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UK President Says Performance Funding Model Won't Diminish Importance of Liberal Arts Education

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The president of the University of Kentucky says he’s confident higher education leaders will be able to finalize a performance-based funding model.

The state’s publicly supported colleges and universities are working on a plan to base a percentage of each school’s funding on certain metrics. The plan was ordered by Governor Matt Bevin.

UK President Eli Capilouto says degree productivity is a measure he thinks will play a big role in determining performance-based funding.

“I personally believe that the degree is the most important outcome, and funding should follow our success in awarding a degree,” Capilouto told WKU Public Radio during an interview Thursday.

Bevin has been a strong supporter of universities turning out more graduates with degrees in science and engineering related fields. Earlier this year, Bevin said Kentucky’s universities needed to graduate students with degrees in “things people want.”

“There will be more incentives to electrical engineers than French literature majors. There just will,” Bevin told reporters in January.

President Capilouto says he agrees that creating more degrees in those fields is crucial. But he also said the importance of a liberal arts education is something that “can’t be dismissed.”

You can hear our conversation with the University of Kentucky president by clicking on the “Listen” button above.

Kevin is the News Director at WKU Public Radio. He has been with the station since 1999, and was previously the Assistant News Director, and also served as local host of Morning Edition.
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