Dear Thorobred Family,

As Senate Bill 185 awaits review by Gov. Andy Beshear, I know the past several weeks have brought a great deal of emotion across our campus community.

There has been concern and uncertainty, certainly. But there has also been pride, relief, and renewed energy, because students, alumni, faculty, staff, and supporters stepped forward, spoke up, and helped strengthen the amended version of this legislation in meaningful ways.

That deserves to be acknowledged.

Throughout this process, the Thorobred Family made clear that Kentucky State University could not be treated as an abstraction. You represented this institution as people who know it, care about it, and understand what is worth protecting. Your advocacy helped produce important improvements in the amended bill, and your presence reminded others that Kentucky State is a living institution with a proud history, a distinctive mission, and a community deeply invested in its future.

I am also grateful to elected officials in both the House and Senate who engaged this legislation seriously and helped improve the amended bill, including Sen. Christian McDaniel, Rep. Jason Petrie, House Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy, House Democratic Whip Joshua Watkins, Rep. George Brown Jr., and especially our own alumnus, Sen. Gerald Neal ’67. I am likewise grateful to Barry Johnson Jr., president of the Kentucky State University National Alumni Association, for his visible advocacy and strong voice throughout this process.

Those changes matter because they provide greater clarity about who Kentucky State is and must remain. The amended language explicitly preserves Kentucky State University as a four-year institution, an 1890 land-grant university, and the Commonwealth’s only public HBCU. It also strengthened student access pathways and maintained important elements of campus life that matter to the character and experience of this University. Those improvements did not happen by accident. They happened because people paid attention, engaged thoughtfully, and insisted that Kentucky State’s voice be heard.

So while we await the Governor’s decision, we do so from a stronger position than before. This community helped improve the bill. That is worth recognizing, and it is worth appreciating.

At the same time, I know the amended bill did not remove every question or every concern. Some provisions still require careful review and continued attention, and important questions remain about what implementation could mean over time if the bill is enacted. That is why we will keep reading closely, planning responsibly, and communicating clearly.

For students, I want to be especially clear about what matters most. No student needs to transfer or worry about whether they will be able to complete the degree they began at Kentucky State University, regardless of any changes we may make to academic programs. We remain committed to helping every student make progress toward graduation and to providing a clear path to degree completion. That commitment does not change because a bill is being debated, amended, or reviewed. It remains a core responsibility of the University.

More broadly, Kentucky State is not approaching this period from a standing start. For some time now, the University has been engaged in annual academic review, institutional strengthening, and clearer alignment between mission, student opportunity, and the needs of Kentucky. Through an established faculty-governance process, we have been asking which programs we should stop, start, or grow.

That work has included difficult decisions to discontinue some programs and the launch or expansion of others tied to workforce demand and public need. We have continued building in areas such as engineering, health, technology, agriculture, and aquaculture, while also affirming the broader liberal studies educational foundation that helps students think critically, communicate clearly, lead effectively, and serve with purpose.

That is important context. Kentucky State is not new to this work. We have already been making hard decisions, strengthening our academic portfolio, and sharpening our direction. The current conversation adds urgency and complexity, but it does not erase the progress already underway.

This period has also shown Kentucky State at its best. We have seen students and alumni show visible pride in their University. We have seen people engage not with resignation, but with resolve. We have seen advocates insist that Kentucky State’s future be discussed in a way that reflects both realism and respect. That kind of engagement is not a weakness in an institution. It is one of the clearest signs of institutional strength.

In the days ahead, our focus will remain where it should be. We will continue to advocate for Kentucky State University in a manner that protects what matters most, strengthens what must be strengthened, and positions this institution for long-term stability and success. We will continue working in partnership with the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and with state leaders who understand the importance of getting this right. We will continue sharing updates and resources through our Onward and Upward webpage so that members of our campus community and broader University family can find current information in one place.

Most of all, we will continue the daily work that gives this University its meaning: teaching, learning, advising, mentoring, researching, serving, and helping students build lives of purpose and possibility.

Kentucky State University has not reached this point by accident. It has endured through generations because people believed in it enough to defend it, strengthen it, and carry it forward. That spirit was visible again over these past several weeks, and it deserves our gratitude.

Thank you for your advocacy. Thank you for your care for this institution. And thank you for the pride you continue to show in Kentucky State University.

Onward and Upward,

Koffi C. Akakpo, Ph.D.
President
Kentucky State University