I Presndentnal Conversatnon
The Kentucky Promise
Over the last several months, I have crisscrossed Kentuclqr creativity and stir the soul. *   _‘
and traveled throughout the United States meeting thousands Our agenda is about _,     _
of university alumni and friends. At each stop, I have been how these facilities trans- or ‘   Te '
warmly embraced by the Big Blue Nation; I’ve heard stories form the way we educate    
about your college experience at UK and the incredible success and prepare students to
you’ve enjoyed in your personal and professional careers. These succeed in their life be- .__
stories exemplify the soul of our university and our commit- yond college. This pub- is
ment to our institution’s promise to Kentuclq. lic/ private partnership to
In my last letter, I shared the foundation of our renewed ef- build a model campus for ,
fort to honor that promise. Over the last several months, we our students, faculty, and
have refined how we best fulfill our commonly held and staff is part of our univer- 2
shared mission with uncommon resolve — building a bright sity-wide effort to restore 2  
beacon of hope for our Commonwealth and country. our physical plant to the
We have crafted a “students Hrst” agenda that enhances our un- standards expected of a flagship university — the standards
dergraduate programs and prepares students to compete and required to meet the needs of our constituents and our state
contribute in a 2Ist century global marketplace of ideas, com- — and it includes expanding, renovating and rebuilding our
merce and culture. We are enhancing programs that build upon academic and research space, as well as self-financed projects
our innovative UK Core and expose our students to multiple for UK I·IealthCare and Athletics.
disciplines and areas of study, so that they leave our university It is an ambitious agenda, but we must do what is necessary
prepared to lead lives of leadership, meaning and purpose. so that we can achieve what is great and what is expected of
We are in the process of expanding and developing a larger us as the Commonwealth’s beacon. Your support in these ef-
honors program for students from Kentucky and beyond — forts — your partnership — is crucial to our success. I firmly
creating a close-knit academic community with the resources believe that individual support has the potential to yield un-
of a modern, flagship and land-grant research university. matched success. You are our most precious asset — the em-
When students leave here, they will be our state’s best and bodiment of success stemming from our core functions and
brightest because they have attended the state’s flagship, the greatest hope for improving the communities in which
land-grant institution and because they have been challenged you reside.
and stimulated intellectually, culturally and socially. Our mission is based on a profoundly important idea that
To embolden our efforts, we must increase our merit-based a nationally and internationally renowned university can be
scholarships: The Singletary Scholarship, President’s Schol- the catalyst for change and growth in the 2Ist century.
arship and the Provost’s Scholarship. Further, I am excited to That mission — our promise to Kentucky — has never
announce that we are scheduled to break ground on a new been more vital.
residence hall for our honors students in April 2012. Together, we can write the next great chapter in the history
The new facility is the Hrst phase of a multi-year process to of the University of Kentucky.
revitalize our campus core. We have been in negotiations with Until next time, continue seeing blue, Wildcats!
Education Reality Trust, a national operator and developer of
collegiate housing, to construct up to 9,000 modern beds on EQ Z M
campus over the next several years. The new residence facilities gf
will house communities where students can live and learn col- E1iCapi1outo
laboratively sharing their college experiences in ways that spark President
S G G U G.
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