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KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY

PRESIDENT

The Board of Regents announces the search for the President of Kentucky State University and

invites nominations and applications for this exceptional opportunity. The successful candidate

will be a strategic and visionary leader who is committed to the University’s mission of

transforming the lives of students, families, and communities through quality education and

who can articulate the importance of supporting that mission to individuals, foundations,

corporations, and government agencies.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

Located in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region and in its historic capital city of Frankfort, Kentucky

State University is a public institution offering associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees to a

diverse student body of approximately 1,600.

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From its modest beginnings as a normal school for the training of black teachers for the black

schools of Kentucky, Kentucky State University has grown and evolved into a land-grant and

liberal arts institution that prepares graduates to compete in a multifaceted, ever-changing

global society. The University was chartered in May 1886 as the State Normal School for

Colored Persons, only the second state-supported institution of higher learning in Kentucky.

KSU became a land-grant college in 1890, and the departments of home economics, agriculture,

and mechanics were added to the school’s curriculum. Later, it was designated a liberal arts

institution and appropriate academic programs were offered. After numerous additions of

programs and three more name changes, the institution became Kentucky State College in

1952. In 1972, it became Kentucky State University and opened its School of Public Affairs.

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Over the past 30 years, more than 43 new structures or major building expansions have

enhanced Kentucky State University’s 882-acre campus, which includes a 311-acre agricultural

research farm and a 306-acre environmental education center.

While Kentucky State University accepts

students from all walks of life, it still maintains

pride in its heritage as an African American

Institution with the Center of Excellence for

Study of Kentucky African Americans.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Kentucky State University’s programs from associate to master’s degrees are accredited by the

Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Its

programs are organized as the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Studies; the

College of Mathematics, Sciences, Technology, and Health; and the College of Professional

Studies. The top undergraduate majors, based on enrollment, are nursing, business, criminal

justice, psychology, and physical education.

In addition to programs in its liberal arts and

land-grant fields, KSU offers professional

programs such as nursing and public

administration. Master’s degree programs

include the Master of Public Administration;

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Master of Science in Aquaculture/Aquatic Sciences; Master of Science in Computer Science;

Master of Business Administration; and Master of Arts in Special Education. While over 600

courses are offered annually on the KSU campus, selected programs are also available

completely online. In addition, students may gain credit for life experience based on the

presentation of a “portfolio of accomplishments” that documents appropriate achievements.

Kentucky State prides itself on providing student-centered learning while integrating teaching,

research, and service through high-quality undergraduate and selected graduate programs.

In the Fall of 2015, there were 129

faculty members (34 professors, 30

associate professors, 55 assistant

professors, 9 instructors, and 1

adjunct), including 61 who are tenured

and 41 who are on tenure track. The

student to faculty ratio is 11:1.

THE STUDENT BODY

At the beginning of the 2015 fall semester, 1,586 students enrolled at KSU. Student

characteristics included: 58% women and 42% men; 90% undergraduate and 10% graduate;

75% full-time and 25% part-time. Enrollment by race was as follows: 51% African American;

32% white; 3% Hispanic; and the remaining 14% Asian, American Indian, Pacific Islander, non-

resident alien, multi-races, and unknown. Residents of Kentucky were 69% of the class; 31%

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were out-of-state students. Seven residence halls are available and 32% of students live on

campus. Financial aid was disbursed to 84% of the students.

Kentucky State University students have a wealth of extracurricular activities available to them.

Over 60 clubs and organizations are available including academic clubs, honor societies like

Delta Mu Delta, the Student National Education Association, the Pre-Law Club, and the

Behavioral and Social Sciences Club. Non-academic clubs include the Seven-Eleven Social Cub,

the Sweethearts Club, the Chess Club, and the Baptist Student Union. Greek letter service

organizations, fraternities, and sororities include Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha

Sorority, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Phi

Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, and Iota Phi Theta

Fraternity.

The Kentucky State University Green and Gold Thorobreds and Thorobrettes compete in

Division II NCAA athletics and field the following teams:

Women: basketball, cross country, softball, volleyball, and track and field

Men: basketball, baseball, cross country, football, golf, and track and field

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Additional information is available at the websites for the Kentucky State University

(http://kysu.edu/) and the City of Frankfort. (http://www.frankfort.ky.gov/).

