A New Year, a New Semester, the Budget

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 8, 2021) — University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto emailed the campus community Friday, Jan. 8, apprising faculty, staff and students of the first step in the state budget process and UK's place in it.  The message is below.

Dear Campus Community,

I hope you enjoyed – and found rest in – a well-deserved break from campus the past two weeks. Many of our colleagues, of course, continued to work in support of students and operations that must be maintained throughout the year, whether the campus is open or closed. I hope those colleagues as well found, at least some moments, for renewal and rejuvenation.

As we prepare for the start of the spring 2021 semester, I wanted to provide an update on the status of a budget for the state. Last night, Gov. Andy Beshear presented his proposed budget for the state for the coming year – July 2021 to June 2022. Here is what we know:

• The proposed budget includes a 1 percent increase in base funding for UK and all public universities next year. That would represent a $2.65 million increase in funding on our current base appropriation of about $265 million annually. There is also a proposed increase in performance-based funds, which measures our progress in areas such as enrolling and graduating students – measures that because of your tremendous work we have excelled at in recent years.
• The governor’s proposal is the first step in the budget process. Both the Kentucky House and Senate will now consider the budget proposal. We will work closely with these policymakers to make our case for the critically important work we do in education, research, service and care for the Commonwealth. We remain deeply appreciative of the support the governor and legislators provide to this institution and our mission.

I will keep you updated throughout this process, as the state’s financial support is a key pillar for the university budget for next year, as it is in all years.

In the coming days, we will provide updates on preparations we are making for the return to campus of more members of our community, including our plans for COVID testing and other measures we are taking to ensure the health and safety of everyone. I am also looking forward to providing some updates soon on exciting work occurring as part of our ongoing focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

In the midst of inevitable challenges this semester, we must – and I know we will – be focused: on the health and safety of everyone, on our mission of service for Kentucky and on sustaining a community where everyone feels a sense of belonging and acceptance. Thank you for all you do to make our mission and our focus possible.

Eli Capilouto

President