Tressel, others take look back at first year

By Denise Dick | June 14, 2015 at 12:01a.m.

By DENISE DICK | denise_dick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Jim Tressel grades himself a B- for effectiveness in his first year as Youngstown State University president.

“We made a little bit of progress,” he said.

But there are areas that still need more work and things he says he could have done better.

Tressel began visiting campus in May 2014, after trustees tapped him for the presidency. He served as acting president for about 10 days in June before his official term began July 1.

His supporters grade more generously.

In early 2014, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, wrote a letter to YSU trustees, urging them to appoint Tressel to the job. More than 30 business, labor and community leaders signed the letter.

More than a year later, Ryan believes trustees made the right move.

“I’d give him a solid A,” he said.

He cited Tressel’s expansion of recruiting efforts into counties beyond the traditional recruitment zone. He also pointed to Tressel’s targeting the university’s internal workings, providing training and empowerment for employees.

Now Tressel is moving to the next phase.

“Now he’s getting more engaged with America Makes and YBI and some more areas of economic development and making sure there are opportunities for students,” the congressman said.

Tressel is also reaching out to alumni and other Mahoning Valley natives with special affection for the university to bolster fundraising.

Ryan wouldn’t change anything.

“While I would give him an A or an A+ I’m certainly not surprised,” he said.

He and Tressel are in constant contact — something beneficial to the community and the university, Ryan said. Ryan is in a position to secure federal dollars while Tressel is a university president who understands the community and thinks outside of the box, he said.

“He gets it,” Ryan said.

Carole Weimer, YSU trustee chairwoman, also gives Tressel high marks.

“I’d give him an A,” she said. “He’s come into office and took the time to listen to so many different campus constituencies.”

He tackled YSU’s budget deficit, knocking it down from $10 million in fiscal year 2015 to about $3 million next year, she said.

“He has challenged the entire campus community to strive for excellence, to make them do everything they can to make this university the best university it can be,” Weimer said. “He’s an incredible workaholic. He exhausts many of us. He can work 18-hour days and have the same energy at the end of the day as at the beginning of the day.”

Tressel is motivating people, making them feel good about YSU and wanting to do their best, she said.

A ‘workaholic’

“Just the hours he keeps is a challenge for others around him,” Weimer said. “When the boss doesn’t walk out at 4 p.m., it’s pretty hard to walk past the boss’s desk at 4 p.m. He’s setting the bar high for all of those who work for the university.”

He does, however, have some detractors.

Connie Frisby, president of YSU’s Association of Classified Employees union, declined to comment about Tressel’s performance, but that union earlier this month voted “no confidence” in Tressel and YSU trustees. That vote followed trustees imposing terms of a tentative agreement that the union had overwhelmingly rejected.

The faculty union reached agreement with the university on a three-year contract but not before that group also voted “no confidence” in trustees and the YSU administration. Tressel wasn’t singled out in that resolution.

Bruce Zoldan, president and CEO of B.J. Alan Co., was one of the leaders of the campaign urging YSU trustees to appoint Tressel president. A year later, he doesn’t regret that effort.

“I would give him an A+,” Zoldan said.

He acknowledges that he’s not involved in the day-to-day operations of the university but likes what he’s seen.

“No. 1, he’s a workaholic,” Zoldan said.

Tressel is involved in many groups throughout the community, he said.

“The last couple of Cavaliers games, I’ve invited him to sit with me,” Zoldan said. “He says, ‘I’d love to, but have I have an engagement with this group or that group. Maybe the next one.’”

He also likes Tressel’s outreach efforts to widen the footprint from which YSU recruits students.

“He’s made YSU noticed to high schools, and he has an enrollment plan that has reached out to schools [where students] never thought about going to YSU,” Zoldan said.

Youngstown Mayor John McNally declined to grade the YSU president but said the two have a great working relationship. They’ve talked about plans for improvements to Lincoln, Wick and Fifth avenues, he said.

“I was hoping to develop with the previous president a relationship between the city and the university camps,” the mayor said. “While I had a good relationship with him, he just wasn’t here long enough for that to come to fruition.”

Randy Dunn served as YSU president for only eight months, resigning to become president at Southern Illinois University.

Good relationship

“With President Tressel, he’s accessible and he’s free to call me if he has questions about how the city can help the campus or the campus can help the city,” the mayor said. “He’s taken ample chances to do that. We talk frequently. We see each other out in public. We constantly communicate about how to improve the city and how to improve the campus.”

One of the things Tressel points to as a positive in his first year is an increase in the number of students admitted to the university.

As of last week, 3,956 students had been admitted for fall 2015, compared with 2,693 admitted by the same week last year for fall 2014.

Those numbers could increase, he said.

The university’s fiscal year 2016 $176 million operating budget, expected to be approved by trustees this week, projects a 1 percent fall enrollment increase.

YSU’s fall 2014 enrollment declined 6.3 percent from fall 2013. For last spring, it decreased 4 percent compared with spring 2014.

More than just recruiting and attracting students though, bolstering enrollment is about retention. Tressel instituted administrative changes that include a new division of student success within academic affairs. That division will focus on improving student retention and success rates.

The university’s 2013 to 2014 retention rate was 69 percent, up from 65 percent in 2012 to 2013.

Numbers are up

The number of degrees awarded also rose to 2,258 in 2014 to 2015 from 2,147 the previous year. YSU also has increased its course completion rate, which rose from 84 percent in 2013-14 to 85.7 percent for the 2014-15 academic year.

Tressel also points to the decrease in the budget deficit, which was $10.3 million last year. It’s down to about $3 million for FY 2016. That was accomplished through a combination of retirements and eliminating vacancies.

The budget also includes $3 million in “strategic investments,” a pool of funds that will be available to make strategic investments to foster academic excellence and student success, according to budget documents.

Despite those successes, Tressel points to communication as lacking during his first year.

That includes people and groups on campus as well as off campus.

“We need to do a better job of letting people know of all of the exciting things that are happening on campus,” he said. “YSU is simply better on the whole than what it’s perceived to be.”

Better communication also could be cultivated with university trustees, faculty and others on campus, he said.

Tressel’s administration has been criticized by some faculty members and the YSU Academic Senate for a lack of shared governance.

Decision-maker

He said he seeks input from different constituencies, but he must make the decisions.

“I know my job is to progress, and not everyone will agree with the decisions that are made,” Tressel said. “That’s just part of the job.”

He also regrets not getting his administrative team in place earlier.

Late last month, the university announced that Tressel’s restructuring would save about $940,000. Some positions, including vice president for student affairs, were eliminated through retirement, job consolidation or duty reassignment. Many vacant positions also were axed.

The goal was to trim expenses without laying off employees, and he accomplished that.

One of his goals is to focus on fostering a culture of community on campus.

He referred to a sense of community and togetherness among students, those who work on campus and visitors, plus a welcoming atmosphere.

“I think that’s the key,” the president said.