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By Jay Blanton Sept. 10, 2021

**LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 10, 2021) — **Building upon record retention and graduation rates, the University of Kentucky will report an all-time enrollment of nearly 31,800 students for Fall 2021, according to preliminary figures released Friday.

The preliminary numbers also demonstrate continued increases in the diversity of the UK campus, with the percentage of underrepresented minorities (URM) reaching 16% of the student body, at a little over 5,000 students, up 6% over the last year alone (URM is the state classification for students of color). Additionally, the preliminary data show an almost 10% increase in the number of graduate and professional students in the UK community, a significant factor in the institution’s overall enrollment growth.

The 31,776 students enrolled as undergraduate, graduate and professional students in Fall 2021 is up 2.1% from last year’s record high of 31,110, UK officials said. This growth continues a more than five-year trajectory of dramatic increases in student success as evidenced by retention and graduation rates.

First-time, first-year enrollment remained basically flat, preliminary numbers show, with 4,764 students enrolled this fall, compared to 4,891 in Fall 2020. That’s two years of enrollment impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, UK officials said. About 68% of students in the first-year class are resident students from Kentucky, not radically dissimilar from the last several years.

“We are increasingly a first-choice university for students and families who want an institution that puts their success and their goals first,” UK President Eli Capilouto said in discussing the preliminary figures with the institution’s Board of Trustees Friday. “From access and affordability, to supporting students with the resources they need, to outstanding faculty providing a world-class educational experience, we put students first in everything that we do. These numbers unequivocally demonstrate that commitment to students at every level of what we do.

As we come out of the pandemic, we are well-positioned to strategically grow again as part of our commitment to advancing Kentucky by educating and graduating more students, who are poised to join the workforce and help lead and transform communities.”

 A snapshot of retention and graduation rate growth that underpins the record growth includes:

• UK’s first-to-second-year retention rate in the Fall 2020 cohort is 86%, according to preliminary figures, up more than 4% points since the Fall 2015 cohort alone. (Last year’s first-to-second-year retention was 85.9%).
• Similarly, six-year graduation rates reached a record 67.8% for the Fall 2015 cohort, up more than a full percentage point over the previous year’s cohort and up more than 4 percentage points since the Fall 2010 cohort alone, preliminary figures show.
• UK’s preliminary four-year graduation rate is 53.9% for the Fall 2017 cohort, up more than 20% points since the Fall 2008 cohort.

“We have intentionally and strategically designed the holistic and comprehensive support we provide to students at every level,” said Kirsten Turner, UK’s vice president for student success. “The result is lowering barriers of cost for students to help them come to UK and then providing them with the support and scaffolding they need once they are here to help them find their path."

Evidence of this support, UK officials said, is the continued growth and success of first-generation students and students of color as well as increasing numbers of students choosing to transfer to UK. For example, in Fall 2021:

• UK enrolled 6,918 first-generation students this fall, representing nearly 22% of the student body, which is up 1.5% from Fall 2020’s figure of 6,813.
• 5,084 students are underrepresented minorities (URMs), representing 16% of the student body, which is up 6% from the previous year.
• 2,196 of the Fall 2021 students are Black or African American students. This population makes up about 7% of student body, demonstrating growth of nearly 5% from the previous year. The number of Hispanic or Latino students is up about 6% as well, from 1,595 to 1,693. That’s a little more than 5% of the student body.
• Similarly, the number of students who identify as two or more races continued to increase, as 1,113 students, or 3.5% of the student body, falls into this category, an increase of 7.3% from the previous year.
• 908 first-year students are underrepresented minorities — about 19% of first-year students — which is an increase of 2.5% from last year’s figure of 886.
• 363 Black or African American first-year students are enrolled for the Fall 2021, representing 7.6% of first-year students, an increase of 4.3% over the last year.
• 226 students who identified as two or more races are enrolled for the Fall 2021 semester, an increase of 13.6%. These students constitute 4.7% of the first-year class.
• UK enrolled 997 transfer students Fall 2021, according to preliminary figures, which is an increase of 13.3% from Fall 2020’s number of 880.

In its previous strategic plan, UK set as a goal graduation and retention rates of 70% and 90%, respectively — numbers the institution is rapidly making progress toward reaching as the university prepares a new strategic plan that the board will consider in October. Those numbers would place UK firmly among the top public institutions in the country. Fewer than 100 (92) four-year public universities (out of several hundred) have a six-year graduation rate of 70% or greater.

“We are making tremendous progress toward our goals,” Capilouto said. “We use these numbers to measure progress but we never lose sight that behind the numbers are our students, their families and the communities from which they come — all advancing Kentucky through pursuing a college education. To that end, we have made — and are making — tremendous progress. There is more work to do. But it is undeniable that we are a place that fundamentally understands our role in making an outstanding education accessible and then supporting and preparing students for success — something our world needs now more than ever.”

The University of Kentucky is increasingly the first choice for students, faculty and staff to pursue their passions and their professional goals. In the last two years, Forbes has named UK among the best employers for diversity, and INSIGHT into Diversity recognized us as a Diversity Champion four years running. UK is ranked among the top 30 campuses in the nation for LGBTQ* inclusion and safety. UK has been judged a “Great College to Work for" three years in a row, and UK is among only 22 universities in the country on Forbes' list of "America's Best Employers."  We are ranked among the top 10 percent of public institutions for research expenditures — a tangible symbol of our breadth and depth as a university focused on discovery that changes lives and communities. And our patients know and appreciate the fact that UK HealthCare has been named the state’s top hospital for five straight years. Accolades and honors are great. But they are more important for what they represent: the idea that creating a community of belonging and commitment to excellence is how we honor our mission to be not simply the University of Kentucky, but the University for Kentucky.

