Murray State University President Ron Patterson spoke to campus community members on Tuesday in a speech highlighting the school’s successes over the past year and future plans for expansion and campus improvements.
In his State of the University Address, Patterson said this year’s freshman class was the third-largest in Murray State’s history. The group of over 1,500 students also had the highest average high school GPA of any of the school’s freshman classes in the past decade.
Patterson also mentioned the far western Kentucky school’s recent recognitions from U.S. News and World Report, including ranking in the top 10 in the southern region in both the top public schools category and best value in-state.
“Recognition from U.S. and News World Report reflects dedication of our faculty and staff, who work every day to provide an exceptional educational experience for our students,” Patterson said. “Our commitment to student success, academic excellence, and preparing graduates for meaningful careers remains at the heart of everything we do.”
Patterson identified several priorities for this academic year, including establishing guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence on campus. MSU’s Academic Affairs AI Task Force is close to issuing a final recommendation for a policy that would set requirements for students using AI in their classwork as well as faculty and staff usage as it relates to classwork, Patterson said. The university intends to finalize this policy before the end of the fall semester, which Patterson said would be flexible to accommodate changing technology advancements.
“Students can be assured that if AI tools have been used to create learning materials, to provide them a grade, or to assist with proctoring, that they will be made aware beforehand,” Patterson said. “Faculty can be assured that penalties for students' unsanctioned use within the scope of their coursework will be [at] the instructor's discretion, under the guidance of the existing academic honesty policy.”
The university president also touted the formation of two university-affiliated LLCs as ways Murray State could potentially generate more revenue in the future. He also highlighted progress on the planned establishment of a medical school program at Murray State in collaboration with the University of Louisville.
Patterson said there are currently over 200 ongoing projects on Murray State’s campus including the Learning Commons Residence Hall, a new four-story building with more than 240 beds expected to open in Fall 2027. This comes as the university recently announced plans to close Hart Residence Hall.
