The UK Board of Trustees approves changes to the Regulations to ensure greater responsiveness to the needs and priorities of the country

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 14, 2024) — On Friday, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees overwhelmingly adopted changes to the UK Rules intended to be more responsive to the state’s needs and priorities.

The changes are part of Project Accelerate, an initiative launched by the board with UK President Eli Capilouto to explore how the university can and should accelerate progress in Kentucky, a focus of the institution’s strategic plan.

“The regulations that have been created are a response to what we asked President Capilouto to do,” said Kim McCann, vice chairman of the board, who chaired Friday’s meeting. “They prepare us for future success and are the result of thoughtful consideration, active consultation and honest feedback from across campus – exactly what needs to happen.”

In particular, the adopted changes include, among others:

• Clear definition of the role of the Board of Trustees in shaping educational policy, as well as the responsibilities of the rector and faculty in managing this policy.
• By more forcefully articulating academic freedom and faculty primacy in curriculum development in academic colleges.
• Strengthen the role that students and staff play, through their elected bodies, in providing advice on issues that are important to them and the institution as a whole.
• Dissolution of the University Senate and establishment of the Faculty Senate, consisting only of faculty members, consulting program matters with the rector or scientific director. Until this body is established and strengthened, an interim faculty executive committee will be established, chaired by Vice-Chancellor Bob DiPaola and made up of faculty from all 19 universities in the UK.

The Board also directed Capilouto to commence the process of reviewing and revising the institution’s Administrative Regulations, governance and operations policies, which must be in line with the UK Regulations. This process, which will involve community members from across campus, will take several months.

Project Accelerate has formed five working groups—made up of campus leaders—to explore issues such as strategic enrollment growth, an overhaul of the university’s core education program, ways to increase statewide partnerships, and efforts to recruit and retain world-class professionals -class staff.

The fifth working group examined both internal and external regulations and policies to understand whether changes needed to be made to position the university to respond to state priorities.

Capilouto conducted a months-long process of collecting opinions and ideas through interviews with hundreds of students, faculty and staff. Both the Staff Senate and the Student Government Association supported this process and reforms.

“Sometimes changes are necessary,” McCann said. “You have to be open to that to survive and thrive in a very dynamic economy. This process was carried out properly. People were heard. Ideas were considered and policy recommendations were formulated, revised and refined. I am excited about how this process – and these reforms to our governance policies – are preparing us for future success.”