WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its constituent agencies must operate such that expenditures not exceed revenues for any given fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, Kentucky State University is a constituent agency of the Commonwealth chartered in 1886 for the public purpose of providing postsecondary access; and
WHEREAS, the declaration of a global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on March 3, 2020 has resulted in a general recession within the national economy and has concomitantly caused a decline in state revenue; and
WHEREAS, the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky deferred the passage of a biennial budget electing to make only a one-year fiscal allocation; and
WHEREAS, Kentucky State University (KSU) was advised by the Commonwealth Budget Director that 1% of “each institution’s regular appropriation plus any performance distribution and the current year appropriation for KSU’s land grant match” must be returned within seven days; and
WHEREAS, the continuing global pandemic threatens to cause a substantial reduction in state resources available for the 2020-21 fiscal period and portends a likelihood of further mid-year reductions; and
WHEREAS, the campus response to COVID-19 required unbudgeted expenditures to procure personal protective equipment for campus workers (and potential returning students) and the need to refund in cash or credits a prorated portion of auxiliary revenues to students previously residing in campus housing or with meal plans; and
WHEREAS, Kentucky State University has experienced other losses of income, including revenues associated with auxiliaries, grants management, and the collection of final student balances via monthly payments; and
WHEREAS, Kentucky State University extended extraordinary liberal leave hours to support the necessary campus-wide transitions to telecommuting and online instructional delivery in response to COVID-19;