YSU Metro College shuts down

By Denise Dick

denise_dick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

It was a part of Youngstown State University for nearly 20 years, aimed at branching the campus from downtown to the suburbs.

But the YSU Metro College closed its last location at the end of June.

Instead, the courses and programs that were offered there have been moved back to the main campus.

As of June 30, “we concluded our lease with Southwoods” Executive Centre, said Martin Abraham, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Most of the functions have been shifted onto campus.”

The continuing-education courses, for example, moved into the respective colleges on campus. Abraham said aligning continuing education with the academic units allows for better programming.

He said no jobs were lost.

Courses included workforce development and continuing education as well as enrichment courses such as foreign languages.

YSU started the Metro College in 1996 with locations at the Southern Park and Eastwood malls and Austintown Plaza as well as Southwoods. The other locations closed previously.

It was initiated to spread the university into the suburbs in an effort to increase enrollment.

Abraham said the move was in the works for six to nine months.

For the most part, what was offered at Southwoods will be offered on campus.

“If something is discontinued, it will be because we have not had the type of participation we wanted to make it very viable. We have not discontinued anything because we’ve moved out of there.”

Three people worked in the Southwoods office.

“That’s part of the reason we were able to do this,” Abraham said.

The rent at the Boardman location was about $150,000 per year.

“With the budget shortfalls, we’re looking carefully at everything we do,” he said. “Can we afford to do it or continue it, and is it cost effective? Could we continue the function in a way to be more cost-effective?”

The money that had been used to pay the building’s rent hasn’t been programmed for a particular purpose, the provost said. It’s budget savings, he said.

“We looked at it and said, ‘We just can’t afford it,’” Abraham said.