Youngstown State’s presidential pick draws ire
Youngstown State University will soon welcome a new president. But some faculty, student, alumni, donors and even a former YSU president are blasting the board of trustees’ appointment of its next leader, giving him a vote of no-confidence, calling him an election denier and questioning the board’s ethics.
U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, officially resigned Sunday from the U.S. House of Representatives and begins his new job as Youngstown State University president today, weeks earlier than was initially planned.
After a six-month search, Youngstown State’s Board of Trustees announced Johnson’s appointment Nov. 21. The trustees announced the week prior that they offered Johnson the job from a group of three finalists. But concern quickly spread among the campus community over Johnson’s politics and the trustees’ presidential search, which was kept secret by the board.
Johnson, who has represented 11 eastern Ohio counties in the 6th Congressional District since 2011, has not previously worked in higher education. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 26 years and retired in 1999 as a lieutenant colonel.
“Our president must delegate, be a team-builder, avoid micromanaging, successfully fundraise and, especially, understand the challenges we face in higher education generally and particularly in Ohio,” said Mike A. Peterson, chair of YSU’s Board of Trustees. “Bill Johnson meets and exceeds those expectations.”
Backlash was swift, however, following the trustees’ announcement.
Students, alumni, faculty and community members began circulating petitions, one signed by more than 2,000 alumni, and protested in advance of the trustees’ vote over what they say was the board’s “closed-door interviews and meetings” that led to Johnson’s hiring, according to a news release from YSU’s faculty union. The board ultimately voted 8-1 to hire Johnson.
“It’s been incredibly frustrating and demoralizing,” Mark Vopat, a philosophy professor and president of Youngstown State’s Ohio
Education Association chapter. “The process was messed up from the beginning.”
Vopat, who has been with YSU for nearly 20 years, said trustees have always allowed presidential finalists to speak with faculty before making an offer. That wasn’t the case with Johnson. After the initial announcement, Vopat said he and others asked trustees if faculty could meet with Johnson before he was formally hired. Trustees denied their request.
This lack of transparency, Vopat said, has also caused speculation about potential conflicts of interest.
Youngstown trustees donated to Johnson’s political campaign
Three YSU trustees donated to Johnson’s political campaigns over the years: Trustee Joseph Kerola has donated $22,000 to Johnson since 2009, trustee Charles T. George has nearly given $22,000 since 2011 and trustee Richard Fryda contributed $19,000 to his campaigns since 2013, according to the Federal Election Commission.
“It raises legitimate worries about the appearance of impropriety and the lack of an objective and thorough vetting in this search,” Vopat said. “The whole process was done in secret.”
In an email to the campus community, Peterson said the search was conducted confidentially to attracted strong candidates.
“This process was thorough, followed the current best-practice advice from our search firm WittKiefer, and was conducted with the utmost integrity. We assure you that every step was taken with the best interests of YSU at heart,” Peterson wrote.
University officials and Johnson did not immediately respond to The Dispatch’s requests for comment.=
On Tuesday, former Youngstown State President Leslie Cochran wrote to Gov. Mike DeWine, calling on him to dismiss the trustees who voted to hire Johnson and asking DeWine to rescind their offer altogether.
“Board members have a responsibility to ‘serve the public good,’ and so, are accountable to the institution. All but one of the Board members ignored stated institutional values, accreditation standard, and the important role of students in the process,” Cochran wrote. “By ignoring their obligation to the University, these Board members forfeited their right to serve as Trustees, and if not willing to resign, should be removed from the Board by the Governor.”
Cochran called the board’s actions unethical and questioned whether it violated ethical standards set by YSU’s accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission.
“These failures by the Board are irresponsible, for an institution found in non-compliance of HLC standards cannot survive. And for the Mahoning Valley, it’d be a death blow, like the closing of the steel mills was fifty years ago.”
Interim Provost Jennifer Pintar said in a news release Wednesday that Cochran’s claims are “false and completely unsubstantiated.”
“Youngstown State University continues to be committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality and compliance with the Higher Learning Commission,” Pintar said.
In response to Cochran’s letter, DeWine told cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer’s editorial board Thursday that he doesn’t plan to get involved.
“These are difficult jobs, these are vitally important jobs,” DeWine said. “The most important thing any board ever does is to pick the president of the university. Youngstown State trustees made this decision, so I don’t have any inclination to override their judgment.
Johnson votes against certifying Biden’s victory
Johnson’s politics have also raised concern among some.
Johnson was among the lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results. He also previously opposed gay marriage, and he backed former President Donald Trump’s travel ban against several majority-Muslim countries.
Donors have threatened to pull funding from the university. High-profile alumni like actor and Youngstown native Ed O’Neill criticized the hire and returned his honorary degree from the university.
“I know they’re saying it’s not political. Of course it is. … If you would say it isn’t, you’d have to be an artichoke,” O’Neill said after
Johnson’s hire.
In a statement announcing his new position, Johnson said his politics won’t affect his leadership.
“I know some have questioned my professional and educational experience,” Johnson said. “As president, my history in politics will not be reflected in the decisions I make for YSU and the students of YSU.
“I am committed to an inclusive and respectful environment at the university,” he said. “Regardless of political, religious, or personal affiliations, my focus will be on fostering open dialogue, understanding diverse perspectives, and contributing positively to the well-being of every student.”
Still, Vopat is worried about the precedent Johnson’s hire sets, not just for YSU but for Ohio universities more broadly.
“Most of our presidents at YSU have been conservative, but they didn’t wear it on their sleeve,” Vopat said. “And at least they’ve come through the academic system beyond just attending a university.”
Johnson’s politics, combined with his lack of higher education experience, could create a detrimental situation for YSU students, faculty and the community, Vopat said.
“Does he understand higher education, and how will he implement what is coming out of the state?” Vopat said, referring to the Senate Bill 83, a controversial higher education bill currently stalled in the Ohio House of Representatives. “I fear this is going to be an ongoing trend, appointing people without experience to lead in higher education.”