Dear members of the Kenyon College community,
With the academic year underway and many students already immersed in work-study and campus work opportunities, I wanted to update you on several initiatives to improve the experience for students and supervisors this year.
You may recall that the College conducted a comprehensive review of campus work last year. In that review, some students reported that they had difficulty securing positions or sufficient hours, particularly in their first year. The College is especially mindful of the challenge this presents for students awarded work-study as part of their need-based financial aid package. To help students achieve their work-study awards, Kenyon cut work-study expectations in half starting this year, and students received the other half as grants and bookstore credits to purchase textbooks and course materials.
In addition, with input from Staff Council and Campus Senate, we updated our career services platform, Handshake, to allow supervisors to determine which applicants in their pool have been awarded work-study. This will allow supervisors to prioritize these students in the interviewing and hiring process. A committee of financial aid and career development staff will meet quarterly to review the status of students awarded work-study, checking that they have both secured a position and are making progress toward their earnings. Other forthcoming changes to our administrative systems will streamline and add transparency to the hiring process to ensure that students complete the necessary paperwork and experience no delays in receiving their first paycheck.
Members of the career development team have produced a series of tutorials to help students find and apply for campus work, and information about these resources are now included in a student’s financial aid award letter. Throughout the year, we will offer workshops for students to help them articulate the ways in which their campus work experiences build on the skills they are developing in the classroom, enhance their resume and provide a strong foundation for life after graduation. This new programming focus will be led by Associate Director Joshua Lisko and Assistant Director Lori Gastin. The goal is to help students make the most of their campus work experiences and the mentorship they receive from supervisors.
Finally, the College has undertaken a review of Kenyon’s student work policies, including nondiscrimination, Title IX and confidentiality. We are gathering input from supervisors on areas they would like additional guidance and will compile a set of supervisor best practices. I look forward to updating you on these initiatives later this fall.
In the meantime, best wishes for a rewarding semester. I hope to see you in our new space on the second floor of Chalmers Library.
Sincerely,
Lee Schott
Dean of Career Development