Kentucky State University has always been a university of promise. As we celebrate
our 140th anniversary, I am reminded not only of what this University has meant to
generations of students, but also of our responsibility to ensure that promise continues
for those who will follow us.
As chair of the Kentucky State University Board of Regents and a proud alumna, I want to take this moment to address an alumni association meeting held virtually on August 5 and to respectfully disagree with the action taken there. At the same time, I want to make clear that I respect the right of our alumni to express their views and to care deeply about the future of the institution we all value.
I believe leadership should be evaluated by results, vision, and an unwavering commitment to our students. Kentucky State has faced significant financial, operational, and institutional challenges in recent years, and those challenges did not develop overnight. I also have witnessed the difficult and disciplined work President Koffi C. Akakpo and his leadership team have undertaken to address them and position the University for a stronger future.
Today, the Board of Regents renewed President Akakpo’s employment contract. I supported that action enthusiastically, unequivocally, and wholeheartedly because I have every confidence in his commitment to Kentucky State, our students, and the direction in which the University is moving.
That confidence does not mean our work is finished or that we should minimize the challenges ahead. Strengthening an institution requires perseverance, accountability, and a willingness to make difficult decisions. Those are expectations I believe the Board must continue to hold as we build upon the progress already underway.
Our goal should be to work with everyone who loves and supports Kentucky State. Students, alumni, faculty, staff, elected leaders, donors, community partners, and friends of the University may not always agree on every issue, but we share something more important: a belief in Kentucky State and in the role this University must continue to play in the Commonwealth.
Kentucky needs a strong Kentucky State University. Our graduates educate our children, care for our communities, conduct research, build businesses, serve the public, strengthen agriculture, and contribute to Kentucky’s workforce and economy. As Kentucky’s only public HBCU and an 1890 land-grant university, our responsibility extends far beyond the boundaries of our campus.
The Board’s responsibility is not simply to oversee Kentucky State as it exists today. It is to help ensure that the University is stronger tomorrow. I believe renewing President Akakpo’s contract affirms the direction of the University and gives us a clear mandate to build upon the progress underway while maintaining the accountability our students, alumni, taxpayers, and Commonwealth rightly expect.
I remain proud of Kentucky State, confident in its future, and committed to working with everyone who shares our belief in what this University can become.
Onward and Upward,
Tammi Dukes
Chair, Kentucky State University Board of Regents
Kentucky State University Alumna