By Tony McVeigh, Kentucky Public RadioKentucky State University President Mary Sias is being asked to stay on the job through April 2016. The three-year extension to her current contract was unanimously approved Thursday by the KSU Board of Regents, which also boosted retention bonuses for Sias. Sias, who’s entering her seventh year as president, says there’s still much work to be done. “We need to get a performing arts center for this whole city. We need a business school because we need our students to be involved in entrepreneurship. Our land grant program needs to grow. The new environmental science center – what we’re doing with the old federal building. So, I have a lot of interesting things on my plate!” she said.At the president’s request, the regents deferred action on Sias’ salary. Sias says it would be improper for her to seek a salary hike, when faculty and staff at the school haven’t seen a raise in two years. Sias currently makes $240,000 per year.KSU regents also approved a five-percent tuition hike Thursday.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.