YSU president Johnson talks enrollment, goals at ‘State of the University’ address

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Youngstown State University President Bill Johnson gave his first “State of the University” address Tuesday morning, detailing his goals for the university moving forward in his first address as president.

The speech began just after 10 a.m. at Ford Theater in Bliss Hall on YSU’s campus. Johnson said the speech was the most intimidating thing he had to do since taking office.

Johnson praised the Board of Trustees, citing their devotion to a volunteer position, and offered credit to the university’s new provost Dr. Jennifer Pintar along with teachers and staff.

“Youngstown State University is in a really good place,” he declared, citing increased enrollment and a “feeling of optimism in the air.”

“In Youngstown, we bend, folks, but we do not break. … We are here for the long haul, and the same can be said for YSU.”

Johnson acknowledged the challenges the university is facing and his determination to overcome them. He said his first goal is for YSU to become the — not an — anchor university in Northeast Ohio.

He outlined the following additional goals for YSU:

• Improve the student experience for all, regardless of their backgrounds
• Increase enrollment
• More seamlessly integrate YSU with businesses around the area and nation to better understand business needs and better produce a future workforce
• Grow the new Government Affairs Office to allow YSU to influence forming policies in Washington and Columbus

Johnson cited decreasing birth rates and increasing numbers of homeschooled students as hurdles to enrollment. He also said despite a false narrative that degrees are no longer valuable, students with a bachelor’s degree from YSU make significantly more than their counterparts without. His plan to increase enrollment is to cast a wider net and remain adaptable.

Johnson said 60+ new programs have been added to accommodate the students from Eastern Gateway Community College , including aviation. Some new courses will begin this fall and the university is expanding its footprint to the south.

“And soon Big Red “Y” will be going up in Steubenville in Jefferson County as we begin teaching classes there as well,” he said.

The university also is looking to expand its online programs. Johnson said they are not heading toward becoming an online-only university, but in order to be competitive on a national level, the university needs both online and on-campus offerings.

“We must all recognize that YSU is not just a school or university, but that we must function like a business,” Johnson said on the topic of finance. He offered his assurance that YSU is financially sound but thinks the university is missing out on funds.

“We need to have a seat at the table when the debate is going on when decisions are being made — not standing in the back of the line only to be told after the fact that we didn’t get what we needed.”

Johnson said his door is open to anyone with suggestions for positive change.

Chelsea Simeon and Gerry Ricciutti contributed to this report.

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