since the announcement, the list of affected states has fallen from 9 to 7. We are in conversation with our local health commissioner to determine how this advisory will affect students arriving to Kenyon, and we will provide an update as soon as possible.
Access to COVID-19 testing and medical staff support — Labs are reporting delays due to increasing demands for testing, including labs we engaged earlier this summer. We are taking steps to build redundancy into our COVID-19 testing protocols and partners in order to have an effective process at move-in and throughout the semester.
Infection rates, hospitalizations and surge capacity in Knox County — The county is reporting increased exposure and community spread, with 64 active cases. We continue to collaborate closely with Knox Health Department and other county authorities to not only monitor the situation but also ensure that Kenyon’s plans are consistent with and supportive of public health efforts throughout the region.

The pandemic has required that all of us be ready to respond to a rapidly changing environment, and we can expect that conditions will continue to change. We will inform you as soon as possible should additional adjustments be required in the lead up to the semester, and once it is underway.

Because move-in this year is intertwined with COVID-19 testing, we must delay the release of specific move-in time slots, originally planned for today, until we finalize our arrival testing schedule with an expanded set of partners. We recognize that you are juggling your own travel plans and regret this added complication.
Other benchmarks remain on track. Please find a list of key dates on our website.

I continue to be inspired by the talent, ingenuity and stamina of the Kenyon community. Much work has been done since we announced plans to shift to a hybrid model of instruction for the 2020-21 academic year.

Faculty have redesigned courses to serve students on and off campus; the registrar has published a new schedule of offerings; and advisors are working with students to complete fall registrations.
Library and technology teams are enhancing resources to support remote learning and instruction, while the Center for Innovative Pedagogy is consulting with faculty on course designs.
The dean of students, the dean of academic advising and support, and the Center for Global Engagement are reviewing the circumstances of students who face unique challenges in order to determine how best to support them.
A working group has formed to consider issues related to student employment and has surveyed those who hire student workers to identify opportunities for remote, in-person and hybrid work.
Residential life staff have reconfigured residence halls for a de-densified campus, with housing assignments for first-year students about to be released, and housing selection for other students invited to return set to begin this week.
The Cox Health and Counseling Center and other Student Affairs staff are working with Knox Public Health to refine testing, tracing, quarantine and isolation protocols, as well as identifying resources and developing programs to help students be well and remain engaged in trying times.
Maintenance teams are outfitting campus facilities with equipment, furniture and signs to facilitate and encourage physical distancing and other public health practices.
Student Council and Campus Senate have met to offer input on a “Kenyon Commitment” to make clear our shared responsibility for health and safety practices, and to identify campus governance priorities for this most unusual year.

The Kenyon community has proven itself able and agile in ways I could never have imagined. And yet I know that agility does not come without enormous effort, imagination and patience on the part of our faculty, staff and students. Many members of our community have taken on additional responsibilities as we have changed course; all of us have had to be flexible in how we approach work that has typically been routine. I appreciate both the extraordinary effort and the grace and good will you have extended Kenyon — and one another — in these unprecedented times.

With gratitude,

Sean Decatur
President