By Christina Saenger
Interim Dean, Williamson College of Business Administration
Youngstown State University
Our work in the Williamson College of Business Administration (WCBA) is built around preparing students who can contribute from day one, strengthening the region’s talent pipeline.
Employers throughout the region point to similar needs: graduates who can communicate effectively, work collaboratively and make informed decisions in workplaces that are becoming more data driven and technology enabled.
At the same time, students want a straightforward path from college to career, and many working adults are looking to build new skills without stepping away from their jobs.
This connection between career and classroom can be seen in action during WCBA’s Professional Development Summits and Meet the Employers Days, which engage our students directly with the people who know firsthand what employers expect in internships and early career roles. These experiences help students learn how to present their work, talk about their skills and understand workplace expectations. Employers, in turn, get early access to new talent who possess the competencies they value most.
Our commitment extends beyond career events. The WCBA hosts expert-led forums focus on enterprise, risk and resilience. Through the Paul J. and Marguerite K. Thomas Colloquium on Free Enterprise, we recently hosted Daymond John and look forward to hosting Alex Rodriguez in March 2026. We also welcomed YSU alum Sonny Vaccaro back to campus.
These experiences help students connect what they learn in class to real-world leadership, decision making and professional identity.
Hands-on learning in the WCBA is also tied to community and regional impact. The success of the Student Investment Fund’s portfolio management recently led to an additional $1.5 million investment from the YSU Foundation. WCBA students work directly with small to mid-sized businesses through the Small Business Development Center at YSU as Beeghly Fellows, with YBI portfolio companies and startups as Monus Entrepreneurship Fellows, and in government contracting or exporting through the APEX Accelerator and Export Assistance Network.
Our college’s commitment to impact on our community can be felt in partnership with United Way, where our United We Care volunteer day supported local Care Closets that provide essentials to local students.
WCBA continually updates our academic programs to reflect what today’s workforce needs and to offer options that fit students’ busy lives. We recently added a fully online Master of Science in Business Analytics, featuring shorter terms and several start dates throughout the year. This program complements the college’s existing online graduate offerings, including our online MBA options, by offering a specialized route for professionals seeking deeper capability in analytics and data-supported decision making.
This alignment between employer engagement, applied learning, flexible academic pathways and community connection is reflected in WCBA’s recent growth. Enrollment has grown by 6% in our bachelor’s programs and 4.5% in our associate degree programs this year.
Our college is excited to continue building connections and creating outcomes that matter to our region: prepared graduates, employers who can hire with confidence and educational pathways that make professional and personal advancement
achievable.
