We must also get more financial aid to our students – quicker. The Green to Gold campus work program will be expanded, and we will work to help reduce the number of students whose Free Application for Federal Student Aid files are pulled for verification because of initial errors or missing information. Another looming problem is the satisfactory academic performance issue where students can have an acceptable grade point average but not be able to receive funds because the number of hours earned when compared to the number of hours attempted does not meet our 75 percent threshold.

While a final decision has not been made, I will be strongly urging the administrative leadership to consider eliminating our current rolling admissions policy, a policy which means that Financial Aid never stops processing applications. If we stop mid July, for all but exceptionally qualified candidates, this would give us much-needed time for the processing and review of files in both the Admissions and Financial Aid offices. This would help speed up the timely processing and receipt of more student financial aid.

Sitting as an umbrella over these five key strategic points is our need to clearly tell our story better about who we are and how we succeed where others don't. Marketing ourselves and using social media is critical in recruiting and keeping students. We will add a position in this area, and we will fill our chief information officer position, even in these difficult times, because these jobs are on the frontline of our engagement strategy.

We will also establish matrices aligned with our core strategic objectives to measure whether we are succeeding. We will measure at every level what kind of outcomes we are achieving. These matrices will be presented at our October board meeting as well.

As I conclude, it is important to note that KSU is Frankfort's university. Our students contribute $14 million in sales to the Frankfort economy annually and the university contributes more than $40 million. What happens to KSU happens to Frankfort. So the city also has a role to play in our success.

It is important that the faculty, staff, alumni, groundskeepers, housekeepers and the community understand we all need to see the urgency in our taking action immediately.

If we go back to today's theme, "KSU: A work in Progress ... Still," I hope you now see that this title was intended to convey the important message that while much has been done here at Kentucky State University despite the obstacles we have encountered, much remains to be done. The biggest barrier KSU faces is getting all of its stakeholders to understand that we are facing fundamental challenges unlike any we have faced before. This is the new normal. Now is the time that we must remember that being good is simply not good enough this time. We must commit ourselves to action. Students, you must also commit yourselves – almost dedicate yourselves – to the fact that you came to KSU to get an education and that you don't plan on leaving KSU without a degree, that you don't plan on giving up your dreams and your futures.

like any we have faced before. This is the new normal. Now is the time that we must remember that being good is simply not good enough this time. We must commit ourselves to action. Students, you must also commit yourselves – almost dedicate yourselves – to the fact that you came to KSU to get an education and that you don't plan on leaving KSU without a degree, that you don't plan on giving up your dreams and your futures.

If students are accepted into KSU and walk through our new gate, we must all believe that they can graduate, and we will all do everything in our collective power to see them march across the stage to get their diploma, at the most, in four to five years.

Fall is a time of change. So, it is most appropriate on this autumn day, as the leaves turn into brilliant colors of gold and red, that we focus on KSU's next three to five years and its long-term future, because our mission continues to be that we provide both access and opportunity. Everyone should leave the auditorium today committed to change and accountable for ensuring student success at KSU.

So, my message is not one of doom or gloom. Rather, I come to you with an earnest sense of optimism, and even determination. While we have faced many challenges, and I am sure there will be even more in the next two to two-and-one-half years as the national and state economies stabilize, we simply need to focus on the five big things that form our roadmap and never forget that it all depends on people, quality and training. We can't continue to work on the margin with 25 to 30 little things that won't make a profound difference.

Let's leave here today committed to KSU and its students not only surviving but thriving and committed to make certain that every student gets the excellent quality education he or she deserves and the Commonwealth and this nation need to be successful.

We are not going back – ever – to the way it was before. Our job now is to figure out how to make what we have work – and work much better.

We have a plan. Change starts today, with each one of you.