A thank you to those who keep us safe Campus Message

Campus Community,

Thirty-six hours in shifts dedicated to our campus community’s safety.

Nearly 800 rides provided to care givers and other essential personnel.

Hundreds of acres and thousands of feet of parking lots plowed and sidewalks treated with nearly 400 tons of salt, again and again.

Thousands of meals served to students and workers, tired from the cold and exhausted from their efforts to keep us safe.

Dozens of employees working at all hours to keep open essential facilities that support our students and extend care to those who need it most.

Those are just some of the numbers — and examples of the commitment to community — that so many of our people have demonstrated over the last several days.

In the midst of a brutal winter storm, our people, as they always do, went above and beyond to keep our community safe, ensure critical operations could continue and prepare our campus for a return.

I want to thank those directly involved in these efforts over the last few days. Your work is outstanding. It is too often unheralded, but we all benefit so much from it.

Thank you.

Even with those incredible efforts, we know that our area continues to be pummeled by frigid temperatures and what are still ongoing efforts to remove snow and ice in some areas.

We will continue to provide reminders such as this one — go.uky.edu/ColdWeather — about the resources for support and tips for how best to navigate these still challenging conditions.

Thank you, too, for your commitment to continuing our missions ofeducation, research, service and care, no matter the obstacle or challenge.

Even as we return to operations, other important work in our state that will impact what we do goes on as well.

The state legislative session

The General Assembly began its work in earnest — a bi-annual, 60-day session — in early January. This every-other-year session is when policymakers consider and enact a two-year state budget, which includes how the state funds higher education.

This week the House presented their budget proposal. It is a starting point in the legislative process, in its own way acknowledging some of the economic headwinds we have felt and been reading about across the country.

In response, we will do what we do best at UK. We will do the work. We will deeply respect, and be responsive to, the policymakers who balance the priorities of a state and the needs of constituents. And we will focus on our mission and north star to advance Kentucky in all that we do.

It is early in the process. There will be a great deal of debate, considerable change and additions. The Senate will put its imprint on it as well before both chambers come together in April to finalize the state budget.

At the same time, the number of pieces of legislation filed this session will total more than one thousand. Hundreds of those proposals will be tracked by our Government Relations, Budget and Legal teams, as well as many ofour university leaders to assess what impact they may have on UK or other universities, if enacted.

It’s a critical time for our university and all of higher education as we work with policymakers to determine funding priorities and programs for the next two years.

Thanks to you — and so many others who came before us — our story is a powerful one. It is always my honor to tell it and share it with those whose faith in us supports our work to advance Kentucky.

We will keep you informed in the days and weeks ahead as we progress through the legislative session.

In the meantime, stay warm and safe. And thank you, once again, for continuing the outstanding work you do that makes this community so special and so critical to the state we serve.

With deep appreciation,

Eli Capilouto
President