UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS SJR 170/EN
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A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Council on Postsecondary Education to 1
conduct a feasibility study on expanding postbaccalaureate program offerings at 2
comprehensive universities. 3
WHEREAS, KRS 164.020 directs the activities of the Council on Postsecondary 4
Education; and 5
WHEREAS, through KRS 164.020(15), the General Assembly requires the Council 6
to define and approve the offering of all postsecondary education technical, associate, 7
baccalaureate, graduate, and professional degree, certificate, or diploma programs in the 8
public postsecondary education institutions; and 9
WHEREAS, KRS 164.295 restricts the postbaccalaureate offerings of Kentucky's 10
comprehensive universities; and 11
WHEREAS, KRS 164.295 requires action by the General Assembly to approve 12
changes to the postbaccalaureate offerings of a comprehensive university; and 13
WHEREAS, many of Kentucky’s comprehensive universities have requested that 14
the General Assembly approve expansion of their postbaccalaureate programs and degree 15
offerings; and 16
WHEREAS, the General Assembly should regularly evaluate the evolving 17
workforce needs of this Commonwealth, the ability of Kentucky's existing postsecondary 18
education system to serve those needs, and the feasibility of expanding postbaccalaureate 19
offerings at comprehensive universities to better serve those needs; 20
NOW, THEREFORE, 21
Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 22
Section 1. (1) The Council on Postsecondary Education shall meet with the 23
president of each comprehensive university to identify regional economic and workforce 24
development needs that may be addressed by a postbaccalaureate initiative to expand an 25
existing postbaccalaureate program or create a new postbaccalaureate program at the 26
comprehensive university. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS SJR 170/EN
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(2) The Council on Postsecondary Education shall contract with an outside entity 1
to conduct a study on each comprehensive university's postbaccalaureate initiative and 2
develop and present specific recommendations for the General Assembly to consider for 3
action during the 2025 Regular Session. Each study shall take into consideration the 4
accreditation needs of the postbaccalaureate initiative. 5
(3) The studies shall, at a minimum, include separate studies on establishing each 6
of the following postbaccalaureate programs: 7
(a) A doctoral program for professional practice and licensure in veterinary 8
medicine at Murray State University; 9
(b) A doctoral program for professional practice and licensure in osteopathic 10
medicine at Eastern Kentucky University; and 11
(c) Doctoral programs to obtain an R2 "High Research Activity" designation 12
from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education at Western Kentucky 13
University. 14
(4) The evaluation of a potential expansion or creation of a postbaccalaureate 15
offering at a comprehensive university shall include but not be limited to the following 16
factors to inform a recommendation to General Assembly on whether to pursue that 17
postbaccalaureate initiative: 18
(a) Consideration of the recent performance history of the university in the 19
comprehensive funding model established by KRS 164.092; 20
(b) The university’s capacity to expand or create the postbaccalaureate degree 21
program that is the focus of the postbaccalaureate initiative without jeopardizing the 22
university’s ability to fulfill its statutory responsibilities; 23
(c) The alignment of the postbaccalaureate initiative to the economic and 24
workforce needs of the Commonwealth; and 25
(d) The projected ability of the postbaccalaureate initiative to meet or exceed 26
those needs in an efficient manner. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS SJR 170/EN
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(5) Any recommendation for an expansion to postbaccalaureate offerings at 1
comprehensive universities shall include the following information in regard to each 2
recommended offering: 3
(a) A potential annual budget for the transition and initial implementation; 4
(b) The various additional revenues that the comprehensive university could 5
expect upon implementation based on conservative and moderate projections; 6
(c) The projected additional recurring costs, including retirement and health care 7
for employees; 8
(d) Anticipated tuition and fee charges and projected gross and net tuition and fee 9
revenue; 10
(e) Projected enrollment; 11
(f) The projected ability of the comprehensive university to attract necessary 12
high-quality faculty; 13
(g) The availability of federal funds and private funding that might offset the 14
identified costs; 15
(h) The projected economic impact; and 16
(i) A proposed implementation timeline for each postbaccalaureate initiative. 17
Section 2. The results of the study and recommendations required by Section 1 18
of this Resolution shall be submitted to the Legislative Research Commission by 19
December 1, 2024, for referral to the Senate Committee on Education, House Committee 20
on Education, Senate Committee on Appropriations and Revenue, and House Committee 21
on Appropriations and Revenue during the 2025 Regular Session. 22