Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chris Kennerly — the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s (ODEI) first dean and now sole employee — said he will be retiring “sometime after the end of the 2026–27 academic year” in an email to the Collegian. Kennerly has worked at the College for 26 years, under four College presidents and he has been part of ODEI since its inception. He is retiring to spend time with his wife and to move closer to his family in the Carolinas. 

“My wife reminds me that when we first came to Kenyon, I apparently told her we would only be here for five years.” Kennerly wrote to the Collegian, “By the time I retire, we will have stayed about 22 years beyond that five-year plan! Kenyon became much more than a temporary stop for us.”

According to Kornfeld, the College will be forming a committee to hire his replacement, “probably in January.” As Kennerly plans to finish the academic year, Kornfeld expects a smooth transition over the summer. Despite the turbulent national political environment around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, as well as a faculty letter in April that expressed a shared concern over the future of ODEI at Kenyon, Kornfeld affirmed her commitment to the principles of inclusion in an interview with the Collegian. 

Kennerly is hoping for a period of overlap between his successor and himself to “help identify the resources, relationships, institutional knowledge, and opportunities that are available to them so they can build upon what exists while developing their own vision for the office and its future.” But, Kennerly writes, he still can’t know how exactly the transition will play out. “I would certainly be willing to assist with the transition in whatever way would be most helpful,” he wrote.

ODEI is a relatively new institution at Kenyon — founded in 2014, the office has only existed for 12 of Kenyon’s 202 years. When asked for reflections on the state of the office, Kennerly wrote, “I hope that it will continue to grow in its scope, services, and ability to serve as a resource for Kenyon students and the broader campus community.” 

In the future, Kennerly hopes to see a more robust ODEI: “I would like to see ODEI have adequate staffing and resources so that the dean can serve as an even stronger resource across the institution.” ODEI, he believes, should be much more integrated into Kenyon’s academic departments and the human-facing side of the College. 

With all this talk of hopes for the future, it’s easy to forget that there is still plenty of time before the dean plans to depart. As Kennerly wrote, “I have 10-11 months left at Kenyon, so there’s still lots of work to be done, but my time here is drawing nigh.”

Editors-in-Chief Madeline Lawler and Mercer Thomas and Executive Director Erik Kim contributed to reporting.