YSU head hopes for funding increase

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Sweet cited progress in enrollment, diversity and community partnerships.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — The president of Youngstown State University said state support for students attending Youngstown State University has dropped by nearly 25 percent over the past six years.

The state was giving the university $5,300 per student each year when he became president, Dr. David C. Sweet told an audience Wednesday at the Rotary Club of Youngstown.

Last year, that amount had dropped to $4,100 per student, he said.

That's a gap YSU has had to meet with tuition increases, he said.

The university raised tuition again for this fall by 5.75 percent to just under $6,700 a year for full-time, in-state students. It was the ninth consecutive annual tuition increase.

The average student pays 47 percent or 48 percent of that, relying on scholarships and other forms of aid to cover the difference, Sweet said.

This year will be a big year for higher education in Ohio, he said, noting that voters will be selecting a new governor and a new Legislature, and the Ohio Board of Regents, which governs higher education in the state, will be naming a new chancellor.

Sweet said it is his hope that the state is more generous with its funding next year.

He said he had three specific objectives when he came to YSU: Increasing enrollment, expanding campus diversity and forming partnership with other entities to benefit YSU and the community.

Enrollment has been growing, increasing steadily for four years to just over 13,000 students in fall 2004 before dropping by about 300 last fall.

Concerted efforts are being made to draw students to YSU through expanded programs and course offerings, and numbers are "looking positive" for an increase this fall, Sweet said.

Diversity is an important issue in the Mahoning Valley and to YSU, he said, adding that progress has been made in that area as well.

Minority students made up about 10 percent of the student body several years ago but reached 15 percent last year, he said.

Engaging the community

Sweet said he is "particularly proud" of the partnerships the university has formed to augment and expand educational offerings and opportunities.

He cited the collaboration with the Youngstown City School District two years ago to launch the Youngstown Early College high school program as one of the successes, noting it will bring more than 200 city high school students onto campus this year, allowing them to take some college courses for credit along with their regular high school curriculum.

YSU has also formed a partnership with the city to develop the area south of campus, particularly with the proposed construction of a new business college on Phelps Street south of Rayen Avenue that will provide a closer link to the downtown business district.

There are four key properties in the target area, and two of them are significantly blighted, he said, pointing out that ridding the area of blight is one of the project goals.

Other collaborative efforts include working closely with Wick Neighbors toward the development of Smoky Hollow adjacent to campus, he said.

gwin@vindy.com

Thursday, August 10, 2006