The Original Plan
In 1982, the Council on Higher Education developed The Commonwealth of Kentucky Higher Education Desegregation Plan in response to a U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) finding that "the Commonwealth of Kentucky, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, has failed to eliminate the vestiges of its former de jure racially dual system of public higher education." Development of the plan was necessary for Kentucky to meet the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The duration of the original plan was five years (1982-87).

The Second Plan
A second plan was necessary because the institutions had not achieved the original plan goals related to employment, retention, and graduation. The second plan is titled The Kentucky Plan for Equal Opportunities in Higher Education (The Kentucky Plan). The original duration of The Kentucky Plan was 1990-95.

The Third Plan
The Kentucky Plan 1997-2002 has as its foundation the vision statement previously expressed. It is committed to extension of equal opportunity, both for access to and success in higher education, to all people without consideration of race. Further, this new plan commits institutions to develop and implement programs and activities designed to result in successful achievement of institutional and system objectives. This plan has been extended until Kentucky is released from the Partnership Agreement with the Office for Civil Rights.

Objectives affecting KCTCS:

Kentucky Resident African American Undergraduate Student Enrollment:
The objective is set by CPE, and the headcount enrollment (student codes 01-04, 05, and 14) of the institution must be equal to the objective or the institution must show progress by enrolling at least one student more than enrolled the previous year. Head count enrollment includes all students - full-time, part-time, auditors, non-degree, etc.

Employment of African Americans in Executive, Administrative and Managerial Positions:
This includes only the full-time employees of an institution. The employment of African Americans by the institution must be equal to the objective or the institution must show progress by employing at least one full-time staff person more than employed the previous year.

Employment of African Americans as Faculty:
This includes only the full-time faculty of an institution. The employment of African Americans by the institution must be equal to the objective or the institution must show progress by employing at least one full-time faculty person more than employed the previous year.

Employment of African Americans as Other Professionals (Professional Non-Faculty):
This includes only the full-time professional staff of an institution. The employment of African Americans by the institution must be equal to the objective or the institution must show progress by employing at least one full-time professional staff person more than employed the previous year.