Part I: Governance and Organization

The governance of the University of Kentucky is vested by law in the Board of Trustees (KRS 164.131). Within the limits set by the State Constitution and the federal and state laws,* the Board of Trustees is the final authority in all matters affecting the institution and exercises jurisdiction over the institution's financial, educational, and other policies and its relation with the state and federal governments.

These Governing Regulations describe the composition, powers, and duties of the Board of Trustees of the University of Kentucky, as defined by Kentucky Revised Statutes, and establish policies and procedures for the performance of its functions. In these Governing Regulations, the Board of Trustees delegates certain responsibilities to the President, the Faculty Senate, the Staff Senate, the Student Government Association, the Graduate Faculty, and the faculties of educational units in order to provide for the responsible and efficient administration of the University and the accomplishment of its goals.

As the chief administrative officer of the University, the President is authorized by the Board of Trustees to promulgate the Administrative Regulations including the Human Resources Policy and Procedures Administrative Regulation, to provide interpretation and implementation of these Governing Regulations, and of the Minutes of the Board of Trustees, and to delineate policies within the sphere of delegated responsibility. Chief administrative officers are authorized to establish unit policies and procedures attendant to their delegated administrative responsibilities.

At an institution-wide level, the University Senate, as a primary educational policy-forming agency of the University, establishes the broad academic policies of the University. Within the limits set by the Board of Trustees and the University Senate, the Graduate Faculty is delegated jurisdiction over programs leading to graduate degrees and has the responsibility to safeguard, promote and assist in the development of research in all fields. Within the limits set by the institution-wide policies of the Board of Trustees, the University Senate, and the Graduate Faculty, the respective faculties exercise the governance role of policy-making responsibility for the instructional, research and service programs of their educational units. The University Senate, the Graduate Faculty, and the faculties of educational units are authorized to issue rules concerning the policy and procedure-making responsibilities that are attendant to their delegated educational policy-making role.

Administrative Organization - AR 1:1

The Provost serves as the chief academic officer of the University. The Provost works closely with the President in administering, overseeing, and guiding the academic programs of the institution and in developing and promoting a set of academic priorities that will be accomplished with the highest possible quality.

The Provost supervises the academic deans as well as a number of academic support and student service units, including the offices of Undergraduate Education, the Graduate School, University Extension, University Libraries, Student Affairs, International Affairs, Office for Multicultural and Academic Affairs, University Press, and Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness. The Provost works closely with other senior administrators in establishing, implementing, financing, and evaluating the major educational, research, and service initiatives of the University. The Provost authorizes academic appointments and recommends to the President on all promotion and tenure decisions.

The Provost helps insure that the University champions core values, such as freedom of expression, decency and civility in behavior and discourse, the educational benefits conveyed by diversity of intellectual viewpoints and backgrounds, and a spirit of inclusiveness that should enliven a community while at the same time strengthening its stability.

Provost Homepage