Then & Now

During the past decade, the University of Pikeville has had a variety of development, innovation, athletic achievements, student success and a multitude of evolution.

Spearheaded by former Kentucky Governor, then President of Pikeville College and current Chancellor Paul Patton, Pikeville College officially transitioned to the University of Pikeville in 2011. Through the hard work of faculty, staff and students, the university began a period of development it had not seen in many years.

The Coleman College of Business was established in 2013 to connect with community businesses and instill entrepreneurial leadership skills in its students. Only two years later, in 2015, the Patton College of Education was established to prepare its students to positively impact the community.

During this modern time, UPIKE continues to focus on medical professions as an extension of its original purpose to educate students and fill needs in the community. Faculty and staff supported both the minds and bodies of the communities and when the need for medical professionals arose, they spent the last decade expanding the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) and in 2016 developed the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). Construction activity exploded and the campus grew with the completion of the Coal Building and the Health Professions Education Building, which houses the university’s two professional schools.

With the dedication of the UPIKE family and the support of the community, the university marked a milestone and celebrated its 130 th anniversary in 2019. Later that year, the College of Nursing and Human Services was established, which encompasses the Elliott School of Nursing and the School of Social Work. UPIKE also expanded campus housing to accommodate its rising number of students.

It was an era of unprecedented expansion in athletics and investments in athletic facilities that saw the department expand from five sports to more than 20, including football, bowling and volleyball. Success in the department included national tournament appearances in nine sports and the institution’s first four national championships.

In reviewing the developments of the past decade, the thing that strikes UPIKE’s Director of Library Services Edna Fugate most is how the University of Pikeville has refocused on its original mission.

“We are using education to fill needs in Central Appalachia, and though it may look different than it did in 1889, the growth of this last decade is certainly reflective of what our founders meant us to be,” said Fugate. “We are always moving and changing in ways that best fit our mission in the community.”

While UPIKE is doing amazing things today, it is also firmly focused on the future. The university has ambitious plans for the next five to ten years of adding to its residence halls and athletic facilities.

KYCOM and KYCO will remain strong with the potential for advancement. UPIKE aims to expand its research capabilities in medicine and optometry by adding additional staff and more specific kinds of research facilities.

Keeping a well-suited balance, the university plans to stay committed to its students and intends to continue to develop the undergraduate college’s diversity of academic programs. UPIKE’s graduate-level programs will be fully implemented in the Master’s in Social Work, Teacher Leader and Master’s in Business Administration.

The university’s objective is to add significantly to the number and quality of its academic buildings.

UPIKE seeks to pursue its mission, provide a promise of advancement and academic excellence while embarking on the journey to nurture a true learning community that will lead to a thriving future for Appalachia.