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New YSU President Outlines Challenges, Opportunities
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Youngstown State University President Randy Dunn told faculty, staff and guests Monday that the state of YSU is challenged but hopeful for the future.
In his first state of the university address since taking over as YSU president last month [WATCH VIDEO], Dunn warned that if YSU doesn’t figure out an “aggressive way” to address declining enrollment, “business for us changes.” He pointed to news reports about Clarion University in Clarion, Pa., which faces the loss of up to 40 employees, including 22 faculty members, and plans to dissolve its college of education and human services, under a “broad restructuring intended to offset revenue losses” caused by a combination of lower state support and student enrolment.
Dunn said he didn’t’ come to YSU to have this “reported about us” nor to oversee “the shrinking away” of the university. “We’re going to deal with this,” he said.
For the 2013 fiscal year just completed, YSU is looking at a deficit of about $1.9 million, and this fall semester YSU faces a third consecutive year of declining enrollment. Each percentage point decrease in enrollment amounts to a loss of about $1 million. Fall semester enrollment numbers should be finalized in two weeks, he said.
No final decisions have been made regarding how YSU will address the shortfall. “I am trying as much as possible for it not to be related to human capital,” he said.
In addition to enrollment, YSU faces challenges from changes in how the university is funded, with 25% coming from state support and tuition primarily making up the remaining 75%, a reversal from the formula about 20 years ago, he said.
YSU’s funding will be further challenged as the state of Ohio embraces funding based on performance, as in graduation rates, at what Dunn described as a “pretty aggressive level.” YSU is one of the state’s open access schools but “there is no special provision” or “side language that we get exempted from anything,” he said. That will mean a rethinking of how YSU interprets its open access mandate, which over the years has morphed into open enrollment.
“Open access for us means that we need to be very aggressive in helping to advise students about the best place for them” based on their level of college readiness, in some cases advising them to an initial option such as Eastern Gateway Community College.
Dunn pledged to move aggressively on addressing enrollment. “Everything is on the table for us,” including rethinking the university’s traditional catchment areas and looking at “signature programs” that can attract students from across the country. He pointed to additive manufacturing as one of the areas that could be used to draw students from a broader area. “As undergraduates, they have the chance to work in a field that is on the cutting edge of what’s going on within that industry,” he said.
Additionally, he pointed to programs within YSU’s communications department “that typically would have a very strong subscription for students” as well as programs within the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services. “The pass rates for those students at Youngstown are through the roof,” he said. He also noted the Beeghly College of Education was named among the nation’s top 40 schools for teacher education by an online database, and the YSU-affiliated Youngstown Business Incubator was listed among the top university-affiliated incubators in the world.
“People are attracted to quality. People will follow quality,” Dunn remarked.
He also pointed to forming “rich, meaningful, deep partnerships” with institutions throughout the community, “not just in terms of gathering who we can but even being selective,” pointing to YSU’s partnership with Fireline Inc.
Dunn’s remarks drew positive reviews from two of YSU’s deans.
Dunn is “very realistic,” said Martin Abraham, dean of YSU’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering and mathematics. “”Clearly we have enrolment challenges but he also has some ideas on how we need to start addressing those and so that gives us cause for optimism,” he observed. “There are some good things happening and he picked up on a lot of those.”
Dunn used additive manufacturing as “a good example” of the kinds of programs at YSU that could be “signature programs that could attract students from across a broader range outside of the Mahoning Valley,” Abraham noted.
“We have the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute right here in our own backyard. If we can’t provide the world’s best education in additive manufacturing, then who can?” he asked. “We need to take advantage of those resources and provide the best opportunity for our students and use that to attract students from a very broad range.”
Betty Jo Licata, dean of the Williamson College of Business Administration, noted Dunn brings enthusiasm and “a vision” for where YSU can continue to grow. “I was encouraged that he’s not looking at a radical change of path but rather to continue the excellence that YSU has always shown.”
Another item Dunn discussed, forging new partnerships, is one of the focuses as YSU continues to expand its internship program, Licata said.
“That’s a really good example of where we’re not just interested in placing students in one internship but rather to develop a partnership with a company that could include faculty research and consulting projects for our students to be engaged with as well as that internship experience,” she said. “So it’s not just a one semester type of transaction but an ongoing, definite partnership.”
Copyright 2013 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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