As the fall semester quickly approaches, the Kentucky State University faculty and staff will convene in-person for the beginning-of-semester tradition of Encampment. The focus for Fall 2021 Encampment is “Strategic Directions: Our Campus, Constituents, and Culture”. 

Kentucky State University Acting President Clara Ross Stamps said participants can expect to discuss and examine campus culture, priorities and our path onward. 

“Recent events must be recognized with the understanding that together, we are navigating challenging times, as an organization, as a community of educators and students, as individuals and as a society amidst an ongoing pandemic and social issues that combine to foster concern and uncertainty,” President Stamps said. “As members of a shared campus community, I believe it is important for leadership to be intentional in listening to better understand the concerns of our students, faculty, and staff. Yes, audits and organizational reviews are underway – accountability, action and transparency are priorities. There is much to be done - first of which is for our community to collect ourselves, look ahead and embrace a shared resolve to keep our focus on our primary mission to provide the best possible environment for academic, professional, personal and educational achievement for our campus and community. Kentucky State University is committed to creating a working and learning environment that is respectful, welcoming and inclusive.”

Encampment takes place Monday, Aug. 9 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the Carl H. Smith Auditorium of David H. Bradford Hall. Breakfast and registration take place from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. 

Dr. Aaron Thompson, president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) and former interim president of Kentucky State University, is one of the Encampment speakers. Thompson, with expertise in organizational change, has authored and co-authored multiple books, including “Implementing Innovative Leadership in an Inclusive Learning Environment”. Thompson has also authored or co-authored numerous books and peer-reviewed publications on diversity, cultural competence, first-year experience programs, retention, and student success, among other topics.

Thompson received his doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Kentucky, with an emphasis on organizational leadership. He earned a master’s degree in industrial sociology from the University of Kentucky, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Eastern Kentucky University. In 2019, he was inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame.

After lunch, Encampment participants will hear from Dr. Helio Fred Garcia, author and recognized expert in the field of issue communication, and leadership among other topics.

Garcia is the president of Logos Consulting Group. Based in New York, Garcia has been on the New York University faculty since 1988. He is also an adjunct associate professor of professional development and leadership at Columbia University, where he teaches ethics, crisis, and leadership in the Professional Development and Leadership program of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.  Counseling clients in numerous countries on six continents, Garcia has coached more than 400 CEOs of major corporations, plus thousands of other high-profile people in other complex fields, including doctors, scientists, lawyers, financial executives, military officers, and government officials. He is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and a frequent guest lecturer at the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania, U.S. Defense Information School, the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College, U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidate School, U.S. Air Force Air War College, the Brookings Institution, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and other universities around the world. He holds an MA in philosophy from Columbia University and two graduate certificates in classical Greek language and literature from the Latin/Greek Institute of the City University of New York Graduate Center.  He has a BA with honors in politics and philosophy from New York University, where he was named a University Honors Scholar and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.  He received an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from Mount Saint Mary College.

Encampment will conclude with a breakout session with the campus community, not including senior leadership and led by third-party industry experts, to promote courageous conversations about campus climate and culture.

Indoor masking, regardless of vaccination status, is required at Kentucky State in order to protect members of our campus community.