THE COMMUNITY

Kentucky state university is unique and strong in the local and state community in which it is

located. It is beautifully situated on a hill in Frankfurt, Kentucky, overlooking the Kentucky River

and located only a short distance from historic sites such as Daniel Boone’s grave and the State

Capitol Building. Kentucky State University endeavors to be a good neighbor to the citizens of

Frankfurt and the Commonwealth. The University seeks to support and enhance academic and

educational programs, provide assistance for agricultural endeavors, and work with children

and adults alike to further learning.

The University’s status as a land-grant institution and the work of the Office of Regional

Stewardship and Public Service are two examples of how this objective is achieved.

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THE FUTURE

Opportunities and Aspirations

The various constituencies of the

Kentucky State community—

Board of Regents, faculty,

students, alumni, administration,

staff, friends, and community

residents—have identified

significant opportunities and aspirations for Kentucky State at this point in its history to see the

institution move forward on several fronts. Presidential leadership is essential to guide

Kentucky State in the following:

Strengthening and implementing the institution’s recently developed strategic plan;

Increasing financial resources by building on current fund-raising efforts;

Promoting an environment of trust, enthusiasm, participation, cooperation, and

accountability;

Maximizing the advantage of Kentucky State’s location in the commonwealth;

Expanding Kentucky State’s prominence in higher education by re-building a strong

organizational structure and academic programs.

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THE PRESIDENT

Professional Capabilities and Personal Qualities

Kentucky State seeks a president

with demonstrated professional

capabilities and personal qualities

that, in effective combination, will

enable him or her to lead the

college in successful pursuit of the

desired opportunities and

aspirations.

Kentucky State’s distinguishing institutional characteristics—its status as a small state-

supported liberal arts college with a land-grant focus, its location in Frankfort, its distinctive

mission, and its institutional history—call for a set of particular professional capabilities in its

President. These include:

An earned doctoral degree or equivalent terminal professional education credentials;

A record of administrative success—at the dean/vice president level or higher;

A leader who advocates tirelessly on behalf of the university and its students, faculty,

and staff;

A collaborative leadership type that builds on relationships and a sense of community

and teamwork;

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A listener who builds respectful relationships across campus, in the community, and

with the state legislature;

An appreciation of Kentucky State’s distinctive culture and values, and its special niche

in higher education;

A leader possessing the experience and judgment to make sound business decisions in a

highly complex environment;

An administrator who is student-centered and genuinely enjoys interacting with

students;

An understanding of the broad range of complex issues and challenges now facing

higher education institutions in general, and HBCUs in particular.

PROCEDURE FOR NOMINATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

Inquiries, nominations, and applications are invited. Applications received by January 17, 2017,

will be given full consideration. Send a thoughtful letter of application addressing the

qualifications and desired attributes; curriculum vitae; and the names, addresses, phone

numbers, and email addresses of five references. Calls to references will occur later in the

search process and only with prior notification of candidates. All submissions will be treated in

confidence and should be sent electronically (MS Word format preferred) to

KSUPresident@academic-search.com. The committee is assisted by Senior Consultants, Dr.

Mac A. Stewart and Dr. Wanda Durrett Bigham, who can be reached at mas@academic-

search.com or wdb@academic-search.com. Dr. Stewart’s phone is 614-582-5622 and Dr.

Bigham’s phone is 334-425-6865.

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Equal opportunity shall be provided to all persons throughout the University. Kentucky State

University does not discriminate in the administration of or access to any educational services

or in regard to any employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual

orientation, age (except for minors), national origin, ethnicity, citizenship status (except as

required by law), disability, military service status, marital status or any other status protected

by law, absent a bona fide occupational qualification. Non-discrimination requires compliance

with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, including, but not limited to,

the following: Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the

Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the American with Disabilities Act.

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For more than three decades, Academic Search has offered executive search services exclusively to institutions of higher education. Academic Search was founded on the principle of strengthening higher education leadership through professional search services. We are the only search firm in the nation with a formal relationship to a premier leadership development program. As the subsidiary of the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), Academic Search provides substantial financial support to a number of leadership identification, development, and support programs across all sectors of public and private higher education. For more information, visit www.academic-search.com.