Kenyon College is a place with a strong tradition of celebrating the milestones of life in a college community with several formal ceremonies in addition to Commencement and Baccalaureate.
Please note that Kenyon has an adjusted class schedule for Founders' Day, Honors Day and also the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day events.
Opening Convocation
Opening Convocation marks the official start of the academic year and mirrors Kenyon's Commencement ceremony.
During the ceremony, the incoming class is welcomed and presented to the assembled members of the Kenyon faculty and administration by the dean of admissions.
Founders' Day
Kenyon celebrates Founders' Day on the Thursday closest to November 1. It marks the formal introduction of new students to the College and recognizes faculty members who have been a part of Kenyon for twenty-five years.
In addition, the names of prominent alumni and members of the campus community who have died in the preceding year are read and remembered.
Honors Day
Kenyon celebrates Honors Day annually on a Tuesday early in April. More than one hundred students spanning all four class years are recognized for their outstanding academic efforts. It is also a time for Kenyon to proudly recognize alumni and friends of the College with honorary degrees and to award the Trustee Teaching Excellence Awards to two members of the faculty.