Advisory Panel

GAMBIER, Ohio (June 18, 2012)

President S. Georgia Nugent, with the support of the Kenyon College Board of Trustees Executive Committee, has decided to create an advisory panel from the Kenyon community to help determine the best path forward as the College considers ways to manage its buildings and grounds in a more efficient and cost-effective manner without the sacrifice of jobs. As a consequence, the College has suspended contract negotiations with an outside maintenance-management vendor. Negotiations with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America Local 712 are scheduled for this week. A campus forum slated for June 22 has been postponed pending the appointment of the advisory panel.

"While it is a central responsibility of the administration to make decisions-even difficult decisions-concerning employment, it is also desirable in this situation to benefit from the wise counsel of this community," Nugent said in a letter inviting representatives of community constituencies to join the advisory panel. The panel will consider the best practices for the maintenance division and make recommendations to the administration, keeping in mind the financial reality in which the College operates.

Nugent has invited representatives of the Board of Trustees and the administration, and elected leaders of the Alumni Council, faculty, PACT, the Student Council, and current maintenance employees to take part in the advisory panel. The College will identify the members of the panel after they respond to the invitation. The panel is expected to conclude its work in November.