With his first academic year as Murray State University president coming to a close, Ron Patterson has much to look back on and even more to look toward in the future of his presidency.
Patterson spoke with The Murray State News about recent celebrations, visitors and policy changes and the many plans he has for Murray State to continue “racing toward excellence.”
Recent events
Patterson’s Presidential Inauguration events, held April 13 and 14, marked the first Presidential Investiture at Murray State University since 2015.
Events included a cookout and ice cream social hosted by First Lady Jenny Patterson complete with musical entertainment, games and more. Patterson said the festivities far exceeded his expectations and provided an opportunity to engage and involve staff, faculty and students alike in celebration. He said the campus community’s positive reaction to the cookout may result in similar kinds of events moving forward.
“Part of the feedback from the inauguration week was the party (and) the activities were well received, and so we might throw a block party in the fall,” Patterson said. “I’m creative, and I know how to throw a good party, too. You got to have good food, right? (Then) Ice cream. And third, you got to have good people. The fourth thing is music … After that, the rest is history.”
The Investiture Ceremony was held the following day in Lovett Auditorium. Patterson made it a day not only of celebration but of investment in the future of Murray State and the community it fosters.
“My family, my wife’s family, (our) friends and guests … left here (as) fans of Murray State University, so they are now part of Racer Nation,” he said. “We were so successful that our friend’s daughter may be enrolling in the fall. I’m a recruiter … I never, never let go of an opportunity.”
The audience was surprised to see Gov. Andy Beshear attend and speak at the investiture. Patterson said he was very intentional in building a relationship with Beshear and making connections with western Kentucky delegates when he took on his presidency last July.
“It was a wonderful surprise for our campus community, and I hope the community realized that it’s because of that relationship he and I have, along with his team, that afforded us the opportunity to have him visit our campus,” Patterson said.
Later in the week, Patterson spent time with U.S. Rep. James Comer, providing updates on the ongoing and upcoming projects in the University’s athletic areas.
“(Comer) is a fan and advocate and champion for Murray State University, … so we want to continue to establish and foster and cultivate those relationships,” he said.
Patterson said his week culminated with the Murray State baseball team’s comeback win against Illinois State during the Missouri Valley Conference on Sunday, April 19.
“We came back and won through the walk off,” he said. “We were hooping and hollering … It was a really special day.”
University updates and upcoming events
As part of an ongoing campaign for transparency and the inclusion of student voices, Patterson is instating a campus fee advisory committee and requested representatives from all across campus. He said he wants the committee to review our campus fees and compare them to regional schools and aspirational institutions.
“My goal is to have almost 50 percent student voice and 50 percent faculty (and) staff,” he said. “That is what I’m aiming for. (I will) do my very best to get there.”
Patterson said another goal with establishing this committee is to create a web page where fees are structurally outlined and their purposes are clearly defined to make this information more accessible and organized.
Patterson and Laura Foltz, vice president for finances and administrative services, will present the finalized 2026-2027 academic year’s budget on Tuesday, April 28, following a preliminary budget town hall meeting held on March 10 and a series of meetings between Foltz and various student groups. He said the feedback Foltz has received from these visits has been brought back into budgetary discussions and is actively being factored into decision making for next year and beyond.
“Those voices have had direct input into the decision,” he said. “Our goal is for them to see … quick successes (and) hopefully see some of that coming back to them through the budget dollars that will be distributed at the appropriate time.”
After the recent passage of House Bill 490 via an override of Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto, Murray State’s Faculty Senate drafted a policy for the University to instate in accordance with state law. Patterson said he will continue to work with Michael Bordieri, Faculty Senate president, to put the policy into effect by the October deadline while maintaining support for University faculty.
“Our faculty are the bedrock, the foundation, the heart of our campus community and our university,” Patterson said. “I want them to continue to feel that their President supports them and empowers them (and) continue to challenge our students to think critically, discover and be bold in their discovery after graduation. So none of those things will change.”
On April 16, Patterson announced the elimination of the University’s late fee for employee timesheets via email to administrators, faculty and staff. Murray State has had this penalty as part of its Time and Leave Reporting policy for 15 years. He said it was a topic of conversation throughout his Racer Spirit Listening and Learning tour in the fall 2025 semester which prompted him to review the fee and its practicality.
“I’ve worked at six institutions, and I’ve never heard of a late fee policy where we charge our people for turning in their time sheets late,” he said. “I will be honest and tell you that President Patterson has been late with submitting his time sheet. … We just lose track, right? So why are we penalizing the people we say we care about, our staff and our faculty that do the wonderful work of supporting (students)?”
He said the decision to eliminate the fee follows the same logic as he applied when he declared the entirety of spring break as a holiday period for University employees.
“I thought it was very necessary (and) long overdue to eliminate what I call an unnecessary burden to our faculty and staff,” he said. “We are professionals (and) adults, and we should be treated as such.”
Looking forward
Reflecting on the year, Patterson said going on the Racer Spirit Listening and Learning tour was the best decision he could have made to begin his presidency. With the tour behind him and much of the feedback gathered from it either addressed or influencing his plans for the future, Patterson said two major goals going into the fall 2026 semester is to continue investing in students, faculty and staff and pursue recruitment efforts by visiting regional high schools.
In terms of ongoing construction plans, Patterson said both Jackson Hall, the new College of Nursing and Health Sciences building, and the Living Learning Commons are on schedule, with Jackson Hall still set to open this August. The University held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Veterinary Sciences Building on Wednesday, April 22. Patterson said there is a 24 month timetable for the construction, resulting in a scheduled opening in 2028.
Once nursing faculty and students have moved into Jackson Hall, Patterson said renovations to Mason Hall will begin with a hired architect’s renderings and dedicated funds already in place. When completed, Mason Hall will house the exercise science program and the new dental hygiene program.
While the various construction projects around campus mean big things for the future of Murray State, Patterson says some deferred maintenance efforts will not be feasibly efficient until later on.
“We’re playing catch up, and that’s not fair,” he said. “Just know that it’s not going anywhere. It’s still on the list. Once construction slows down a little bit, our facilities and management team will get back to addressing some of our ongoing annual maintenance to our campus.”
He said future maintenance will address issues like fixing pavement around campus and identifying locations for additional parking.
The Bauernfeind Wellness Center will receive major updates over the summer such as gym floor resurfacing and new treadmills, weight room equipment and ergonomic equipment, all with Murray State blue and gold branding. He said these upgrades are another result of discussions he had during the Listening and Learning tour.
“I listened to a group of students, and they had shared with me that they were purchasing off campus memberships,” Patterson said. “That kind of broke my heart, because they weren’t going to the Wellness Center. … (We are) hoping it will bring back some of those students who have purchased memberships off campus and … reengage our students.”
Patterson provided an in-depth list of improvements coming soon to the University’s athletic facilities and areas. Johnny Reagan Field will see construction of a new baseball clubhouse in May as well as renderings for an extended pressbox in the near future. In Roy Stewart Stadium, upgrades include resurfacing and adding new turf for the football field, new asphalt for the track with blue and gold detailing and a new video board installation. The current video board at Roy Stewart will be repurposed for Racer Field, which will also soon see the construction of the Sandra Hartman pressbox and new seating. There are plans in place to invest in the remodeling of the Racer Arena floor.
Patterson said the University is planning to improve the tennis court area and Cutchin Field as well.
“Our goal is to install a new video board for women’s soccer and some seating and lighting so that games can be played at night,” he said. “But it will also allow us to maybe rent out the facility for other schools as well.”
