YOUNGSTOWN Youngstown State University President Bill Johnson will address university faculty and staff Monday, September 22 with the university's recent enrollment growth likely a key theme.

Johnson is scheduled to deliver his annual State of the University address Monday at 10 a.m. in the Williamson Hall Auditorium.

The address follows a university news release reporting a second consecutive year of enrollment growth for YSU. The release stated that overall student headcount was up 2.1% this fall, building on a 2024 increase that was the university's first in more than a decade.

In the release, Johnson said the growth was "the result of relentless effort across this campus" and proved the university's value. He also noted that the growth was achieved despite the 2024 surge being fueled by unique factors, including transfers from the former Eastern Gateway Community College.

Last year's address was Johnson's first as president. At that time, he noted the university's enrollment challenges, attributing them to declining birth rates and what he characterized as a "false narrative" about the value of a college education.

Johnson is also expected to touch on the university's degree completion, as YSU awarded more degrees in the combined 2024 and 2025 academic year than in any year in the past decade.