I Presidential Conversation
The Family Table
·_   .
As families throughout Big Blue Nation gather at their There are a number of _,     _
supper tables, so must we, too, gather as a family to discuss steps we must take, the te ‘   Te '
what we’ve been able to accomplish, what more can be done most critical ofwhich is    
and how we make our brightest hopes our society’s most re- your continued involve-
warding realities. ment in this process. Our .__
Over the past several months, I’ve been deeply engaged in alumni and friends are es- T,
collecting and synthesizing our rich data resources; I’ve met sential to ensuring the
with faculty, staff and students in UK’s academic and profes- University of Kentucky is ,
sional schools; and traveled from Pikeville to Paducah meet- innovative in its approach
ing with alumni and friends, community and business leaders to education, transforma- 2
and state lawmakers. tive research, and service 2  
At every stop, and in every meeting, people have shared to our community; and
their love for the university and expounded on profound ex- sustains a climate where the entrepreneurial spirit of our fac-
periences and benefits that UK provides its many communi- ulty, staff and students will thrive.
ties. We also have exchanged thoughtful dialogue on how we I encourage you to read the Review Committee’s full re-
can improve the work we do and the support we provide. port by visiting my website, vvww.uky.edu/ President/ re-
Complementing my campus and community conversa- view_report.pdf Their insight and reflection has been, and
tions, early in my term, I appointed a University Review will continue to be, of incredible value to the university.
Committee made up of faculty and key administrators. I We are at a critical juncture in the history of our institu-
charged them with the responsibility to distill information tion and we need your help — and your counsel. We need
supplied by our research group and prepare a set of recom- you to bring to us the ideas that you are uniquely passionate
mendations and planning actions that would help identify about that will improve the work we do and the way in
our institution’s path forward. which we do it. We stand on the precipice of great achieve-
Their report helped frame the Board of Trustees retreat in ment; we face considerable and significant challenges as we
early October. For two days we engaged in long discussions push toward the summit. But, with strategic action that har-
about where we are as a university. As importantly, we talked nesses our intellectual capacity and empowers the dynamic
with focus, resolve and a sense of urgency about where we characteristics of our university, we will move ahead.
need to go in the future. I`m confident you would have been It is an exciting time for the Big Blue Nation, and I con-
gratified by the depth of their discussions, their commitment tinue to grow more optimistic about our future. I’m grateful
to this institution`s future and their understanding of our and energized by your continued commitment to the Uni-
central and profound importance to the Commonwealth. versity of Kentucky. I wish you the best during the upcoming
Their message at the end of two days was clear: It is time to act. holiday season and a cheerful beginning to the year ahead.
We must act by enhancing and expanding the undergradu- Until next time; continue seeing blue, Wildcats!
ate experience in terms of student quality and academic pro-
gramming and opportunities for more Kentuckians and L
students from other states. To provide the education stu- EQ  
dents expect from a flagship, land-grant research institution,
we must renew and rebuild the academic core of our cam- Eli (japiloum
pus. We can no longer afford to accept the reality that our President
2Ist century faculty are working and teaching in 19th cen-
tury facilities.
S G G U G.
b I it
m everyt/yzng we da.
www.uka|umni.net 7