By McKenna Horsely
Kentucky Lantern
Under scrutiny from Republican lawmakers pushing to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in higher education, Kentucky’s two-year college system announced it is launching an internal review.
The goal is “to make sure that our offices and titles correctly reflect our mission of student success for all students,” said Ryan Quarles, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS).
In an interview with the Kentucky Lantern , Quarles, a former state lawmaker and two-term agriculture commissioner who became the system’s president this year, emphasized the diverse student population served by KCTCS which touts itself as “the most diverse institution in the state.”
“As KCTCS president, I want to assure our lawmakers and taxpayers and policymakers that we have an environment at our community colleges that is open to anyone and we welcome Kentuckians of all backgrounds and that when we offer support and services and programs that they’re open for every single student,” Quarles said.
The review comes as two Kentucky public universities — the University of Kentucky and Northern Kentucky University — have closed their diversity offices amid pressure from Republican lawmakers. Two bills targeting DEI in higher education failed to pass the GOP-controlled General Assembly earlier this year, but the anti-DEI efforts are expected to be renewed when the legislature convenes in January.
In an announcement released Friday afternoon, KCTCS said its review will begin in coming weeks with the goal of ensuring “all programs, offices and goals align with our commitment to success for all students.”
KCTCS has 16 colleges across the state and serves more than 100,000 students. According to its website, the system has Diversity Peer Team contacts at individual campuses.
Quarles said KCTCS delivers education not only on its campuses but also in prisons and addiction recovery centers. He added that more than half of GEDs awarded in Kentucky are awarded through KCTCS.
“When we talk about diversity, sometimes people tend to focus on race, but at KCTCS, we truly are an open access college for all Kentuckians,” he said.
When asked if he thought it was appropriate for the General Assembly to take action on DEI in higher education, Quarles said he would defer to current lawmakers on that.
Next week, the Interim Joint Committee on Education will hear from five university presidents on DEI programs within their institutions. Morehead State University and Northern Kentucky University have already made their presentations. Quarles said he is scheduled for a November presentation.
Quarles said a goal of the review is to ensure consistency across KCTCS and to provide a better awareness of resources available to all students.
“That means that all of our programs are inclusive, meaning that no programs exclude people,” Quarles said. “And we also want to make sure that our faculty and staff, who work really hard every day to get students across the finish line, that their titles and offices reflect the fact that they support all students.”
“The students that we serve at our community colleges sometimes need a little extra help, including wraparound services such as mental health support, child care, etc. This is going to give us an opportunity to perhaps uncover some best practices to help all students achieve their college dream.”
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