By Eli Capilouto Aug. 20, 2021

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 20, 2021) — University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto shared updates to the Fall 2021 planning guide with the campus community Thursday, Aug. 19. 

The guidebook provides an overview of policies, recommendations, guidelines and expectations for members of the UK community. The president will continue providing regular updates about UK’s response to COVID-19 with the campus community on a weekly basis.

You can read the president's message from Thursday, Aug. 19, below.

Dear Campus Community, Last Friday, we shared with you an initial draft of our Fall 2021 Guidebook — an overview of policies designed to keep our campus safe and healthy as we provide a residential experience this fall. We detailed more specific guidance on our indoor masking policy, and we asked for you to provide your invaluable feedback. As of the end of the day on Tuesday, we received anonymous responses from nearly 450 UK community members. We are grateful to all those who took time to review the Fall Guidebook and send us input. Many of you asked for additional clarification on specific policies, and others asked thoughtful questions. We shared the recurring themes from your comments and questions with the workgroup of elected faculty, staff and student representatives along with administrators and then we returned to the guidebook to incorporate your feedback. This afternoon, we are sharing an updated version of our Fall Guidebook with you. Of course, we know that we live amid evolving circumstances. We have been committed, since the beginning of this pandemic, to adjusting our policies when science and data signal a need to do so. A good example is our current indoor making policy, which we adjusted due to elevated concerns about the Delta variant. Another example, based directly upon feedback from our community, was to allow people to unmask while active on workout equipment or in spaces such as basketball courts in one of our campus recreational facilities. At all other times, while in those facilities, masks are required regardless of vaccination status. We also clarified, for example, in response to questions about the classroom context, that face shields can be used in addition to masks. The Fall Guidebook, of course, reflects the current recommendations of our team of medical and public health experts, as well as thoughtful feedback we received from you. View the Updated Fall 2021 Guidebook We continue striving to reach — and to exceed — an 80 percent vaccination rate among our students, faculty and staff. And, we are continuing to make meaningful progress toward that important goal. Just this week, we’ve received thousands of self-reported vaccine documentation from our students. This is incredibly important, as vaccines remain our best defense against COVID-19. We encourage all members of the UK family to be vaccinated, if you haven’t already.   Get Vaccinated

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As a reminder, all unvaccinated students are required to complete a COVID-19 entry test by August 27 and to participate in ongoing testing throughout the semester. This is necessary to remain in compliance with the Code of Student Conduct. Schedule Your Test

Thank you for everything you are doing to keep our community healthy and safe. Eli Capilouto

President

By UK Athletics June 24, 2021

**LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 24, 2021) — **The following are statements from University of Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart, Kentucky men's basketball head coach John Calipari, Kentucky football head coach Mark Stoops and Kentucky women's basketball head coach Kyra Elzy regarding today's executive order by Gov. Andy Beshear on name, image, likeness.

Mitch Barnhart will also be available to the media via virtual press conference on Friday at 2 p.m. 

Mitch Barnhart, UK athletics director "Today's executive order from the Governor provides us the flexibility we need at this time to further develop policies around Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). We are appreciative of that support as it is a bridge until such time as state and/or federal laws are enacted. The landscape of college sports is now in the midst of dramatic and historic change — perhaps the biggest set of shifts and changes since scholarships were first awarded decades ago. What won't change is our core and most important principle — the well-being and development of our student athletes, while they are at UK and, as importantly, in preparing them for success in life, on whatever path they choose. We are extremely well-positioned to help our student-athletes navigate this new and complex terrain. Much of what we need to do to support students in terms of NIL — through The Kentucky Road initiative — has been in place for some time. We have a strong foundation, which we will now work to build on."

You can read more about The Kentucky Road initiative here: https://ukathletics.com/news/2019/10/15/general-uk-unveils-the-kentucky-road https://ukathletics.com/news/2021/6/16/general-uk-athletics-affirms-commitment-to-student-athletes-through-the-kentucky-road.aspx

John Calipari, UK men's basketball head coach "We are entering into an exciting age in college athletics. At the University of Kentucky, we have always put student-athletes first and today's executive order by Gov. Andy Beshear — who I want to thank for making this a priority — will empower universities across the state to support their young men and women better than ever. Whether we are talking about name, image and likeness, lifetime scholarships, financial literacy, health and wellness, or player welfare, student-athletes have been at the center of every decision at Kentucky. With today's announcement, we continue to take positive steps forward in supporting our student-athletes to an even greater degree statewide. They deserve our time, effort and resources in making sure they have the opportunities to benefit from the hard work they put into their athletic and educational careers. As we wait on federal legislation, our program will continue to support, elevate and educate our kids."

Mark Stoops, UK football head coach "Supporting our student-athletes is at the center of Kentucky Athletics and today's announcement is another step in that direction. Name, image and likeness issues are at the forefront of college athletics and we appreciate Gov. Beshear helping us address current needs while long-term solutions are being developed on the national level. Our established principles of educational excellence, athletic success and personal development have us well-positioned as the NIL process begins."

Kyra Elzy, UK women's basketball head coach "I appreciate Gov. Beshear stepping up and making student-athletes in the state of Kentucky a priority. The University of Kentucky has been a leader in name, image and likeness. I know our administration will work with the Governor's office to ensure that student-athletes in Kentucky will continue to take the necessary steps to stay atop of NIL issues."