The Kansas Board of Regents announced Wednesday evening that it will hold a vote to name the 19th President of Emporia State on Thursday.
The meeting, for which the Regents will travel to Emporia, will be held at 10 a.m. on Dec. 11 in Webb Hall, located in ESU’s Memorial Union. Doors will open to the public at 9:30 a.m.
The move will end a presidential search that ensued earlier this fall following Emporia State President Ken Hush’s retirement announcement in July. His last day as the university’s top executive will be Dec. 17.
Hush was named interim president of Emporia State in 2021 following the exit of former ESU President Allison Garrett. In 2022, he was named the university’s 18th president, becoming the first alumnus to hold the position.
During the fall 2022 semester, Hush faced scrutiny over the implementation of the controversial Workforce Management Framework, which led to the firing of 33 faculty members, including tenured faculty, the elimination of several academic programs and a complete academic restructuring. Since then, the university says it has seen a $19 million budget deficit eliminated with a $30 million financial correction under Hush.
As he moves out of his executive role, Hush will donate a gift to the university equivalent to the compensation he has earned over the past four years as ESU president, a move that was announced by ESU Wednesday.
