YOUNGSTOWN — If the nighttime constellations represent Youngstown State University’s values, strides toward excellence, integrity and overall mission, then the students, alumni members, faculty, board of trustees and supporters are the individual stars, the university’s top official contends.

“This is a journey, not a destination,” YSU President Bill Johnson said.

That was an overriding theme that coursed through Johnson’s State of the University presentation Monday morning in the Williamson College of Business Administration’s auditorium, at which several hundred students, faculty members, administrators and others attended.

The journey Johnson outlined in his 50-minute address was multifaceted and included everything from improving student enrollment and retention to a multitude of programs aimed at enhancing student experiences on and off campus to obtaining a stable financial portfolio.

Against a grim backdrop of some colleges having to close amid financial problems, YSU has seen another increase in enrollment this semester. That comes on the heels of a nearly 11% enrollment increase in fall 2024, Johnson noted, adding that the growth represents the first back-to-back increases in more than 10 years.

According to the latest figures from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, YSU had 12,164 students enrolled for the fall 2024 semester, a significant 10.7% increase from 10,993 a year earlier. That also reflected a notable 44% increase in the number of international students, the report shows.

This fall’s enrollment is 12,240, which includes 9,277 full-time students, up 1.9% from fall 2024, Rebecca Rose, YSU spokeswoman, said. The total enrollment increase from the fall 2024 semester to fall 2025 is nearly 1%.

Specifically, such increases this semester have been seen in the number of first-time undergraduate students (2.5%), first-time graduates (6.9%), online enrollment (25%) and College Credit Plus students (24%), according to the university’s fall 2025 enrollment report. The report also indicates that YSU has 351 international students, which exceeds its target of 250 to 350.

The College Credit Plus program is a dual enrollment effort for students in grades seven to 12, along with teachers and schools, via increasing college access, highlighting excellence in teaching and enhancing university-high school partnerships.

YSU’s educational ecosystem continues to thrive, with its hands in such programs as the Ohio Innovation Hub in Youngstown, set up to advance additive manufacturing capabilities in the aerospace and defense industries, Johnson said. The effort is a conglomeration of government, academic and private sector industry partners.

In addition, YSU has a BaccMed consortium with a mission to “turn out top health care workers,” the president noted. The program provides students with an enhanced pre-medical curriculum, coupled with potential early access to Northeast Ohio Medical University in Ravenna or Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pa.

YSU also remains committed to its Penguin Prep initiative aimed at offering resources and support paths to students who are uncertain about or doubt their college readiness via helping them overcome challenges and thrive academically.

The university is continuing to enhance in-person opportunities for students who attended Eastern Gateway Community College before it closed last year in downtown Youngstown and Steubenville, Johnson noted. The president added that, despite litigation against EGCC and other complications, he hopes YSU’s satellite campus will be operational by next semester in the same buildings EGCC had used.

Criminal justice and welding programs will be the new campus’s first offerings, with the latter one having been outfitted and with equipment ready to be used, he said.

YSU should be able to open in Steubenville because of a plan being formulated between YSU, Steubenville and state education officials.

The university also was asked to take a lead role in establishing a $20 million Fire Science and Public Safety training facility for first responders, Johnson said, adding that it would be a collaborative effort between YSU, the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Norfolk Southern Railroad and East Palestine officials. The move was in response to the 38-car train derailment Feb. 3, 2023, in the village, after which many residents were evacuated amid health, safety and environmental concerns.

In his remarks, Johnson also discussed the $57 million Kilcawley Center construction project, which got underway in May and is designed to upgrade, modernize and improve the hub for student life and commerce. So far, the campaign has raised about $20 million, with additional dollars coming from the state, he noted.

Other efforts YSU has made to enhance students’ positive experiences include simplifying the admissions process to reduce duplication and increase efficiency and standardization. Another is the reorganizing of the university’s Division of Student Affairs, Johnson said.

The DSA is committed to encouraging a strong sense of belonging in students, inspiring pride, civic engagement and community spirit, and helping them pursue their passions, YSU’s website says.

As YSU forges ahead, it remains highly committed to enhancing and forming new partnerships and connections with the regional business community. It’s vital that job creators and business owners are aware that “YSU students are their best bets,” Johnson said.

Financially, YSU finished Fiscal Year 2025 in the black, with a net balance of more than $2 million in the general fund. In addition, the university has received in excess of $30 million in philanthropic money this past year, he added.

Calling YSU “the anchor university in Ohio,” Johnson said that innovation and opportunities continue to be key parts of the university’s lifeblood.

With all of these positive moves, plans and strategies in place or to be implemented, many reasons exist for optimism, he said.

“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.