KRS § 164.7503 Kentucky State University -- Duties of board of regents -- Review and closure of academic programs -- Limitations on areas of study -- Termination of employment.
AI-assisted research summary: Kentucky State University and its board must review academic programs, submit closure and teach-out plans by set deadlines, close programs approved by SACSCOC, limit academic areas of study, and follow SACSCOC accreditation instructions. The university president also has authority to terminate employment during the declared financial exigency with 30 days’ notice.
164.7503 Kentucky State University -- Duties of board of regents -- Review and closure of academic programs -- Limitations on areas of study -- Termination of employment. (1) The Kentucky State University board of regents, in consultation with the Council on Postsecondary Education, shall conduct a thorough review of all academic programs for long-term viability, financial stability, alignment with the university's mission as a polytechnic institution, the requirements of subsection (4) of this section, and other criteria determined by the board and the council, and determine the academic programs that the institution proposes to maintain. No later than June 1, 2026, the board shall submit to the council for approval: (a) A list of the programs the board proposes to maintain; and (b) A list of the programs the board recommends to submit to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) for closure or other substantive change and the corresponding proposed teach- out plan or teach-out arrangement for each program recommended. (2) The Council on Postsecondary Education shall review the proposals and any teach- out plan and teach-out agreement submitted by the Kentucky State University board in accordance with subsection (1) of this section and may direct the board to amend any portion thereof prior to submitting a substantiative change for the review and approval of SACSCOC. Any substantiative change request necessary under this section shall be submitted for the review and approval of SACSCOC no later than July 1, 2026. (3) Kentucky State University shall close each program approved for closure by the SACSCOC and implement the corresponding teach-out plan or teach-out agreement as approved by that accrediting body. (4) Beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year and continuing for five (5) academic years thereafter, Kentucky State University shall offer no more than ten (10) academic areas of study, excluding any program that is: (a) Exclusively online; (b) In the college of education; and (c) Determined by the Council on Postsecondary Education to be necessary to the university's mission as a polytechnic institution. (5) Notwithstanding any statute to the contrary, the president of Kentucky State University shall have the authority to terminate employment of any university employee, including tenured employees in accordance with university policy, upon thirty (30) days' notice for the entire duration of the financial exigency declared in KRS 164.7501. During this time, the university shall retain only the faculty and staff necessary to support the enrollment target of at least one thousand (1,000) in- person students and the programs maintained by the university in accordance with subsections (1) and (4) of this section. Faculty and staff employed in programs closed in accordance with this section shall be terminated but shall not be prohibited from applying for other positions available at the university. (6) Notwithstanding subsections (4) and (5) of this section, Kentucky State University shall abide by all instructions provided by SACSCOC that are required to maintain institutional accreditation. Effective: April 13, 2026 History: Created 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 120, sec. 2, effective April 13, 2026.