The State Journal reports that the Kentucky State University Board of Regents unanimously voted on Monday to dissolve its relationship with the Kentucky State University Foundation based on concerns about KSUF's lack of transparency, questionable stewardship of funds, and failure to align with KSU's mission "of solely supporting Kentucky State University’s students and programs...."
https://www.state-journal.com/education/k-state-board-of-regents-dissol…
In recent months, KSU has demanded full financial and operational transparency from the foundation. Records produced by the foundation to the university in response to these demands have been characterized by the regents as incomplete and disorganized.
The board has strongly urged the foundation to cease squandering funds intended to advance the university's mission on its open records case against The State Journal.
https://www.state-journal.com/education/ksuf-to-k-state-president-pleas…
The issue in the case is whether the Kentucky State University Foundation is a public agency under the open records law and its records subject to public access. In 1992, the Kentucky Supreme Court addressed the same issue, determining that the foundation is an agency of the university and that "[a]n interpretation of K.R.S. 61.870(1), which does not include the Foundation as a public agency, is clearly inconsistent with the natural and harmonious reading of K.R.S. 61.870 considering the overall purpose of the Kentucky Open Records law."
https://casetext.com/case/frankfort-pub-v-kentucky-st-un-found
The foundation has pursued its last available legal recourse in the current case -- which commenced in 2022 and has resulted in rulings by the Kentucky Attorney General, the Franklin Circuit Court, and the Kentucky Court of Appeals against the foundation and in favor of the newspaper -- by petitioning the Kentucky Supreme Court for discretionary review.
https://kyopengov.org/blog/state-journal-files-response-opposing-ksu-fo…
The Court has not yet decided whether it will review the opinion of the Court of Appeals.
The regents' June 24 vote included directions to draft a resolution formally severing ties with the foundation, to notify the foundation that the board wishes to dissolve the memorandum of understanding between the two, and to demand transfer of all funds from KSUF to KSU. That transfer will be overseen by KSU President Dr. Koffi Akakpo and the funds thereafter managed by the university.
"At Monday’s meeting," The State Journal reports, "KSU Vice President of Institutional Advancement and External Relations Michael DeCourcy told the board that the last written documentation the university received was from KSUF’s outside attorneys.
“'Our biggest disagreement with them is that the funds should support Kentucky State University,' he explained. 'Not a penny should be spent by KSU and the Kentucky State University Foundation on legal matters.'"
.
