Kentucky State University given warning by accreditation body related to financial issues
Kentucky State University has been given a “warning” status by the accrediting body for universities in the region for failing to meet standards related to university finances and governance.
KSU was given the warning for failing to meet 16 accreditation standards and requirements set by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and “a special committee was authorized to visit the institution,” according to a statement issued last week. SACSCOC will review the university’s status next December at its annual meeting.
A warning “follows a determination of significant non-compliance with the Core Requirements or Standards of the Principles of Accreditation,” according to the statement. It comes after KSU self-reported the findings of the Kentucky Public Auditor’s Special Examination of the university, said KSU President Koffi Akakpo in a statement, which found widespread financial issues between 2018 and 2021.
“KSU’s warning will not impede us from following the processes for developing new programs nor impact our standing as an accredited institution,” Akakpo said. “KSU has implemented corrective measures as documented and verified within the management improvement plan. The University will continue to work in close collaboration with SACSCOC and industry experts.”
Five of the standards in question relate to the university’s control and responsibility over finances and financial documentation, including “appropriate” and “responsible” financial management. Additionally, several of the standards are in reference to the university CEO’s and governing board’s evaluations, as well as hiring practices at the university.
The special examination found widespread overspending, a lack of financial control, and misuse of credit cards and university funds under the previous university president. There was also improper documentation of spending in various areas of the university. The report, published in March, identified 20 issues related to finances at the university, which the then-interim president called a “failure in terms of checks and balances.”
“Please know, Kentucky State University takes these matters seriously,” Akakpo said. “Our faculty and staff will continue striving to restore KSU to a position of continuous compliance with the Principles of Accreditation. I anticipate the warning will be lifted at the next SACSCOC annual meeting in December 2024 through our dedicated efforts.”
The accreditation board will have several options on how to move forward, including removing the warning, following up with the university, or removing the university’s accreditation.
According to the SACSCOC sanctions policy, a warning is “the less critical of the two sanctions,” and institutions can be placed on warning for several reasons, including “failure to provide requested information in a timely manner.” Institutions can be placed on a warning status for a maximum of two years.
Kentucky State financial history
Kentucky State University, the state’s only public historically Black university, has been under state oversight since 2021, when its former president resigned. The university received $23 million from the state to address its budget shortfall and, as part of receiving those funds, had to create a management improvement plan with the Council on Postsecondary Education.
The university’s board of regents was overhauled via a senate bill last year. The special examination released earlier this year focused on issues that came up under former president M. Christopher Brown II.
“I draw on experience of 40-plus years in industry, in government, and of course in the context of HBCUs, and I can be honest, I’ve just not seen this level of failure in terms of checks and balances,” said Ronald Johnson, who was interim president of KSU at the time the examination was released.
KSU appointed Akakpo as its new president earlier this year. The university will remain under state oversight until 2025, working on its management improvement plan with CPE.
