Eastern Kentucky University President Michael Benson says he believes finding additional state resources for public higher education remains a pressing issue. Benson delivered his seventh convocation Tuesday.
The EKU president said “it’s not like the pie of resources for the state of Kentucky is getting bigger.”
“The slices in many ways remain the same, but there’s even more kind of keener competition for those slices. So, at a certain point, I believe the legislature’s got to come up with some revenue sources, whether it’s a gasoline tax, or gaming, or closing loopholes. That’s their business. They’ve got to address that,” said Benson.
The public launch of the Richmond school’s capital development campaign is expected in September. Benson said the silent phase of the campaign has netted close to $40 million of a $50 million goal.
“I fully anticipate we’ll blow past the 50 million and we’ll continue to prioritize what is really important to campus in terms of scholarships, investment in our students, investment in our faculty, investment in facilities. Some people like to give to athletics. That’s their choice and we certainly support that as well,” explained Benson.
EKU students are arriving back on campus this week. Classes begin Monday.
Weku's Stu Johnson sat down with President Benson following his speech:
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