On Tuesday, James Jackson, senior director of campus life and interim associate dean of Student Affairs, announced his resignation from Kenyon to a small audience of students. His last day will be Feb. 13.

Jackson, who has worked at Kenyon since August 2016, has worn many hats during his time in Gambier. Jackson started as the director of Student Rights and Responsibilities before also taking on his current position as the senior director of campus life in February 2022. He has served as interim associate dean of Student Affairs and interim associate dean of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Throughout his time, Jackson oversaw the student conduct process, which reviews alleged violations of Kenyon’s policies, including hazing and alcohol use.

Starting Feb. 23, Jackson will be serving as the dean of students and belonging at the University of Redlands, a small, private university in Redlands, California.

At Kenyon, Jackson has assisted students in a wide range of ways. In his differing roles, he has been responsible for student accountability and rule enforcement as well as helping out in interim capacities, such as Student Affairs and Residential Life. “Those experiences have prepared me for that next step,” Jackson stated in an interview with the Collegian. “So when I go there [Redlands], I’ll be overseeing ResLife, Student Conduct, wellness and counseling and belonging, so all areas that I’ve kind of at least dabbled with and worked closely with over my time here.”

“I am extremely grateful to the Kenyon Community, especially the students, for allowing me the privilege of supporting, serving and guiding them for nearly a decade,” Jackson wrote in a separate email to the Collegian. “While I am excited about the new opportunity, leaving students behind makes the transition bittersweet.”

During his time at Kenyon, the Office of Student Engagement has seen a significant turnover in staff with both Coordinator of Student Engagement Wendy Newell and Director of Student Engagement Caleb Young leaving Kenyon. “It’s one of those things where … opportunities exist, right? And people just kind of have to take those opportunities,” Jackson said. “But the nature of staff is, you’re completely committed while you’re here. You serve as best you can while you’re here. But that, again, prepares you for the next thing.”

A formal announcement about Jackson’s decision has not yet been made. However, an email from the University of Redlands is set to come out this week announcing his new role at that college.
Jackson explained that this decision was not made lightly and that sharing the news with the students he has formed relationships with was important to him. “What I did [on Tuesday] was invite about 20 students that I had relationships with, some first years, some seniors, and just tried to explain to them that I was leaving, why I was leaving, and also tell them thank you, because those are individuals that, from a student perspective, allowed me to just have joy in what I’m doing,” Jackson said.

Mae Ling Gorin ’26, manager of the Crozier Center for Women, expressed her appreciation for Jackson’s work at Kenyon. “It has been an honor to know James Jackson as someone who is always encouraging and is someone that I relied on to keep me grounded when conflict arose,” she wrote in an email to the Collegian. “His new place of work is lucky to have him.”

When asked what he would miss most about Kenyon, Jackson replied: the people. “Every place thinks that it’s beautiful. And I normally don’t buy into that. And then I get here, and this is a unique place. We’re wonderful people, our students are,” he said. “The people, the place, the opportunity to hear from nationally renowned speakers and experts in their field, it’s going to be something that I miss.”