The patriots who built America were known for their strong statements, such as Virginia House of Burgesses Delegate Patrick Henry’s declaration, “Give me liberty or give me death.” 250 years later, with the future of Ohio’s higher education system caught up in our state’s gubernatorial campaign, let me make an equally emphatic statement: Youngstown State University isn’t going anywhere!

In fact, it’s not even in the conversation. I’m glad to see our community show its Penguin Pride and rally to YSU’s defense, but we’re uniquely suited for being part of the solution, not in danger of consolidation or closure.

This gubernatorial campaign has intensified the serious conversation about the future of higher education, especially related to a growing national trend of colleges and universities facing closure. The conversation is necessary, but let’s be clear about the scope. YSU is not a failing institution looking for rescue. YSU is not a directionless campus. YSU is not an isolated outpost waiting to be absorbed.

YSU is a growing, thriving, region-serving public university doing exactly what Ohio needs its universities to do. We serve an underrepresented section of Ohio. Our extension into Jefferson County addresses an additional community need. As long as we’re doing that, we’re safe.

Despite our presence, our geographic area remains underserved. It’s one of our consistent conversations at the leadership level. Again, look at our expansion into Steubenville. That effort has been about filling an educational void — both academic and workforce-aligned. This is just the beginning, as we continue to connect students — whether traditional college-aged or those looking at second careers — to meaningful programs that will serve them and strengthen the region’s economic future.

Adaptation has always been part of YSU’s history. We grew from a law school in 1908 into a private college, then a university, and then joined Ohio’s public system in 1967. At each stage, YSU changed because the needs of the Valley changed. That remains our mission today — be THE institution of opportunity that meets the needs of a vast region.

We’ve been alongside our Valley residents through thick and thin. The Valley has changed a lot over the decades, and we’ve changed with it. Our job is to serve our entire community. As our economy has shifted from being carried by strong backs in the steel industry to one built by strong minds solving today’s high-tech challenges, YSU has led the way.

I’m not making the case to political candidates why YSU should be spared. I’m telling you why we’re uniquely suited to continue to thrive. That’s not a defensive argument. It is a statement of fact.

YSU’s strength is that we are not trying to be everything to everyone. We know who we are. We are a public university with a clear mission, a practical understanding of our students and a deep responsibility to the communities that count on us. Many of our students are first-generation college students. Many are balancing work, family, military service, or financial pressure while trying to build a better future. For them, YSU is not a line item on a budget spreadsheet. It is the accessible, affordable, close-to-home path to a degree, a credential, a profession and a life of greater opportunity.

That matters when Ohio is competing for workers, businesses, investment, and young families. We are the Mahoning Valley’s engine for talent development. Employers need nurses, teachers, engineers, business leaders, public servants, trades-aligned professionals and problem-solvers. YSU helps produce them here, where they are more likely to stay, work, raise families and contribute.

That is the real measure of a university’s value. Not whether it looks like another institution somewhere else, but whether it is indispensable to the people, businesses and industries it serves. By that standard, YSU’s future is strong, and we can be confident that any review of our higher education system will recognize that, too.

Ohioans will elect a new governor this year. And regardless of the outcome of the election, Ohio’s next governor will bring new ideas, new priorities and a fresh look at higher education. We will embrace that conversation confidently, knowing that our mission is clear, our region needs us, and our value is measurable. We’re one of the institutions that will help solve the next generation of challenges facing Ohio, not be overcome by those challenges.

Bill Johnson is Youngstown State University’s president.