An Open Letter on Progress at ESU from President Ken Hush

Emporia, KS (05/22/2024) — May 22, 2024

Dear Hornet Nation,

For the past two and a half years, Emporia State University has made unique transformative changes to build a new future for Emporia State. Our model's guiding principles are to deliver an extraordinary experience to best serve today's students and Kansas families, while keeping in mind 1) ESU + Community; 2) the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR); and 3) Kansas Taxpayers.

The landscape of higher education is changing in our country. For the past two decades, trends have shown us that student preferences, as well as time and cost tolerance, have shifted in response to the drastically increased cost of higher education to families, which has far outpaced that of most other goods and services. Why this drastic increase? To put it in perspective, in the mid-1990s, state contribution covered 65% of expenses for Kansas Regents institutions. Today, state funds cover about 35% of total expenses. On top of lower funding, decreased enrollment nationwide also means less revenue. As a result, the burden of the cost of higher education has been shifting to students and their families since 2010.

We knew something had to be done to disrupt the trends. It's not right to keep passing costs on to students and their families through increased tuition and fees. That's why we conducted an in-depth analysis, created efficiencies and made changes necessary to better serve our students and to become the state's most efficient asset. We have been on the leading edge of change in higher education - institutions across 35 states have now begun to make similar changes. In alignment with KBOR's "Affordability" strategic pillar, we are attacking the cost of higher education for our students and their families through scholarships and proposed a first-ever net decrease to tuition and fees. It can be difficult to lead change, but the results for our students and the future of ESU are worth it.

We are energized by the momentum and grateful for new and additional support from the ESU Foundation, the City of Emporia, Lyon County, our regional community, the Kansas Legislature and Governor, federal funding and new and existing major charitable foundations.

Starting in 2022, we have identified and addressed $166 million in waste over the past two decades and have created $70 million in total savings / cost avoidance.

Today, I am pleased to share highlights of what we have accomplished most recently:

• $20.1 Million - received from the Kansas Legislature and Governor in incremental one-time state funding for Fiscal Year 2025, a record for any ESU appropriation! Our 20-year average from FY 2003-23 was only $95,000. Over the past three legislative sessions, ESU received $5 million (FY 2023); $12.7 million (FY 2024); and $20.1 million (FY 2025) in addition to our ongoing annual funding. This funding is in response to the new ESU Model, which identifies and captures efficiencies and passes them along to our students, their families and the state of Kansas.
  • All incremental funding will ultimately benefit students, and will specifically be used for:
    • One-time Memorial Union debt payoff (resulting in more annual reduction in student fees).
    • Continued investment in program development.
    • Regional university stabilization.
• $15 Million - received for our new nursing and student wellness center set to open in fall 2025. $5 million federal funds received through the state in 2022 and two $5 million record gifts from the Jones Trust and the Sunderland Foundation. With this show of trust, we will be able to pay for the building in its entirety before it is completed.
  • Avoiding:
    • $15 million bond debt.$9 million in interest.$475 / year in student fees to pay back the bond.
    • $15 million bond debt.
    • $9 million in interest.
    • $475 / year in student fees to pay back the bond.
• $9 Million - in incremental new scholarship funds received over three years from the ESU Foundation, reducing overall cost of attendance for students. This marks the fourth innovative partnership between the university and the ESU Foundation in a show of support for the university's future.
• Tuition + Fees Decrease - for our students and their families, the first-ever tuition and fees decrease in KBOR history.
• Student Cost Savings - resulting from both operational efficiencies and eliminating fees like application fees and campus parking fees, providing in-state tuition for the lower 48 states, as well as $250 / year reduction in annual student fees because of Memorial Union debt elimination.
• New + Enhanced Scholarships - to help attack the cost of higher education for our students. We continue to invest in our strike zone programs and thanks to partnerships with ESU Foundation and the Jones Foundation, we are able to provide exciting new scholarships to students.
  • Enhanced Presidential Merit Scholarships.
  • $1,000 - Residential Living.
  • $1,000 - Honors College.
  • $1,000 - Science + Math Education Majors.
  • $2,000 - Choir, String / Orchestra, Marching Hornets, Cheer, Dance, Color Guard.
  • $1,200 - Varsity Esports student-athletes.
  • $7,000 - Jones Success total potential over four years for Lyon, Coffey + Osage county students.
• $63 College Courses for Area High School Students - to enroll in college courses on-campus and online with ESU, with all the privileges accorded to an ESU student. Increased scholarships to allow for a new Jump Start / Concurrent Enrollment program for local high school students (from Emporia and surrounding counties). ESU is providing scholarships to students to make courses affordable at $21 per credit hour. High school students can take up to nine credit hours per semester and six in the summer. These new Jump Start program scholarships are philanthropically funded by our generous donors.
• ESU + Washburn University Law School 3+3 - articulation agreement in which undergraduates at ESU can shorten the time to complete their bachelor's and law degrees by taking law classes at Washburn Law during their senior year. As part of the agreement Washburn will provide students with a partial scholarship for each year of law school.
• ESU + Pittsburg State University Partnership / Future Synergy - considering multiple cooperative ventures to leverage each university's distinctive strengths, including a combined cybersecurity congressional grant; course sharing opportunities; literacy and Kansas regional economic development initiatives.
• System-Wide Articulation Agreements - with all 19 Kansas Community Colleges to allow seamless transfer of courses in nursing, education, criminology and the sciences.
• 40+ School of Visual + Performing Arts Dean Candidates - applied for the position. All outstanding candidate finalists were attracted to ESU because of the possibilities the new school offered and the investments made in the School of Visual and Performing Arts.
• Hornet Athletics - investments in ESU athletic scholarships + programs have attracted top tier coaches and student-athletes. Following upgrades to the Zola Witten Track and new lighting and seat upgrades in Welch Stadium, ESU is hosting the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track + Field Championships May 23-25.

By studying the most recent shifts in the industry, shifts in the economy, KBOR data and national enrollment cliff predictions, we have known for several years that the future will continue to be difficult for higher education. Demographic trends are not in our favor, and competition for students is intense. Emporia State is not waiting - we are working proactively to respond to these major challenges NOW!

We will continue to be the transparent university. As you can see, legislators and Hornet Nation are responding with their support of our vision, direction and action.

Thank you for your continued support of Emporia State University. It's a great day to be a Hornet!

Ken Hush
President + CEO
ESU Alum