By Alan Lytle / Brenna Angel
LEXINGTON, Ky. – In his final state of the university speech, UK President Lee Todd says now is not the time to re-evaluate whether the goals of his Top-20 Business Plan are reachable. He says the plan was not his original concept.
"It was passed into state law by Governor Patton and our legislature in 1997, four years before I took this position. Where I gained some credit I guess is writing the business plan to try to describe how to get there. I said in my inaugural address that I thought my first job was to convince Kentuckians that they deserve a top-20 institution."
Todd went on to say that the goals are not just about statistics and rankings, but about utilizing the university as a change agent for Kentucky. He says while UK has enjoyed record enrollment, declining state funding support remains a hindrance for the Top-20 plan.