YOUNGSTOWN Youngstown State University President Bill Johnson delivered his annual State of the University address on Monday.

Johnson spoke to faculty and staff at 10 a.m. in the Williamson Hall Auditorium.

During the address, Johnson discussed the progress the university has made, including new programs like the new flight school and commercial driver's licence (CDL) program, the Kilcawley "Centered on the Future" campaign, enrollment growth and more.

"The state of our university is strong, and the future is bright," Johnson said.

On the topic of innovation, Johnson highlighted concerns regarding advancements in technology such as artificial intelligence and its impact on higher education.

"Our students, faculty, staff, alumni and our partners are pushing us forward, keeping us stable and helping us steer through all of this uncertainty. And coupled with a continued commitment to tuition value, ... we're solidifying our position in the upper echelons of Ohio's higher education ecosystem," Johnson said.

Johnson says all of this allows for the university to continue to seek opportunities for its students, faculty and staff, and that important, influential people are taking notice.

Johnson noted Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's announcement of the new aerospace and defense hub coming to the former Vindicator building, a project in which YSU is a partner.

Johnson also referenced the State of Ohio's request that YSU take the lead role in a $20 million partnership with the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Norfolk Southern and the Village of East Palestine to creat a state-of-the-art fire science and public safety training facility in the village.

On the topic of new programs, Johnson mentioned the new aviation and CDL programs in partnership with the Western Reserve Port Authority. 

"Our YSU team saw a workforce and education need and applied a penguin solution. I'm proud of the work they did. These sorts of opportunities help us reach all student types ... and prepare them to excel in the ever-changing workforce in front of us," Johnson said.

On the topic of enrollment, Johnson said to continue to increase enrollment, the university is continuing to work to understand the education and workforce needs of the students it serves and evaluate new program offerings to meet those needs.

"We've made tremendous progress in implementing our enterprise enrollment strategy, we've expanded our online offerings both in graduate and undergraduate programs, we're committed to further investing in the Penguin Prep program we started last year ... and we remain committed to serving our great country, our active duty military, Reserve Officer Training Corps. cadets and our veterans," Johnson said.

Additionally, Johnson noted a 24% increase in the university's College Credit Plus (CCP) program this fall. Johnson attributed this increase to YSU making its enrollment process more efficient and strengthening its partnership with local school districts.

"We're also taking the necessary steps to directly admit College Credit Plus students to YSU, and we're implementing a web-based interface to optimise the process of transferring to YSU from other institutions. Soon, potential transfer students will know with a high degree of probability what will transfer towards multiple degree programs simply by uploading their transcripts," Johnson said.

Another factor Johnson attributed to increased enrollment is making student admissions more efficient, which resulted in a 22% increase in registrations for orientation for the fall of 2025.

When it comes to international students, Johnson said 82% of international students registered for classes in advance of attending orientation.

Johnson attributed this to the collaborative planning amongst first year student services and residents' life, which Johnson said allowed for "the smoothest international student orientation and move-in that [YSU has] ever seen."

Johnson then talked about the ongoing "Kilcawley: Centered on the Future" campaign to renovate the Kilcawley Student Center on campus.

"When I started this job in January of 2024, some called this $57 million two-and-a-half-year project 'dead on arrival.' But as of today, with the help of the YSU Foundation and our vast penguin philanthropic network, we've raised nearly $20 million. Combined with capital funding from the state, we've accumulated some $33 million, and we're still seeing money come in," Johnson said.

Johnson added that the project is still on schedule and is expected to be fully completed by the fall of 2027.

Johnson then discussed improvements to the university's financial aid efforts, mentioning tailored aid packages for diverse student populations.

"We've made our financial aid communications more targeted, aligning messaging with individual student needs, particularly amid uncertainty surrounding future federal and state financial aid changes. As a result, we're emphasizing YSU's value and affordability to support both recruitment and retention," Johnson said.

When it comes to new initiatives, Johnson laid out the university's next steps for former Eastern Gateway Community College students.

"Getting ready to crank up in-person teaching down in Steubenville as part of our Eastern Gateway Community College closure, gap filling plan," Johnson said.

The president also announced the largest fundraising year in YSU's history--$30 million in philanthropic support.

"What that tells me is that YSU's brand is is bright people see it. Parents and students are seeing the value proposition of pursuing their education here at YSU and our community partners think our team must be doing a good job, because they continue to invest," Johnson said.