Beshear names members of Kentucky State University board

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Gov. Beshear appointed eight members Thursday to Kentucky State University's Board of Regents. Nominees include a former Kentucky governor, a former state auditor and several KSU alumni.

KSU, the state’s only public historically Black university, has remained under state oversight since last summer, when concerns about the school’s finances and lawsuits alleging misconduct by campus officials came to a head.

A state report, ordered by Beshear, later found evidence of poor financial management by university leadership.

Last week, the Democratic governor signed legislation that required him to appoint a new board by April 4. The board, which will have to be confirmed by the Senate, is tasked with steering the 136-year-old institution though a financial recovery and an extensive review of departments, programs, faculty and staff.

State lawmakers passed legislation Wednesday that mandated the evaluation. The bill also appropriated an extra $15 million for the school, in addition to the $23 million school officials had requested to stabilize the school’s finances.

If signed into law, the KSU Board of Regents would have the authority to fire any employee, including tenured employees, upon a 30-day notice. The board would also be required to suspend its search for a university president until April 15, 2023.

In a statement, Beshear said he was grateful that a group “of highly qualified individuals, with diverse backgrounds and expertise, has stepped up to serve KSU students, staff and alumni through their work on this board.”

“They are helping ensure the university’s long-term success, and when KSU succeeds, Kentucky succeeds," he added. "As the state’s only public HBCU, this university holds a unique place in our past, present and future, helping make...