Bill that would replace most of Kentucky State University’s board passes in committee
A bill that would replace the majority of Kentucky State University’s board of regents passed unanimously out of the Senate Education Committee Monday night.
Senate Bill 265, filed last week by Sen. David Givens, R-Greensburg, would replace all eight Kentucky State Board of Regents members appointed by the governor by April 1. The board is made up of eight regents appointed by the governor and three others elected by students, faculty and staff to represent those groups.
“All of us in the room are aware of the vital role KSU plays in our postsecondary landscape,” Givens said. “In addition, all of us in the room are well aware of the challenges that have come to light in the fiscal management and the challenges in producing graduates that KSU has faced. This is the first step, a piece of legislation, to realign this board, refocus this board, give the governor a chance to basically reconstitute the board itself as we get ready to move through the legislative session.”
With the bill, there would be 16 nominations submitted to Gov. Andy Beshear by March 26, with selections for the KSU board made by April 1. The new board could include members who are currently or have previously served as regents, Givens said.
Past issues
KSU, Kentucky’s only historically Black university, has been under scrutiny in the past year for multiple issues, including a multi-million budget shortfall. Administrators have said they cannot operate beyond the spring semester without $23 million from the state, which was approved by the House last month, and an additional $7 million to balance the budget for the next school year.
The school also is facing several lawsuits, including a whistleblower lawsuit from the former staff regent who claims she was punished after revealing the school’s financial issues, and another lawsuit from the former president who claims he is owed severance after leaving the university last summer. KSU is suing the former president, saying he did not fulfill his duties and left the university in a poor financial state, damaging its reputation.
Aaron Thompson, president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, said there is urgency if the legislature decides they want to replace the board, given the ongoing search for a new KSU president.
“If we are going to have an all-new board, we need to get these folks seated soon,” Thompson said.
‘Kentucky State University must succeed’
Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville and a KSU alumnus, asked for commitment from the committee and the general assembly to supporting KSU on the road ahead. Historically, that support had not been there, Neal said. Now, in order for KSU to survive, there will need to be work done.
Growing up, his father told him, “When you want something to happen, you make it happen,” Neal said.
“That means that if you invest the time and effort that’s needed, in this instance or any other instance, then it will happen,” Neal said. “I’m not looking for failure. I’m looking for success.”
Givens said he is committed to helping the university, and said the Council on Postsecondary Education will be heavily involved in making sure the university is taking steps in the right direction. But if nothing changes over the next several years, the university could face closure, Givens said.
Sen. Reginald Thomas, D-Lexington and a KSU alumnus, said the state needs to “put the resources behind (KSU) to succeed.” While the university’s leadership has had missteps, Thomas said, the school also needs financial support in order to succeed.
“For me, closure is not an option for Kentucky State University,” Thomas said. “However, Kentucky State University must succeed. I think given the right amount of resources and dedication by this legislature, it can do that. It can thrive.”
Senate Bill 200
Another bill involving KSU has been introduced in a Senate committee. Senate bill 200 would provide a tuition waiver for current KSU students who transfer to a different Kentucky public institution.
Sen. Christian McDaniel, R-Ryland Heights, filed the bill last week. Students who are enrolled at KSU during the 2021-22 school year would be able to transfer to any public university in the state, or to a school within the Kentucky Community and Technical College System to obtain an associates or bachelor’s degree.
Tuition and mandatory fees, including housing and meal plan fees, would be waived if the bill passes. It has been moved to the Senate Appropriations and Revenue committee.