Our Shared Responsibility to Kentucky State

Kentucky State University means something deeply personal to each of us. For 140 years, generations have entered this University to learn and left prepared to serve. You carry that legacy with you, and I understand why questions about the direction of Kentucky State are met with such passion.

The recent vote of no confidence by the National Alumni Association reflects concern among members of our alumni community. I take those concerns seriously.

When I became president in July 2023, I knew Kentucky State faced significant challenges. The University had required $23 million in emergency funding from the Commonwealth and was operating under a state-mandated Management Improvement Plan and enhanced oversight. A special examination by the Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts had identified 20 findings involving financial management, internal controls, procurement, recordkeeping, and institutional oversight. Multiple financial audits were long overdue. Enrollment and retention presented significant challenges. Decades of deferred maintenance had left residence halls, classrooms, and offices in conditions that required substantial remediation, renovation, or closure. These were among the challenges confronting the University.

Those conditions were not created overnight, but I assumed responsibility for addressing them on my first day as president. I accepted that responsibility then, and I accept it today.

Despite it all, we continue to make progress. We have moved from noncompliance with 16 accreditation core requirements and standards to one remaining standard. That is meaningful, but one standard not in compliance is still one too many. Our financial systems and controls have required substantial work, and that work is not finished. We must demonstrate that the improvements made are sustainable, that our financial reporting is reliable and timely, and that Kentucky State is operating from a position of greater stability. As president, I am accountable to get us there.

I also recognize that we have not always communicated difficult information early, clearly, or as often as we should have. There have been times when we were so focused on solving the problems that we did not inform our community with all that we could. That has contributed to mistrust, particularly surrounding Senate Bill 185 and the changes taking place at the University. I understand that.

I work with legislators and state leaders throughout the year, as university presidents routinely do, to discuss Kentucky State’s challenges, needs, and future. Those conversations occurred before SB 185 was introduced. I did not write the legislation or know what its provisions would be before it was presented. Once it was introduced, my responsibility and focus were to advocate for Kentucky State and protect the opportunities available to our students.

Let me be equally clear: I have never and will never advocate for closing Kentucky State, merging it with another institution, turning it into a community college, diminishing our HBCU culture, or abandoning our 1890 land-grant mission. I believe deeply in our students, Mother KSU, and its future.

Our work is producing tangible results. The Class of 2026 earned 428 degrees and credentials, 28 percent more than the previous year and more than double the number from four years ago. Kentucky State will offer 70 degree and credential programs, including new programs in Aquatic Science, Sports Analytics, Public Policy, and Digital Communication, with Health Sciences in development. Historic investments are improving the places where our students live and learn and creating opportunities that simply did not exist a few years ago.

These accomplishments do not erase our challenges. Instead, they demonstrate why Kentucky State is worth the difficult work required to address them. Our alumni and supporters should not have to choose between celebrating Kentucky State and asking hard questions about it. You should do both, and you deserve the information necessary to do so.

That is why we will continue to provide regular updates on the measures that matter most: accreditation, financial performance and audits, enrollment, student success, and the implementation of the University’s academic plan. You deserve the ability to measure our progress, not simply hear us describe it.

I will also continue to meet with the National Alumni Association and alumni chapters across the country. I want those conversations to be candid. I also want to hear your ideas, because the future of Kentucky State cannot be built by an administration alone. Trust is earned through honesty, accountability, and communication, and ultimately, through results.

I understand that some alumni have lost confidence in my leadership. I will not dismiss that, and I will not question anyone’s love for Kentucky State because they disagree with me. My responsibility is to keep doing the work and to earn confidence through what we accomplish.

We will not agree on every decision. But we can agree that Kentucky State must be stronger five years from now than it is today. We can agree that our students deserve an institution that is financially sound, academically strong, safe, accredited, and prepared for the future. And we can agree that Kentucky needs its only public HBCU and 1890 land-grant university to thrive.

We are all Kentucky State and its stewards. Our shared love for this University gives us a place to begin.

I remain committed to doing my part.

Together, Onward and Upward,

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

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