Partnerships

The power of partnership is evident in the physical transformation of our campus which can be seen through new residence halls, dining facilities, and academic and student life spaces. These transformations were made possible through partnerships with Barnes & Noble College, Education Realty Trust (EdR/Greystar), and Compass Group.

In 2012, the University partnered with Education Realty Trust (EdR/Greystar) to construct state of the art student housing facilities on campus. The housing development provided new housing to enhance the learning experience for students at the University of Kentucky. The multi-phased project replaced most of the existing student housing located across campus with modern state of the art facilities.

In 2026, the University began their partnership with Compass Group to revitalize the dining services on campus. Better food, more reasonably priced and healthier options along with significant investments and upgrades in the facilities where our students, faculty and staff eat — those are the kinds of guaranteed investments this partnership represents. 

In 2019, the University of Kentucky began the Smart Campus initiative to better equip its students with technological knowledge. Providing iPads to all incoming students and reimagining the Winslow property are two of the most significant advancements of this initiative that have allowed the university to better serve its students.

In 2018, the University of Kentucky opened its brand-new bookstore in partnership with Barnes & Noble College. The two-story, 33,000 square feet space features a Nike store with UK-branded apparel, a fully licensed Starbucks with café seating for 70 and  an authorized Apple reseller and an authorized Apple service provider.