PAC meets to discuss Kenyon
Leslie Parsons
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Last Friday, the Parents Advisory Council (PAC) met to discuss important campus issues such as the CDC, admissions and academics.
The series of meetings began on Friday morning with a meeting with President S. Georgia Nugent. There, the group reviewed the Kenyon Parent Fund, part of the capital campaign that seeks to collect $230 million for initiatives such as building the Visual Arts Facility and new student residences.
The PAC is composed of a little less than 70 parents, many of whom are parents of alumni or even alumni themselves. The council, chaired by Katie and Charlie Claggett who are parents of Phoebe Claggett '08, is divided into committees that focus exclusively on single aspects of Kenyon. According to Director of Alumni and Parent Programs Lisa Schott, the presence of the different committees allows the administration "to hear from students and parents in order for them to address different campus issues."
"No single constituency is the constituency," said Schott. "And you want to hear from all the different groups on campus." After meeting with their committees, the heads of those committees reported their concerns and suggestions to the PAC as a whole. After the PAC convenes, they will bring to Nugent and her senior administrative staff the issues discussed.
The advising and career development committee, according to Schott, was most concerned with the new Kenyon Career Network and with ways that parents could be more involved with internships and externships. In addition, some parents brought up the concern that, ever since the Career Development Center moved from Edelstein House to its current location, it is less involved in campus life and "more out-of-the-way."
The admissions committee, according to Nugent, had no pressing concerns. They did, however, mention that they would like to have the KAC be a regular stop on the prospective student tour. They also hoped that the College would do more to promote the math and science programs offered.
The student affairs committee, according to Nugent, was pleased with safety on campus and is interested in looking at the first-year experience at Kenyon.
The academic affairs committee, according to Nugent, looked primarily at the relationship between academics and athletics and how the KAC has affected that. "The parents talked about finding an appropriate balance between athletics and academics, things like excused absences for games," said Schott.
Another major topic talked about at the meeting was the building of new residence halls. Nugent said that the College will begin as soon as enough money is collected to fund the project. "Our ambition is to do it as quickly as possible," said Nugent. She said that the design for the residence halls is "not complex" and that the construction process should be "not terribly long."
"My hope is that students here now will see and live in those dorms," said Nugent.
The series of meetings began on Friday morning with a meeting with President S. Georgia Nugent. There, the group reviewed the Kenyon Parent Fund, part of the capital campaign that seeks to collect $230 million for initiatives such as building the Visual Arts Facility and new student residences.
The PAC is composed of a little less than 70 parents, many of whom are parents of alumni or even alumni themselves. The council, chaired by Katie and Charlie Claggett who are parents of Phoebe Claggett '08, is divided into committees that focus exclusively on single aspects of Kenyon. According to Director of Alumni and Parent Programs Lisa Schott, the presence of the different committees allows the administration "to hear from students and parents in order for them to address different campus issues."
"No single constituency is the constituency," said Schott. "And you want to hear from all the different groups on campus." After meeting with their committees, the heads of those committees reported their concerns and suggestions to the PAC as a whole. After the PAC convenes, they will bring to Nugent and her senior administrative staff the issues discussed.
The advising and career development committee, according to Schott, was most concerned with the new Kenyon Career Network and with ways that parents could be more involved with internships and externships. In addition, some parents brought up the concern that, ever since the Career Development Center moved from Edelstein House to its current location, it is less involved in campus life and "more out-of-the-way."
The admissions committee, according to Nugent, had no pressing concerns. They did, however, mention that they would like to have the KAC be a regular stop on the prospective student tour. They also hoped that the College would do more to promote the math and science programs offered.
The student affairs committee, according to Nugent, was pleased with safety on campus and is interested in looking at the first-year experience at Kenyon.
The academic affairs committee, according to Nugent, looked primarily at the relationship between academics and athletics and how the KAC has affected that. "The parents talked about finding an appropriate balance between athletics and academics, things like excused absences for games," said Schott.
Another major topic talked about at the meeting was the building of new residence halls. Nugent said that the College will begin as soon as enough money is collected to fund the project. "Our ambition is to do it as quickly as possible," said Nugent. She said that the design for the residence halls is "not complex" and that the construction process should be "not terribly long."
"My hope is that students here now will see and live in those dorms," said Nugent.
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