Bill calling for polytechnic focus at KSU wins final passage
Sen. Christian McDaniel, R-Ryland Heights, and House Minority Whip Joshua Watkins, D-Louisville speak on Senate Bill 185 during Wednesday’s meeting of the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee. A high-resolution photo can be found here.
FRANKFORT — The Kentucky General Assembly passed a sweeping overhaul of Kentucky State University on Wednesday in a bid to strengthen the institution while preserving its historic mission as the commonwealth’s only public Historically Black College and University.
Senate Bill 185, sponsored by Sen. Christian McDaniel, R-Ryland Heights, proposes significant changes to the university’s structure, including a shift toward a workforce-focused, polytechnic model and increased financial oversight.
Lawmakers said they had questioned closing the university following a shooting on the campus last year along with concerns over ongoing financial mismanagement. Instead, they focused legislation on stabilizing the university’s finances and aligning academic programs with statewide workforce needs.
McDaniel said legislators met with KSU President Koffi Akakpo “and after hearing his recognition of the great days of Kentucky State and his vision for the future of Kentucky State, we became convinced that now was not the time to explore closure of Kentucky State, but rather to be a partner in the redefinition of this institution and what it means to the commonwealth.”
McDaniel said the bill recognizes the importance of having a vibrant public HBCU in Kentucky and the belief that high standards will lead to great outcomes.
The bill passed the House Committee on Appropriations and Revenue and cleared the House floor 90-1. It received final passage in the Senate with a 37-0 vote.
Lawmakers reworked several key provisions in the final version of the bill ahead of Wednesday’s action.
House Minority Whip Joshua Watkins, D-Louisville, said the revisions incorporated community feedback to address public concerns, demonstrating successful collaboration between legislators, the community, and KSU students.
“This is a very important piece of legislation that shows an example of what collaboration between the general assembly, both parties, the community, the faculty and staff, and the students of Kentucky State University can do once we all work together,” he said.
The final version of the bill aims to preserve key elements of KSU’s identity and history.
KSU would operate as a four-year residential polytechnic institution emphasizing technical, industry-based applied learning. It would also continue to provide liberal arts courses aligned with the state’s workforce needs and the institution’s historical mission.
The legislation tightens the university’s fiscal oversight. The Council on Postsecondary Education will review all financial transactions over $20,000 and receive monthly reports to help stabilize finances during a five-year financial exigency.
Enrollment standards in the original bill required a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale and an 18 on the ACT or a corresponding SAT score. The new version does not change these requirements but adds language to include dual-credit students, veterans, and other nontraditional students.
The bill also calls on the campus to faculty and staff necessary to support enrollment of at least 1,000 students, giving the university flexibility to grow its residential student body.
The bill includes debt collection measures, including referring debts of more than $1,000 to the Department of Revenue, intercepting state and federal tax refunds, and requiring detailed reporting on overdue student balances.
The final bill also protects students with approved payment plans, ensuring they are not disproportionately affected by stricter debt enforcement and may continue their enrollment.
Finally, the bill preserves KSU’s HBCU status and supports campus life by allowing recognized fraternities and sororities in good standing to remain on campus.
Lawmakers emphasized KSU’s historic role in educating African Americans prior to integration.
“Kentucky State was formed during segregation when African-Americans could not attend predominately white institutions,” Rep. George Brown Jr., D-Lexington, said. “Kentucky State was formed in 1886 and has proceeded to educate young African-Americans in this state and beyond.”
Senate Democratic Floor Leader Gerald A. Neal, D-Louisville, an alum from the university, spoke in support of the House changes to the bill.
“I’m encouraged by where we are today and the fact the legislature has the opportunity now, today, to step up in such a significant way, to establish a framework by which it not only reaffirms its original mission – which it is a HBCU, it comes out of the 1890 legislation back in the day – but it’s also carving out a bright future in terms of meeting those things that we know are important.”
House Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy, R-Paducah, emphasized that this legislation will positively impact the future of the university.
“I believe whole heartedly that this president and his administration down at Kentucky State University is going to turn this institution around and make it the great institution it once was,” he said.
The bill has been delivered to the governor and awaits his final decision.
