Enrollment tumble puts Ohio State’s regional leadership search in focus
State is still search- ing for the next leaders of its regional campuses as the university tries to reverse large COVID-ERA enrollment declines.
Four of Ohio State’s five regional campuses — Lima, Mansfield, Marion and New- ark — are hiring for their next permanent leaders. The Wooster campus is under the purview of the dean of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agri- culture and Environmental Sciences, housed at the university’s Columbus campus.
All four leadership searches began on July 19, 2023, and are being executed by Buffkin Baker, a Tennes- see-based higher education executive search firm. Unless hires are made, none of the four regional campuses will have a permanent leader by July.
Ryan J. Schmiesing, the university’s senior vice pro- vost for external engagement who oversees regional campus strategy and operations, said the university is pleased with the searches’ progress and timeline.
“Though the searches are operating simultane- ously, each is being man- aged individually to ensure meaningful input from each unique campus community,” Schmiesing said.
Ohio State spokesman Ben Johnson said the four depar- tures aren’t related.
Longtime Newark cam- pus Dean William Macdon- ald announced he will step down in June after 20 years in leadership at the campus. Marion’s Dean Gregory Rose will also retire in June after 20 years in that role.
The Lima and Mansfield campuses are currently led by interim deans. Margaret Young has been leading the Lima campus since April 2023 following the depar- ture of Tim Rehner. Mans- field has been under interim leadership for nearly two years under Eric Anderman after former dean Norman W. Jones was named the uni- versity’s vice provost and dean for undergraduate edu- cation.
Johnson said Ohio State President Ted Carter has taken interest in the regional campuses and plans to visit each soon.
Schmiesing said leading one of the regional cam- puses is “an exciting oppor- tunity.”
“Our Newark, Marion, Mansfield and Lima cam- puses are cornerstones of their communities and play a crucial role in teaching, learning, engagement and research,” he said. “Each of Ohio State’s regional cam- puses provides Ohioans with access to high-quality edu- cation while building and strengthening partnerships around the state.”
Undergraduate enrollment has taken double-digit hits at all five regional campuses since the pandemic.
Newark, the largest of Ohio State’s regional cam- puses, enrolled 2,422 stu- dents this fall, a 15.6% decrease from 2020. Lima saw the greatest hit to enroll- ment, down 24.7% in that same time. Enrollment at the Mansfield campus is down 16.6%, Marion is down 23.6% and Wooster is down 15.5%.
But enrollment is rebound- ing a bit after at some of the regional campuses after a decade of slump.
New first-year student enrollment was up at three of the regional campuses this fall. Mansfield (2.5%), Newark (7%) and Wooster (3.6%) all saw a bump in their freshman enrollment. Marion and Lima saw fewer freshmen this fall, down 1.6% and 9.5% respectively.
At February’s board of trustee meetings, Ohio State’s Interim Provost Karla Zadnik said the regional campuses are “vital components of the university.”
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted recently visited the Mansfield campus to celebrate the opening and dedication of new STEM labs and recognized the campus’ Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology, which will graduate its first cohort of students this May.
In December, Lima and Bluffton University, a private Mennonite university in northwest Ohio, announced a new partnership that will allow Bluffton students to study engineering using the resources of both institutions.
Zadnik said Ohio State is taking steps to “put our regional campuses in an enviable position for the future.”