CPE approves recommendations of postsecondary feasibility study

November 20, 2023

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education approved the release of recommendations made in its postsecondary feasibility report during its business meeting on Nov. 17 in Frankfort. The study, which was developed in response to Senate Joint Resolution 98 (SJR98), focused on Kentucky’s postsecondary governance structure, feasibility of a new public university in southeast Kentucky and the feasibility of the proposed split of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). The full report will be submitted for legislative review Dec. 1.

The Council also approved capital project requests from KCTCS campuses. Requests included:

• funding for Big Sandy Community and Technical College to upgrade facilities for the Pikeville Regional Technology Center nursing program
• roof replacement for the Southcentral Community and Technical College Franklin Simpson Center
• signage for the Southcentral Community and Technical College campus
• mobile healthcare labs for Owensboro Community and Technical College
• Bluegrass Community and Technical College property acquisition

In other action, the Council approved two new programs for the University of Kentucky: a Bachelor of Arts in sports leadership and a Bachelor of Science in statistics and data science. The sports leadership program will focus on leadership across sport and fitness industries through sports psychology, management and leadership. The statistics and data science program will equip students to execute all stages of data analysis, from data acquisition and exploration to application of statistics and machine learning methods for the creation of data.

Committee appointments were made to several Council committees, including:

• LaDonna Rogers, Kevin Weaver and Jennifer Collins to the 2023-24 Nominating Committee.
• Karyn Hoover (representing the University of Kentucky) and Kevin Weaver (representing the state universities) to the KET board.
• LaDonna Rogers (chair), Cliff Maesaka, J.P. Hamm, Michael Muscarella, Beth Brinly, Vestena Robbins, Beth Shafer, Amy Mitchell Cowley, Kelli Selvage and Mason Dyer to the newly formed Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund Steering Committee.

In other business, the Council:

• Received reports from CPE President Aaron Thompson and Kentucky Department of Education Interim Commissioner Robin Fields Kinney.
• Heard reports from the Academic and Strategic Initiatives Committee, Executive Committee, Finance Committee and the Committee on Equal Opportunities.
• Reviewed Good News reports submitted by Kentucky’s public and AIKCU campuses.

Council meeting materials are available here.

The next meetings of the Council will be held Jan. 18-19 at Bellarmine University.