UK Board adopts changes to rules to position campus for progress

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 26, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees on Friday overwhelmingly gave initial approval to revisions to the institution’s Governing Regulations as part of an effort to “accelerate” UK’s efforts to serve the state.

“Our rules and regulations – our processes and procedures — are important: not solely because they instruct people what to do or what not to do, but in how they guide and empower an institution to act and reach its potential. The rules, as President Capilouto has said, should help, not hinder, our work,” said Britt Brockman, chair of the UK Board of Trustees. “We have, frankly, discovered by examining what other institutions like us do, and listening intently to hundreds of community members, that far too often our rules and our governance structure hinders progress. We are an outlier. And now that we know that we have a responsibility to make changes.”

The board — in a vote of 19 to 1 — gave initial approval in a first reading to revisions to the institution’s Governing Regulations, the most important rules and governing principles for the institution. The board now will give a second reading, and final approval, at its June meeting, following a month of feedback from campus shared governance bodies.

The proposed revisions that the board gave initial approval for include significantly revised Governing Regulations that:

Clearly delineate the board’s role as the policy making body for the university and the president as the institution’s chief executive who implements the policy direction in consultation with the campus community.

Reaffirm the primary role of the faculty in educational practice (the curriculum) and the development and review of academic policies as well as a strong statement of support for academic freedom as a foundational value.

Define a shared governance structure — the work of elected students, faculty and staff — in closer alignment with what other institutions like UK have in place.

Direct a process for revising and putting in place Administrative Regulations, the day-to-day management and operational policies that direct much of the work of the institution.

The proposed revisions were the culmination of months of feedback, led by President Eli Capilouto, who engaged in community conversations with more than 1,000 students, staff and faculty across the campus. 

From those conversations, Capilouto developed a set of principles that received multiple rounds of feedback from the campus. They included the idea of ensuring that more voices, particularly those of students and staff, could be included in decision-making on the campus as well as more authority by faculty at the college and departmental level for curricular matters.

To ensure those principles are put into place, Capilouto proposed transitioning the University Senate — which already is primarily composed of faculty — to a faculty-only body. Further, the existing Staff Senate and Student Government Association would have clearly established areas — ranging from compensation to tuition, respectively — that they would be consulted on before decisions were made.

Finally, a President’s Council — composed of equal numbers of students, faculty and staff —would be established to consult with the president on the most significant policy matters confronting the University, such as the budget and strategic plan, among other issues.

These new shared governance approaches and structures are contained in the revised Governing Regulations, which were given initial approval by the board on Friday.

The impetus for the proposals was a direction the Board of Trustees gave to Capilouto in February to provide recommendations on changes to the institution’s rules and regulations that will position UK to “accelerate” its progress in how it serves Kentucky. 

In October, as part of its annual retreat, the board heard from economic, health and governmental leaders across the state. Many commented on the impact of ongoing partnerships with UK, but all of them also indicated that they needed the university to do even more in advancing the state.

Dubbed “Project Accelerate,” the board directed Capilouto and the campus community to:

• Develop plans for how to grow enrollment, particularly in areas aligned with state workforce needs; 
• Examine the curriculum to ensure that it is preparing students for careers;
• Recommend ways to expand partnerships throughout the state as part of the university’s service mission; 
• Develop initiatives to improve employee recruitment and retention efforts;
• And analyze the current external and internal regulatory climate and whether it was positioning UK to accelerate its efforts and progress.

Five workgroups, from across the campus, were formed to tackle these issues. The workgroup formed around the regulatory climate, among other things, examined governing rules and structures from among more than two dozen universities. 

The examination concluded that UK is an “outlier” in its governance structure and regulatory processes in ways that could inhibit the university’s capacity to be responsive to the state’s priorities. Substantive reports and recommendations from more of the workgroups are anticipated at the board’s June meeting.

“Throughout my conversations with more than a thousand community members, it has become abundantly clear that all of us care deeply about this community and the way we accomplish our goals. I believe this is the right time to make a sustainable change. I believe we are the right community for this work,” Capilouto said. “And I also believe that if we don’t do this now, we will be in this situation again — asked to do more, but unable to do so because our rules and structure stymie progress and deter innovation. 

Change can be uncomfortable — that’s why they’re called growing pains. But if we are to live up to our promise and to our potential, we must be willing to evolve with the world around us.”