Student protesters marched at the state Capitol last week after news broke that lawmakers were moving quickly on Senate Bill 185. The measure would transition the school into a polytechnic university focusing on STEM classes and majors in high-demand fields.
In an email, Akakpo sought to reassure students that the HBCU's mission would not change.
The president said no current KSU student would be forced to transfer, all current majors would continue for enrolled students, the institution would not become a two-year or community college, and that the band, athletics, student organizations, fraternities, and sororities would remain.
The email also highlighted the bill's proposed funding for KSU, which includes investments in a $50 million health sciences building and $50 million for infrastructure and asset preservation, among other priorities.
Sen. Gerald Neal, a Democrat, told colleagues Friday he sees promise in the new proposal.
"We also recognize that there is an ability now to have a new start and to go into a position where (KSU) can project itself into the future," the KSU alum said.
Despite pushback from concerned students, the Senate voted unanimously to advance the bill Friday.
Polytechnic Transition
Senate Bill 185 re-envisions the state's oldest historically Black university as an institution focusing on industry prep and STEM classes.
"Kentucky State will transition to a polytechnic mission and become a polytechnic university over the next five years. There will still be liberal arts offerings on campus as well as online relative to that," Sen. Chris McDaniel explained. "Exigency is declared and any employment provisions are suspended. Employment status will be determined by the president."
KSU has weathered years of financial instability and Senate President Pro Tem David Givens reminded members of the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee Wednesday that the other option on the table was far more drastic.
"The aggressive schedule is necessitated by the alternative. The alternative that we had some frank conversations about was closure," he said.
If approved in its current form, the redefinition of KSU would see the school concentrating on no more than 10 areas of study in person, the number of in-person students would be around 1,000, and any student with an outstanding balance over $1,000 for more than 30 days would be blocked from admission. Those are only some of the changes included in the bill, which could add more flexibility as it moves through different committees and chambers.
The measure also gives KSU President Koffi Akakpo broad authority to oversee the transformation, including the authority to fire any employee with 30 days notice.