The Kentucky State University National Alumni Association (KSUNAA) has issued a formal vote of no confidence in President Koffi C. Akakpo, calling on the university’s Board of Regents to decline to extend or renew his contract and begin the process of identifying new leadership.
In an August 7 letter addressed to Board of Regents Chair Tammi Dukes, KSUNAA said its members voted unanimously during an August 4 meeting to express no confidence in Akakpo’s continued leadership.
The association cited concerns spanning accreditation, financial controls, campus safety and student welfare, administrative appointments, shared governance, enrollment reporting and the university’s reputation.
Among the most significant concerns raised in the letter is Kentucky State’s accreditation status. KSUNAA pointed to the university’s ongoing challenges with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, arguing that the institution has not made sufficient progress toward resolving outstanding compliance issues.
The association also questioned whether the university’s current leadership structure is positioned to address those challenges ahead of another accreditation review later this year.
Beyond accreditation, KSUNAA raised concerns about financial oversight, campus safety, administrative capacity and communication between university leadership and alumni. The letter also alleges that student leaders have experienced retaliation or exclusion related to their advocacy and questions whether information presented publicly about the university’s enrollment and institutional condition has provided stakeholders with a complete picture.
KSUNAA is asking the Board of Regents to take several actions, including declining to extend or renew Akakpo’s contract, appointing interim leadership, beginning a national presidential search and assuming more direct oversight of the university’s accreditation and campus-safety response.
The association characterized the vote as an act of institutional stewardship rather than opposition to Kentucky State.
“This vote is not an action against Kentucky State University, nor is it punishment,” the association wrote. “It is an act of stewardship intended to protect the University, its students, its accreditation, and its historic mission.”
Akakpo has served as Kentucky State’s president since 2023.
The letter now places the university’s governing board at the center of the next decision. With accreditation concerns still unresolved and alumni leaders publicly calling for a change at the top, attention will turn to whether the Board of Regents responds and what that response could mean for Kentucky State’s leadership heading into the next academic year.