The mission of CGE is to assist in the development and accomplishment of the College's goals in international education and exchange. In order to achieve these goals, CGE:

  • in conjunction with provost, the Committee on Academic Standards, the Faculty Subcommittee on International Education, and the various academic departments and administrative offices, advises, coordinates, approves, and evaluates programs for students interested in enhancing their education by studying off campus;
  • provides an Off-Campus Information Day, pre-departure orientation, and reentry programs for off-campus study students; an orientation and host family program for new international students; other special programs and services, relevant booklets, and other written materials to assist both off-campus study and international students in reaching their educational goals;
  • serves as the focal point on campus for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the State Department, and other government agencies, local and international off-campus study universities and institutes, and in the Gambier and Mount Vernon communities, CGE organizes, coordinates, and integrates specific programs which respond to the needs of off-campus study and international students;
  • promotes cross-cultural understanding on the campus and in the community;
  • assists in developing linkage agreements with national organizations and overseas institutions; and
  • works with all academic and academic support units on campus to help define and achieve institutional goals regarding international education and exchange.

The philosophy of the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) is three-fold:

  • That off-campus study should be an important part of a liberal-arts education, for it can complement one's education beyond the Kenyon campus. Furthermore, with early and careful planning of academic requirements, qualified students, regardless of their majors, should be encouraged to seek that "broader view."
  • That international (foreign) students can bring that invaluable cross-cultural dimension to the campus and to the community at large and should be encouraged to do so, especially in their classes and residence halls.
  • That international and study-abroad students can be important resources for maintaining an international outlook on the Kenyon campus and in the community.