YSU president: University is doing well
Trending
YOUNGSTOWN -- When it came to assessing Youngstown State University's state of affairs, YSU President Bill Johnson left the starting gate not with a trot but with a gallop.
"I'm glad to share with you that the state of Youngstown State University is very, very good," he said.
That was among the themes that coursed through Johnson's 30-minute Presidential State of the University address he delivered Tuesday morning to a full auditorium of students, faculty, administrators and others in the Williamson College of Business Administration.
Part of that positive picture is "an increased headcount," this semester that marks such an uptick for the third consecutive year -- something that hasn't occurred in decades, he noted.
Specifically, this semester's census enrollment – gauged after the 14th day of the term – is 12,423, up slightly from 12,420 in fall 2025. The fall 2024 semester showed a headcount of 12,164 full- and part-time students, according to data the university released last week.
This semester's figures among class rankings were mixed, however, with increases in the number of sophomores and juniors compared with fall 2025 and slight decreases in the number of freshmen and seniors, the metrics show.
The increases come amid a backdrop of fewer international students as well as lower birth rates that inevitably lead to a smaller pool of prospective students from which to recruit, Johnson noted.
Two key attractive features of YSU are affordability and the quality of education it provides, he said. The university offers the third-lowest tuition among Ohio's four-year universities and the lowest in the region, Johnson noted. He added that, courtesy of its Penguin Tuition Promise -- also known as the "Penguin Plus" -- program, tuition and mandatory fees are locked in for students for four consecutive academic years.
Other achievements YSU has seen this year include being one of 275 universities across the country to have received the Carnegie Foundation's Elective Classification for Community Engagement recognition, along with getting the 35th highest amount of funds and gifts from private entities of any university in the nation, Johnson said. The gifts are a testament to how many people feel YSU has impacted them and the community, he added.
The Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement is in essence a framework to assess and recognize such community interactions and collaborations between institutions of higher learning and their larger local, state, regional, national and global communities.
In addition, Gov. Mike DeWine selected YSU's Excellence Training Center to be a core workforce-development and academic partner with the Youngstown Innovation Hub of Aerospace & Defense, along with leading a career and pathway network in the Lake-to-River region, which consists of Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties, Johnson said.
With a projected $161.6 million in economic output and 450 high-paying jobs, the hub will be "a driver of national security, global competitiveness and long-term economic growth," its website states.
KILCAWLEY CENTER AND STEUBENVILLE CAMPUS UPDATES
Johnson also provided updates on the $58 million Kilcawley Center modernization and renovation project to replace 1960s infrastructure in the popular student and recreation facility, saying that it is more than halfway finished. The work also is being done on time and on budget, he noted.
The project, which includes updating mechanical and electrical as well as heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, is expected to wrap up in fall 2027.
For nearly three years, a team of YSU professionals has worked to fill the education gap in Jefferson County and the surrounding Ohio Valley region that was created after Eastern Gateway Community College closed. Today, nearly 100 students are enrolled in about a dozen programs at YSU's Steubenville campus, Johnson said, adding that raising the university's brand and telling its story of successes "is a journey, not a destination," and needs to be a continual process.
In addition, the president touted a number of initiatives in various stages of development that are aimed at making YSU "the anchor university in our region" to enhance students' futures and enrich lives.
One such move consists of plans to expand the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services to allow a greater number of students to access available lab areas and work toward degrees in healthcare-related fields. Some students had to be turned away, not because of poor performance, but because of a lack of space, Johnson explained.
Another is to enhance and improve the university's online offerings in an effort "to meet students where they are," he said, adding that many are unable to physically attend YSU because of jobs and other obligations. Also part of that goal is to add more master's degree programs, Johnson continued.
CHALLENGES AHEAD
Despite the positive picture, YSU, like all four-year universities nationwide, faces certain challenges, he explained. One of them for YSU has been a 30% drop this semester in the number of international students, primarily because many were unable to have their visas approved, Johnson noted. It is hoped many of them will have that problem resolved by the start of the spring 2027 semester, he said.
Also, as the pace of technology accelerates, artificial intelligence will become a more dominant fixture in many curriculums, so it's imperative that YSU strives to be more flexible, agile and adaptable while continuing to anticipate workforce needs, Johnson explained.
AI is, at its basic core, "high-speed computing and access to massive amounts of data" that has a built-in ability "to build on what it's already learned," he said, adding that it's important for YSU to harness the burgeoning technology tool.
In addition, efforts are underway to allow YSU to be an R2 designated university, he continued.
Such a designation is the middle of three rankings that the Carnegie Commission of Institutions of Higher Education sets regarding research activity and resources at universities.
Those with an R2 classification, also designated as "Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity," recognize that "the importance of research is still integral to these institutions' missions, and they continue to foster a conducive environment for inquiry and discovery," according to www.tuition rewards.com.