Sweet smell of success as semester ends at YSU

"Youngstown State is the best public university in Ohio and beyond to get an undergraduate education."
If David Sweet, president of Youngstown State University, did not have the evidence to support such a sweeping statement, we doubt he would have made it -- especially to Vindicator writers.
But when Sweet stopped by the newsroom last week to present his academic year-end review of the state of the university, he was armed with a report that was replete with data showing the enormous progress that has been made to meet the three goals he established when he became president in July 2000: enrollment; diversity; partnerships.
Take enrollment. In Sweet's first year, there were 11,787 students at YSU; in 2001, the number rose to 12,250; in 2002, it hit 12,698; and in 2003, it was at 12,858. For the 2004-05 academic year, the administration is projecting an enrollment of 13,041.
And if the trend continues, the president says, YSU could well have 14,000 students by the fall of 2008 -- the 100th year of the university. That would be a significant accomplishment.
By strengthening the faculty -- four new positions have been created for 2004-05, 20 faculty members have been hired for that period and more than 50 faculty members were brought on board the previous two years -- and strengthening research, especially at the undergraduate level, YSU has positioned itself to meet the needs of the growing student body.
Early college
New academic programs have been developed, including early college high school and a bachelor's degree in forensic science, and a technology master plan has been adopted to benefit students. Sweet acknowledges that YSU is "woefully behind the curve" in technology, but the board of trustees has endorsed a program that will result in improved computer lab accessibility and operation, an increased number of multimedia classrooms, wireless networks, improved classroom technology, enhanced student advisement and financial aid administrative systems, and an equipment replacement fund.
The technology master plan envisions a $19 million investment over three years.
Bricks-and-mortar are also an integral part of the expanding university, and Sweet points with pride to the groundbreaking for the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center as an example of the community investing in the institution. The $12.1 million project is being funded with private donations only. The bookstore will be renovated and expanded, and the West Spring Street Corridor is being upgraded to give YSU a primary entryway.
Aware that the reduction in state funding for higher education has given rise to a debate in the General Assembly over the future of Ohio's 13 public universities and colleges, Sweet contends that Youngstown State leads the pack in efficiency when it comes to the cost per full-time equivalent student and the number of staff per FTE. His contention is confirmed by performance studies of Ohio's public universities and colleges conducted by the Ohio Board of Regents.
Declining support
When Sweet came to YSU in 2000, the state's share of instruction was $47 million. Since then, the share has declined to slightly over $41 million this year. In 2005, state funding is expected to be less than $41 million.
Given that the formula used by the board of regents to determine the level of funding favors institutions that offer master's and doctorate degrees and does not comparatively reward institutions like YSU that are focusing on undergraduate education, we believe the time has come for Republican Gov. Bob Taft and the Republican controlled General Assembly to take an in-depth look at the issue of state support for higher education.
We renew our call for a revision of the formula so an open admission, urban institution like YSU that is efficient and is meeting the higher education needs of a large segment of the population does not have to play second fiddle to Ohio State and the other major universities.