Murray State University’s board of regents signaled compliance Friday with a Kentucky law passed earlier this year that requires public colleges to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
House Bill 4 bars public colleges and universities from having DEI offices or having DEI officers. The bill also bars the use of affirmative action in hiring and admissions decisions, and bans scholarship criteria or eligibility based on a person's religion, race, color, national origin or sex. The legislation mandates that colleges comply with the anti-DEI law by June 30.
Rob Miller, the university’s general counsel, said part of HB 4 requires Murray State to prevent discrimination against faculty, staff and students based on their viewpoints or political views. Miller said the measure also “prevents any differential treatment based upon race, sex, religion, national origin or color.”
“These are certainly interesting times at both the state and federal level regarding these types of issues, and we are getting almost daily, at least weekly or monthly directives as to how the university needs to operate in light of these changes,” Miller said.
HB 4 does not apply to academic course content or instruction or the academic freedom of faculty, students and student organizations. The bill also lists an exception for endowments for privately funded scholarships that were in place prior to the legislation’s passage that require colleges to consider the religion, race, sex, color, or national origin of a scholarship applicant. Those scholarships can continue until funds run out under HB 4.
According to the Murray State News, the university’s Pride Center was renamed in the spring semester to the Oakley Student Lounge. MSU’s Women’s Center was renamed the Oakley Resource Center.
Western Kentucky University also passed a resolution Friday affirming compliance with House Bill 4. Last month, Eastern Kentucky University adopted a policy mandating “institutional viewpoint neutrality” on campus, which states that EKU won’t require students or employees to “endorse or condemn a specific ideology, political viewpoint, or social viewpoint” for admission, graduation or hiring.
Regents also heard an update on the university’s goal to launch Kentucky’s first doctorate of veterinary medicine program. While bills to allow Murray State to offer this program didn’t receive much attention in the 2025 General Assembly, one measure did keep the door open for Murray State and other Kentucky comprehensive universities to offer some doctorate degrees in the future.
Senate Bill 77 outlines a process and requirements for Kentucky universities to apply to the Council on Postsecondary Education to offer doctoral degree programs. Currently, only the Commonwealth’s research universities – University of Kentucky and University of Louisville – offer doctoral programs.
Brian Parr, dean of the Hutson School of Agriculture, said around 10 Murray State students were accepted into veterinary medicine programs. However, he said there are just as many students – if not more – who were waitlisted or rejected from veterinary programs. Parr said this was an issue because there are not enough veterinary schools to serve all the people who want to become veterinarians.
“That's really what's fueling what we're doing here: this push for a school of veterinary medicine to be able to serve the Commonwealth, the animal agriculture community, but also our students that have so much potential, but may not have that opportunity because of the lack of schools in the country,” Parr said.
Regents also signed off on a proposal for an emergency backup power docking station for RH White and Regents halls. Around 500 residents in those two dorms were displaced from their rooms for around a week in February following an “unprecedented” weather event that left the buildings without power for an extended period.
The budget that the board approved on Friday includes a 4.2% tuition increase for fiscal year 2026. That amounts to an increase of $420 for the 2025-26 school year for undergraduate students – the maximum amount allowed for Kentucky comprehensive universities for the upcoming school year under the Council on Postsecondary Education’s tuition and mandatory fee ceilings.
Friday was also the last Board of Regents meeting for outgoing President Bob Jackson. The 14th president in Murray State history, who first started in the role on an interim basis in 2018 before assuming the office permanently in 2019, will retire at the end of the month. Jackson will serve as president emeritus through October to assist with the transition to the university’s next president, Ron K. Patterson, who will officially start on July 1.
Jackson was honored for his years of service to the university and the community during Friday’s meeting. Murray Mayor Bob Rogers issued a proclamation honoring Jackson and his wife Karen, and declared June 30 – the president’s last day in office – as Dr. Bob and Karen Jackson Day in the Calloway County community. The MSU Alumni Association’s Board of Governors also thanked Jackson for his service, and announced that the group has dedicated a tree to the outgoing president and his wife in Woods Park. Murray State Athletics Director Nico Yantko presented Jackson with his own basketball jersey and a lifetime achievement award on behalf of the athletics department and student-athletes.
In other business:
- Regents elected Robbie Fitch as the board’s chair for the 2025-26 school year. He will take over for current chair Leon Owens, whose current term on the board is expiring. David Meinschein will serve as the board’s vice chair.
- Friday was also the last meeting for faculty regent Melony Shemberger and student regent Brendan Hawkins. Gary ZeRuth was elected to replace Shemberger following her decision not to seek reelection. Student Government Association president-elect Ali Khatib will also be joining the Board of Regents for the upcoming school year.
- Regents received an update about plans to offer an associate’s degree in dental hygiene. Dina Byers, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions, said the program is on track to begin in Fall 2026.
- Under the budget approved in Friday’s meeting, the minimum wage for student workers will increase from $8 an hour to $8.50 an hour.
- All Murray State regular employees that were hired before April 1, 2025 will receive a 2% cost of living adjustment to their wages. This move will cost the university around $2.8 million.
- Jackie Dudley, Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, said this year’s budget also accounts for providing a second year of raises for employees whose wages were found in a study last year to be below market value.
The full board of regents meeting can be watched on YouTube.
