Student presidents finalize Higher Education Day messaging; debate deferred maintenance and cite draft funding figures

Student presidents and student‑affairs representatives preparing to attend Higher Education Day reviewed logistics, messaging and draft funding figures during the KBOR student advisory meeting.

Participating campuses reported their attendance and meeting counts: a KU representative said the legislative‑affairs director had about 19 students signed up; K‑State reported about 20 students after local training; Washburn (Kate) said Washburn had 12 meetings tentatively scheduled and planned a student training to finalize attendees; Schloss State reported roughly 21 participants and 12 scheduled meetings; KU Med said it expected five students (potentially up to 10) and had about 16 meetings scheduled. Several groups confirmed they were holding trainings and rehearsals.

The moderator displayed an updated one‑pager with revised funding figures for the student‑success portion. The moderator read figures aloud, saying an earlier $20,000,000 figure had been revised to numbers read as "about 5,000,870 and 300" for the public‑school portion in the one‑pager and "about 10,000,000 or 10.5" for technical and community colleges. The transcript rendering of those numbers was imprecise; participants at the meeting did not read a single consolidated dollar amount aloud for each line in a way that fully clarified the totals.

Attendees discussed whether to add a separate deferred‑maintenance ask to the one‑pager. Jackson and others said their institutions were already advocating for deferred maintenance through existing channels and that statutory commitments suggested it may not need additional emphasis; several participants recommended focusing on the three priorities already on the one‑pager to keep each 15‑minute legislative meeting concise. The moderator also said a source at ESU indicated committee members were looking at roughly a 4% cut to higher‑education funding, a point participants cited as reason to stay tightly on message.

Kate (Washburn) relayed an invitation from Antonio Martinez in the governor’s office for student body presidents to take a group photograph with Governor Laura Kelly at 9:15 a.m. on Feb. 4; she said she would confirm the photo time after the meeting if no one objected. The moderator instructed presidents to print the finalized one‑pager on card stock, arrive prepared with personal stories that fit allotted time, and noted that appointments for the day were set. A participant asked for the updated one‑pager to be uploaded to the shared KBOR location; the moderator agreed to post the latest version.

The meeting closed with thanks to participants and a brief closing from Dr. Trey Hill, the incoming director of academic affairs, who said he looked forward to working with student leaders.