Anci Takes Admissions Helm

Diane C. Anci, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission at Mount Holyoke College, joins Kenyon as vice president of enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid on July 1.

Anci has worked in admissions at Mount Holyoke, in South Hadley, Massachusetts, since 1990. Mount Holyoke is a highly selective, residential liberal arts college for women, with an enrollment of about 2,180.

“Diane is well-versed in all facets of enrollment,” President Sean Decatur said. “She has demonstrated a mastery of the admissions process and has a finely tuned appreciation for the liberal arts experience. Diane is creative and imaginative, and she’s a team player. We are very pleased that she is joining the Kenyon community.”

Anci, who has enjoyed a successful tenure at Mount Holyoke, is poised for a new challenge. “Kenyon is a dream,” she said. “All that I have learned about higher education has sharpened my draw to exceptional places, and Kenyon is very clearly that. I always have admired Kenyon’s remarkable commitment to and strength in the liberal arts. I am thrilled that my next challenge will happen at a place and on a team that aligns with my personal values.”

She served as interim vice president for enrollment and dean of admission at Mount Holyoke from July 2010 to March 2012 before assuming her current title. She began serving Mount Holyoke as dean of admission in 1998, working up from assignments as assistant and then associate director of admission. She previously worked as an admission associate at Barnard College.

Barry F. Schwartz ’70, chair of the Kenyon College Board of Trustees, thanked the search committee for identifying such a talented successor to Jennifer Delahunty, the vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid at Kenyon since 2003. “In Diane Anci, we have found a high-achieving admissions professional to take on this important work and continue to deliver the message to the finest prospective students and their families that the liberal education provided at Kenyon is a path to an engaged and successful life,” Schwartz said.

According to Anci, challenges for liberal arts colleges include consumer concerns about the expense of higher education and the perception that the liberal arts are not focused enough on preparing students for post-graduate success. “Families, more than ever, want to understand the value of a liberal arts education and how it leads to successful careers,” Anci said. “We must affirm the needs of families and make sure the benefits of what we do are crystal clear.”

Anci is married to Joseph Mangine, a psychologist in independent practice, and they have a son, Adrian, who is 11.

She follows Delahunty, who chose to pioneer regional representation for the College on the West Coast as associate dean of admissions.

Bonham Back on the Hill

Meredith Harper Bonham ’92, senior associate dean of students for strategic initiatives and Title IX coordinator at Hamilton College, joins Kenyon as vice president for student affairs on July 1.

Bonham has served Hamilton in a number of roles across divisions since 1993. Hamilton is a highly selective, residential liberal arts college in Clinton, New York, with an enrollment of 1,850.

“Meredith has a strong record of leadership within a distinguished liberal arts college, proven experience in moving difficult initiatives forward, and a keen sensitivity to the student experience,” President Sean Decatur said. Bonham arrived at Hamilton in 1993 as assistant dean of admission. She moved to the office of communications and development in 1998 as associate director for annual giving and, in 1999, joined the office of the president, where she served as executive assistant to the president and secretary to the board of trustees. She became chief of staff in 2009. Bonham took on student affairs responsibilities in her current role in 2011.

“I have loved Kenyon from the moment I first visited campus as a prospective student,” Bonham said. “I am exceptionally honored to be now returning to my alma mater in a role that is a perfect blend of opportunities and challenges. Kenyon is moving forward on an exciting trajectory under President Decatur’s leadership. It is inspiring to know I will be part of the College’s future.”

Bonham’s work as Title IX coordinator, chair of the Hamilton emergency response team, and chair of a first-year experience committee will be invaluable, said Barry F. Schwartz ’70, chair of the Kenyon College Board of Trustees. “Given her record of accomplishment, Meredith is well-suited to take on this vital role at Kenyon, and as an alumna she fully appreciates the unique value of the Kenyon student experience,” Schwartz said. “We expect her to build on the strong foundation in student affairs established by Dean of Students Hank Toutain. They will make a formidable team.”

Bonham fills the role of vice president for student affairs with oversight and planning responsibilities for the Division of Student Affairs. Toutain retains his title as dean with a focus on specific student and family issues and conflict resolution.

Bonham and her husband, Jay Bonham, associate dean of admission at Hamilton and a 1993 Hamilton alumnus, are the parents of sons Charlie, 14, and Teddy, 9. “We are really looking forward to immersing ourselves in our new community,” she said.