KENT STATE Trumbull honors campus' 50 years

The commissioners in 1966 offered a 134.7-acre site for a branch campus.
CHAMPION -- Kent State University this year marks a 50-year milestone for its campus in Champion.
Trumbull County commissioners passed a resolution this week recognizing KSU Trumbull Campus' anniversary.
The campus, their resolution states, "has served the residents of Trumbull and Mahoning counties for the past 50 years by providing higher education and courses and specialized training essential for opportunities in career and employment advancement, whereby enriching their quality of life."
The campus has about 2,200 students, 134 full- and part-time faculty, 50 administrative and support staff, and a $11.5 million annual budget.
Programs are offered at the freshman and sophomore year in 170 majors, along with 18 certificate and 15 associate degree programs, with junior/senior level course work for baccalaureate degree completion in nursing, justice studies, technology, business management, and general studies. A master's degree program in technology is also planned.
Elementary beginnings
The beginnings were humble, compared to what's now located off state Route 45 (Mahoning Avenue) and the Warren Bypass.
According to the campus history prepared by the university, KSU initiated a cadet program in Warren 50 years ago to help the area overcome a shortage of elementary teachers. The university until fall 1965 offered an evening program at Warren G. Harding High School. By 1965 this had been expanded to include many courses other than those required by prospective teachers.
The Warren Academic Center was granted campus status by the Legislature in 1965 and became the Trumbull Campus. In December 1966, county commissioners offered to deed a 134.7-acre site to KSU for the branch.
By June 1968, preliminary plans for a new facility were approved by the state, and completion was targeted for 1970. With almost 800 students enrolled, the campus continued to operate in 1969 and 1970 in four leased facilities in Warren.
Fall 1970 saw classes begin in the new building with 1,025 students.
Workforce Development
Seeing a need to meet the growing technical training needs for business and industry, the Trumbull Campus established a Workforce Development and Continuing Studies Center in 1996. The campus has provided technical training for more than 4,000 employees, representing 33 companies.
A Weekend College Program began in spring 1998, leading to a B.S. degree in technology.
The year 2000 brought the completion of two new facilities for the Trumbull Campus. The new 68,000-square-foot Technology Building was designed to support a variety of technology degree programs, including three new associate programs: laboratory technology, plastics manufacturing engineering technology and the high technology manufacturing degree.