YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Collaborative engagement is the theme for Youngstown State University’s Academic Affairs division for the 2025-26 academic year.
“The more engaged the students are, the more likely they will persist and graduate,” Jennifer Pintar, provost and vice president of academic affairs, told faculty and administration members Tuesday in her State of Academic Affairs address.
She pointed to a series of articles published by the campus communications office documenting student and faculty achievement. That shows faculty are on campus and engaging with students, and that makes a difference, Pintar said.
“One of the primary goals of this year’s theme, collaborative engagement, is to see more of our colleagues here together every day,” she said. “Imagine the impact of having hundreds of faculty members on campus daily. Our deans and chairs will be here, and I believe, as does [President Bill Johnson], that when we are together, collaboration flourishes, innovation grows and our students benefit from more direct and meaningful engagement.”
YSU has diversified its academic offerings the past two years, adding online and associate degree programs to attract more students.
Between fall 2023 and fall 2024, YSU saw a 1,200 student enrollment increase, with 769 of those students pursuing an associate degree.
“That happened because we worked as a team,” Pintar said.
Faculty also were involved in launching eight online bachelor degree programs last spring. Those programs brought in nearly 100 students.
“Without those two innovative initiatives, we would have seen a much more modest increase in enrollment that academic year,” the provost said. “This exemplifies one reason it is so important for all of us to be engaged and see ourselves as teammates.”
That collaboration also is important as there’s a smaller pool of students graduating from college, and only about 52% of Ohio high school seniors plan to enroll in college directly after high school graduation, she said, attributing the number to the Ohio Chancellor of Higher Education.
The national average ranges between 62% and 68%.
“This means Ohio’s colleges and universities are not only competing for a smaller pool of high school graduates, but within that smaller pool, fewer students are even considering pursuing a college degree,” Pintar said. “This reality underscores the urgency of our work.”
Addressing that challenge requires creativity and collaboration in developing programs that appeal to students who may not fit the traditional mode and who may live outside of the immediate area, she said.
And colleges and universities are under more scrutiny amid reports questioning the value of higher education and more requirements from the state and federal government.
It’s also important for YSU to collaborate with industry partners and business and community leaders to align the demands of the market with students’ evolving needs, Pintar said.
YSU’s academic program effectiveness and enhancement initiative is a way to use collaborative engagement in shaping academic programs.
That involves marketing and implementing resources to ensure new programs are positioned to succeed, Pintar said. It also involves placing programs that don’t meet certain thresholds in either continuous quality improvement or detailed analysis categories to try to drive advancement.
Those thresholds include total enrollment, curricular efficiency reports, the average number of graduates over a three-year period, fiscal sustainability and goals and action steps provided by faculty.
The detailed analysis cycle is divided between those programs that need support with curriculum and fiscal sustainability and those that need stronger marketing campaigns. Ross Morrone, the university’s chief marketing officer, will work with departments on marketing efforts.
Another category, sunset, is for those programs slated to end. While she acknowledged those are difficult conversations, Pintar said it should be viewed as a tool for renewal and growth.
“By identifying programs that no longer align with student demand, market needs or institutional priorities, we free up space and resources to reinvest in new opportunities,” she said. “When faculty take the lead in this process, you are shaping programs that respond to the evolving needs of students and employers, strengthening YSU’s value proposition and ensuring our resources are used where they have the greatest impact.”
Pictured at top: Jennifer Pintar, Youngstown State University provost and vice president of academic affairs, delivers the State of Academic Affairs on Tuesday in the Williamson College of Business Administration auditorium.