YSU Sweet leads college group

He hopes alumni will influence state and national decision-making.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State University President David C. Sweet is the new chairman of the Inter-University Council of Ohio, an association representing the state's 13 public universities and two free-standing medical colleges.
"I look forward to heading this much-respected, influential group of university leaders," said Sweet, who was dean of Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University before taking YSU's helm three years ago.
Sweet, who had served as vice chairman for one year, received the chairman position as his turn in a rotating chairmanship among the IUC school presidents.
He will hold the position for one year.
Sweet said he wants the IUC to take the lead in building a network of alumni to act as advocates for higher education in the state. Sweet said the 15 schools in the IUC have 850,000 alumni across Ohio.
"We need to mobilize the alumni," Sweet said. "They have the potential of having a great impact on decisions being made in our state and national capitals."
The IUC, established in 1939, assists in sustaining and improving the quality of public higher education in Ohio and engages in public relations, research and government liaison work on behalf of its members.
Experience
Jim McCollum, IUC executive director, said Sweet's experience as a university president, college dean and in state government are major assets for him to draw upon as he leads the council.
As chairman, Sweet will work with McCollum in setting the agenda for running monthly meetings of the presidents of the 15 represented schools: University of Akron, Bowling Green State University, Central State University, University of Cincinnati, Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Medical College of Ohio at Toledo, Miami University, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Ohio University, Shawnee State University, University of Toledo, Wright State University and YSU.