Tagged: EKU

Eastern Kentucky University says it's giving the buyouts to 127 workers who applied for them and were accepted.

The school's executive director of human resources, Gary Barksdale, says most people who chose the buyout are rank-and-file staff workers. The program was not made available to faculty or vice presidents.

Buyout packages were calculated based on an employee's years of service. They include a $1,500 payment for health insurance costs.

Michelle Obama's commencement speaking schedule is taking her to Kentucky and Tennessee.

The White House announced Thursday that Mrs. Obama will address graduates at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond on May 11. She's also speaking to graduating seniors at the Martin Luther King Academic Magnet High School for Health Sciences and Engineering in Nashville, Tenn., on May 18.

Eastern Kentucky was chosen for its commitment to veterans' education. The MLK magnet school recently opened a community supported wellness center and students tend to a community garden. Veterans and health and wellness are causes of the first lady.

The magnet school has also been recognized for its curriculum and high graduation rate.

The Eastern Kentucky University Board of Regents has approved a plan to reduce staff in an effort to reallocate $23 million.

The Richmond school said in a news release Tuesday that the regents approved a combination of layoffs, staff voluntary buyouts and faculty early retirements to achieve its goals. EKU has about 2,100 full-time faculty and staff on its main campus and regional campuses in Corbin, Danville, Manchester and Somerset.

According to the school's website on the staff reductions, the number of layoffs won't be determined until voluntary buyouts are concluded. EKU says it's seen a 15.2% decline in state support over the last five years.