On Nov. 20, 2025, the College informed all eligible faculty of the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP). The VSIP gave all faculty who met certain criteria the choice to leave Kenyon, in return for one year of post-separation salary and other non-monetary benefits. Of the 200 faculty members currently at Kenyon, Provost Jeff Bowman estimates that roughly 80 of them were eligible for the package. Of that 80, Bowman approximated that between 10-20% had accepted the offer. Further, professors who chose to take VSIP would be granted emeritus faculty status, an honorary title awarded to faculty members who are tenured at the time of full retirement from the College. Eligible faculty had until Jan. 7 to decide whether to accept it.

In an interview with the Collegian, Bowman clarified that the deadline by which the College will inform faculty who have accepted the deal of their retirement date is in early February. This retirement date will be either June 30, 2026, or June 30, 2027. Staff were not offered any equivalent deal.

According to Bowman, there were five criteria that faculty had to meet to be eligible for the VSIP. The first was to be a “full-time, tenured faculty at Kenyon College as of November, 20, 2025,” Bowman said in an email to the Collegian. The second was that they “have a combined age and years of service at Kenyon of 65 or more as of June 30, 2026 (e.g., age 55 with at least 10 years of service; age 50 with at least 15 years of service).” Third, faculty were required to be in good standing with the College, which mandates no pending disciplinary action at the time of application. Fourth, faculty were required to be active or on approved sabbatical and continue to be so until the date of separation. Finally, they had to submit a completed form by the deadline and not retract within a week of signing.

In an email to the Collegian, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Trustees Jackie Holmes said, “The College will determine the separation date for each faculty member who accepted the offer, depending upon academic needs.” Holmes added that it was “entirely voluntary; no faculty member was required to accept it if they did not want to do so.”

Bowman clarified the incentives for faculty who accept VSIP. “Those who met the criteria and accepted the offer will receive a payment equivalent to the amount of the participant’s base salary plus the amount the College would have contributed to the participant’s retirement account in a single year, support with regard to health insurance, continued participation in the tuition remission program for dependents, and transitional support,” he said.

Between 2019-20 and 2025-26, there was a 6.5% decline in enrolled Kenyon students, yet an 8% growth in total faculty. The College has not specified its faculty rightsizing plans beyond early retirement.