LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Nearly all proposed reductions to the University of Kentucky’s operating budget were restored by the end of the state legislative session, according to the university’s president.
UK President Eli Capilouto sent an email to the campus community announcing that the general operating funds for UK and other Kentucky higher-education institutions will remain at current levels throughout the next two years.
“This outcome is significant and welcomed, as we had been facing substantial reductions that would have posed real challenges to our mission and momentum,” Capilouto said in his email.
Along with restored funding, Capilouto said UK will receive around $30 million for asset preservation over the next two years.
The General Assembly also enacted legislation to encourage the university’s strategy in addressing health care workforce shortages, according to Capilouto, and passed a bill charging the Board of Trustees to outline a process in which departments or units can be shut down under “extreme financial stress.”
Capilouto also said legislation, with open, permissive language, was adopted that allows UK to establish a civic center on campus with flexibility in its establishment, academic content and curriculum.
“I am grateful to the many faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners who helped make our case throughout this session,” Capilouto said. “What you do makes a profound difference for Kentucky and policymakers who know that and want to find ways to invest in that mission.”
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