Fifty not out: University commemorates half-century partnership with US College

An international partnership between the University of Exeter and a prestigious Liberal Arts college in the United States of America is celebrating 50 years of overseas study.

For the past five decades, students at Kenyon College in Ohio have taken the opportunity to spend a year with Exeter’s Department of English and Creative Writing, immersing themselves in the history, heritage and culture of Devon.

To commemorate the milestone, the two institutions have unveiled a new Master’s Progression Agreement that will open postgraduate educational opportunities in other areas of the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

Kenyon’s President, Julie Kornfeld, and Provost, Professor Jeff Bowman, visited Exeter to sign the agreement and meet leaders in the Global Partnerships team and Faculty.

“We were honoured to welcome President Julie Kornfield and Provost Jeff Bowman from Kenyon College to Exeter to celebrate a remarkable milestone: the 50th anniversary of our partnership,” said Professor Richard Follett, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement. “Over half a century, our joint programme has already enabled more than 400 Kenyon students to benefit from the experience of immersing themselves in Exeter’s Department of English and Creative Writing, enriching our own University community through their participation.”

Founded in 1824, Kenyon College is a private liberal arts institution in Gambier, Ohio, and home to around 1,800 undergraduates. Its alumni include Rutherford B Hayes, the 19th President of the United States of America; actor Paul Newman; and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Lowell.

Among the distinctive features of the partnership has been the exclusive ‘Kenyon-Exeter Seminar,’ a course taught by a resident Kenyon professor. It is designed to enhance the study abroad experience by focusing on cultural exploration, with a curriculum focusing on the history, heritage, and vibrant local life of Exeter.

The new Master’s Progression Agreement will provide access to a scholarship for any graduating Kenyon student, regardless of whether they have been on the Study Abroad programme, and will open up PGT programmes across the Faculty.

“I am excited that we are marking this milestone by expanding our successful collaboration and the options available to Kenyon students, introducing the opportunity to study any Master’s programme across Exeter’s Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences with a dedicated scholarship,” added Professor Follett.