Beshear moves CPE to Gov's Office

Governor Beshear signs executive order

attaching CPE to Governor’s Office

FRANKFORT, Ky. – With postsecondary education leaders and Dr. Richard Crofts, the interim president of the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), at his side, Governor Steve Beshear today signed an executive order that administratively transfers CPE to the Governor’s Office from the Education Cabinet.

“This action more clearly demonstrates the importance of higher education to my administration while removing an unnecessary layer of government bureaucracy,” said Gov. Beshear. “This change also elevates the position of CPE president to one of my top advisers, which is critical to developing a more highly educated workforce that is armed with the skills to compete and attract new jobs to our state while also making the dream of a college education more affordable and accessible to all Kentuckians.”

The Governor’s Executive Order returns CPE to the original organizational structure envisioned when 1997 Postsecondary Education Reforms were implemented. Although the order administratively attaches CPE to the governor’s office, the council will remain an independent higher education governing body and the president will report directly to the board.

"This organizational change will strengthen the lines of communication between the postsecondary education system and the Governor's office, which is very important to the achievement of postsecondary education reform goals,” said Dr. Crofts.

Gov. Beshear emphasized the timeliness of this action as the CPE continues its search for a new president.

“To recruit the kind of national educational leader we need as the new CPE president, he or she must be a close adviser to the governor of the commonwealth,” said Gov. Beshear.

While the search for a new CPE president continues, Gov. Beshear has continued to emphasize his commitment to higher education by appointing to the CPE board former Gov. Paul Patton, under whose administration the 1997 higher education reforms were implemented, along with former Lexington mayor Pam Miller, Paducah attorney Glenn Denton and student member Christopher Crumine.

Gov. Beshear will propose legislation for the 2009 session to ratify his action
and make this move permanent.

SOURCE: Governor's Office press release