The University of Kentucky held a Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, Feb. 20, discussing new changes for academic degrees, receiving charitable grants and facility construction projects.
The agenda included the purchase of Coliseum Plaza, the removal of the diversity and inclusion certificate in the College of Arts and Sciences and receiving several gifts and grants toward parts of the university.
Coliseum Plaza and South Broadway
The University of Kentucky approved the purchase of Coliseum Plaza at the corner of Rose Street and Avenue of Champions for $3.9 million, according to FCR 8.
The property, owned by Greer Companies, is home to Bangkok House, El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant & Cantina, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Coliseum Liquors.
El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant & Cantina posted on its Instagram story, “Don’t worry, we have at least two more years, maybe even longer. We will see.”
The deal does not include the building next door that is occupied by Papa John’s and Qdoba, according to the Board of Trustees’ agenda.
According to the approval to inquire, “the parcel will be used for future development projects in the area.”
UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said the purchase creates a potential zone for new development near campus.
“Such developments will benefit both our campus and the broader Lexington community, and we are excited about taking the time now to envision what this zone can be in the future,” Blanton said.
The university did not specify what the area will be used for.
According to FCR 9, UK also purchased 1008 South Broadway, at the corner of South Broadway and Virginia Avenue, for about $1.4 million.
Academic certificate and degree changes
All eight degree changes were approved, including the removal of the arts and sciences diversity and inclusion certificate.
The closure of the College of Arts and Sciences certificate was “due to low student demand and the resulting challenges in offering the required coursework,” according to ASACR 4.
The College of Arts and Sciences degree in Mapping and Geographic Information Science was approved.
The board approved the name change for the College of Education’s UK Center for Research on Violence Against Women to the UK Center for Violence Prevention in the College of Public Health, and the change will be effective by July 2026.
The change was done to create “focuses on preventing violence through developing and testing strategies to reduce or prevent violence regardless of personal identifiers.”
The college changed its name due to wanting its name to reflect its research, according to Blanton.
The board approved an undergraduate certificate degree in the College of Education for health and wellness coaching, according to ASACR 5.
The College of Education will also be merging the Department of STEM Education and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, renaming it to the Department of Teaching and Learning, according to ASACR 8.
The merge was said to “provide students with greater access to courses and learning experiences benefiting career paths, while increasing research and teaching collaboration among faculty members.”
The board approved the degree in agricultural ecosystem sciences and an undergraduate certificate in coffee science in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
According to ASACR 1, the certificate will “provide students with the skills to evaluate the history and sensory attributes of coffee to address key social, economic and environmental challenges and opportunities.”
The board also approved the undergraduate certificate in electric vehicle systems in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, according to ASACR 6.
Financial changes
UK received a $12.5 million grant from the UK Markey Cancer Foundation to support the Markey Cancer Center and the College of Medicine, according to FCR 1.
The gift will allocate $12 million toward the creation of a new endowment fund and $500,000 to a non-endowed fund.
Endowed funds are preserved and invested with income to distribute annually, whereas non-endowed funds are available for use immediately, according to Kernel reporting.
The Markey Foundation is said to dedicate itself to reducing cancer mortality in Kentucky and supporting innovative research, treatments and outreach according to FCR 1.
The board also approved a gift of $5 million to provide faculty and research support for the College of Medicine under FCR 2.
Other gifts included $7.9 million to support construction for the Michael D. Rankin MD Health Education Building, $2 million to support the CAFE and $1 million to support the College of Medicine, according to the board’s agenda.
The next Board of Trustees’ meetings will be held on April 23 and 24.
