Enacted legislation and historic state investment position the University for focused growth

FRANKFORT, Ky. — With Senate Bill 185 enacted and related action on state funding in place, Kentucky State University is entering an important period in its ongoing evolution as Kentucky’s only public HBCU and 1890 land-grant institution.

The law establishes a distinct path for academic planning and long-term stability, while recent budget action provides historic state investment to help carry that vision forward. Together, those developments give Kentucky State a stronger platform for targeted growth, modernized facilities, and a more focused future.

As enacted, SB 185 affirms Kentucky State as a four-year residential institution with a polytechnic focus on highly technical, industry-based applied learning, while continuing to offer liberal studies and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs aligned with the workforce needs of the Commonwealth and consistent with the historical mission of an HBCU.

That direction builds on progress already visible across Kentucky State in agriculture, food security, clean water, health sciences, social sciences, manufacturing engineering technology, biological and agricultural engineering, aquaculture and aquatic science, sports analytics, geospatial and drone technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, online learning, and other emerging fields.

It also reflects a broader path seen across leading HBCUs, where institutions such as Howard University, North Carolina A&T State University, Florida A&M University, Morgan State University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Tuskegee University have built national strength in STEM, health sciences, research, medicine, and the preparation of future leaders in high-demand professions.

“This is a defining moment for Kentucky State University,” said Dr. Koffi C. Akakpo, president of Kentucky State University. “The law gives us the opportunity to build on our strengths, honor our mission, and help define what a polytechnic-focused future can look like at a strong HBCU and 1890 land-grant institution. We are not leaving our identity behind. We are carrying it forward with greater focus, deeper purpose, and a clearer commitment to serving our students, our Commonwealth, and the future they deserve.”

Related budget action provides the largest financial commitment in Kentucky State University’s history: $105 million in all, including $50 million for a Health Sciences Center, $50 million in infrastructure and asset preservation funding, $3 million for expanded academic and workforce-aligned programs, and $2 million for growth in online and innovative program delivery.

The budget package further guarantees that the University’s General Fund allocation will remain intact over the next five years.

A centerpiece of that investment is the planned 59,000-square-foot Health Sciences Center, which will significantly expand Kentucky State’s capacity in nursing, respiratory therapy, public health, and related disciplines.

Designed with advanced simulation labs, classrooms, research labs, and community-facing clinic space, the facility will strengthen STEM+H pathways, deepen clinical readiness, and broaden the University’s role in preparing students for high-demand health professions. Funding for the project begins in the next budget year.

“As we move onward, Kentucky State University will remain firmly grounded in its HBCU culture, identity, and heritage, as well as its proud legacy as an 1890 land-grant institution,” said Tammi S. Duke, chair of the Kentucky State University Board of Regents. “Those defining qualities will be the foundation for the path ahead and for the University’s continued growth in purpose and impact.”

Because the law includes an emergency clause, implementation responsibilities begin immediately. In the months ahead, Kentucky State will work in partnership with the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education to define broader academic areas, align programs within them, and support students through that transition with clarity, time, and care.

Under the law, the Board of Regents, in consultation with CPE, must review academic programs for long-term viability and mission alignment, submit programs proposed to be maintained and any associated teach-out plans by June 1, 2026, and, beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, operate within no more than 10 academic areas of study for five academic years, excluding programs offered exclusively online, programs in education, and programs CPE determines are necessary to the University’s polytechnic mission.

“Kentucky’s students and communities are best served when institutions build from their strengths and align those strengths with the future needs of the Commonwealth,” said Dr. Aaron Thompson, president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. “Kentucky State has a distinctive role to play in that work, and CPE is committed to being a strong partner as the University shapes this next chapter with focus, accountability, and opportunity at the center.”

That planning will build on academic review already underway at Kentucky State through faculty governance, data-informed analysis, and its partnership with Gray Decision Intelligence, and it will be led by Dr. Michael D. Dailey, provost and vice president for Academic and Student Affairs.

“This will be a thoughtful academic planning process,” Dr. Dailey said. “Kentucky State is not beginning this effort from a standing start. We have already been reviewing our academic portfolio in ways grounded in mission alignment, student opportunity, market relevance, and long-term institutional strength. Our responsibility now is to continue and expand academic excellence, build on the standards of a strong HBCU and 1890 land-grant institution, and shape academic areas of study that position Kentucky State to serve Kentucky with rigor, relevance, and clarity of purpose.”

The enacted amendments also broaden discretionary undergraduate admission pathways for eligible transfer students, veterans, certain graduates of nonpublic schools, nontraditional-age students with demonstrable professional experience, and dual credit students. University leaders said those provisions can help Kentucky State widen access while strengthening alignment with the students and communities it is called to serve.

A second major area of focus will be led by Dr. Heather Bigard, chief financial officer and vice president for Finance and Administration.

This work will focus on continued review of outstanding obligations, strengthened financial oversight, collection efforts tied to unpaid balances and receivables, and the operational discipline required to support long-term financial stability. SB 185 also places Kentucky State under expanded CPE financial oversight during the period of financial exigency, while amendments to the bill extend certain timelines tied to delinquent balances and add protections for students on approved payment plans.

“Sound stewardship will matter at every step,” Dr. Bigard said. “Our task is to support the University’s future with disciplined financial management, clear accountability, and the operational structure required to sustain progress over time.”

The path ahead extends beyond academics and finance. It includes sustaining the full character of Kentucky State as a living campus community and building from the traditions, organizations, and student experiences that remain central to University life. The law affirms that fraternities and sororities currently in good standing will maintain their charter recognition, while preserving policies that respect freedom of association and apply equally to all student organizations.

The final House amendments reflected broad advocacy from students, alumni, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders who urged clearer recognition of Kentucky State’s culture, identity, and legacy, along with added attention to student pathways and campus life.

“This amended legislation reflects something our alumni have said clearly and consistently: Kentucky State University’s future must be built in a way that preserves its historic mission while strengthening its capacity to serve Kentucky,” said Barry C. Johnson, Jr., president of the Kentucky State University National Alumni Association. “We believe in the future of Kentucky State University. When you invest in Kentucky State University, you invest in Kentucky itself, in the communities that need it most, and in the students who have the most to gain.”

University leaders also expressed gratitude to the many elected officials who engaged the legislation seriously and helped strengthen it, including Sen. Christian McDaniel, Rep. Jason Petrie, House Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy, House Democratic Whip Joshua Watkins, Rep. George Brown Jr., and especially alumnus Sen. Gerald Neal ’67, along with the many students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the University who raised their voices throughout the process.

“Since its founding in 1886 and its designation as an 1890 land-grant institution four years later, Kentucky State has continued to grow and change in response to the needs of Kentucky,” Dr. Akakpo said. “From a normal school to a land-grant college to a university, Kentucky State has never stood still. This moment is best understood not as a break from who we are, but as another chapter in who we are becoming.”

More information, updates, and answers to frequently asked questions are available at kysu.edu/onwardupward. Questions and suggestions may also be submitted through the University’s online form available there.