WKU President Timothy C. Caboni

Colleagues,

Last week, we celebrated a memorable Homecoming together as we filled our Hill with alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends taking part in special traditions and renewing their ties to WKU. Thank you to all those who worked tirelessly to make it a resounding success!

As we continue our work this semester, I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible accomplishments taking place across our regional campuses in Elizabethtown-Ft. Knox, Owensboro, Glasgow and Somerset. These campuses extend the WKU spirit into communities across Kentucky, providing access to higher education that transforms lives and strengthens our region. From dedicated faculty and staff to students balancing studies with work and family, our regional campuses embody WKU’s commitment to access and opportunity.

I am proud to share that on-campus enrollment is up at every regional campus location compared to last year. WKU in Owensboro and WKU in Glasgow have reached their highest on-campus enrollment in six years, while WKU in Somerset achieved its highest enrollment in its history. WKU in Elizabethtown-Ft. Knox also saw significant growth, continuing its vital role in expanding access to higher education in central Kentucky.

This growth is fueled by the success of our Signature Regional Programs initiative, which ensures that students have the opportunity to complete 13 high-demand degrees entirely at their local campus. These offerings – ranging from Business Management and Criminology to Psychology, Education and Social Work – stem from strong collaborations between our academic colleges and regional campuses.

We continue to see exciting results from the Early College at WKU in Glasgow program. This program, which now enrolls 180 students from seven high schools, graduated its first class in May. More than half of those graduates chose to continue their education at WKU this fall, nearly doubling the average matriculation rate of our Dual Credit participants during the past five years. Even more encouraging, most are pursuing majors directly tied to the professional tracks they began in the Early College program, reflecting the program’s ability to shape futures.

At the same time, WKU continues to ensure that higher education remains accessible and affordable. Two-thirds of our regional campus students receive federal or state aid, more than half qualify for automatic merit scholarships and many also benefit from endowed or external scholarships.

Our regional campuses continue to serve as centers of community life. Last year, WKU in Glasgow welcomed more than 4,500 visitors, and WKU in Owensboro hosted 5,000 visitors for community events. Through asset preservation funding, we are investing more than $2 million in upgrades to the Glasgow campus, ensuring that our facilities remain relevant for years to come.

Looking ahead, we turn our attention to Giving Tuesday on December 2. This global day of generosity provides an opportunity for all of us to invest in WKU and directly support our students. Every gift makes a difference, and I hope you will join me in participating and sharing the message of Giving Tuesday with your networks. You can easily contribute here.

Thank you for everything you do to advance our mission and to make WKU a place where students thrive – on the Hill and across our Commonwealth. I look forward to seeing you at Van Meter Auditorium tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. for our 3^rd annual Presidential Speaker Series with Dr. Jean Twenge.

Go Tops!

Best,

Timothy C. Caboni