YEC under scrutiny, funding future uncertain

On Jan. 25, the Youngstown State University Board of Trustees received an update on the status of the Youngstown Early College Memorandum of Understanding.Since the December status report on YEC, several events have transpired relating to the prospective future of the program. YEC's future at YSU may be in question, however, as several financial matters remain unresolved.


Perhaps the most prominent factor in the dealings is a memorandum signed by YSU President Dr. David C. Sweet and Youngstown City Schools Superintendent Dr. Wendy Webb.

The memo extends the deadline to March 31 for either YSU or YCS to notify the other if it does not wish to extend the Early College program beyond May 31.


On Jan. 13, a meeting was held with representatives from YSU, YCS, Eastern Gateway Community College and the Wean Foundation.


At that meeting, YSU Provost Ikram Khawaja, said new academic space easements due to impending vacancies in the current Williamson College of Business Administration building will allow for YEC to remain on the YSU campus.


Dr. Laura Meeks of the EGCC said the college is prepared to work with partners to support YEC, and specifically mentioned the area of academic development.


YEC was awarded a bronze ranking from US News and World Report in its 2009 list of the nation's best high schools for their education of minority and disadvantaged students and how well they are prepared for college.


Webb said the YCS Board of Education is 100 percent supportive of the program and its continuation. She said she is committed to financial support of the staff and operating expenses that total $405,000.


Webb also said YCS has established a foundation that will contribute funding to YEC. The Wean Foundation offered additional support from foundations and granting agencies unspecified.


Concerns were raised at the meeting about a five-year plan and contract proposed by YEC that included, among other items, a model to reduce the tuition costs for both YSU and YCS.


For the 2009-2010 year, YEC funding was calculated based upon a $290 per student tuition cost that amounted to $685,000. That amount has been split 51-49 between YSU and YCS, with YSU paying the lesser portion. That amounts to $349,000 for YCS and $336,000 for YSU. YSU's portion is paid from unrestricted scholarship funds.


The new model would reduce the cost per student to $90, thus lowering the costs for both parties. The justification for the reduced cost is that YEC students consume YSU services at a significantly reduced level compared to average full-time college students. Not only do YEC students enroll in lower-division courses, but they also take fewer credit hours.

The new model would reduce the total cost to $213,000, with YSU paying the lesser share at $104,000 and YCS providing the majority at $109,000. The report of the meeting said that both parties are seeking additional external funding to reduce those costs even further.


The frustration at the meeting stemmed from concerns that the financial issues have remained unresolved for an extended period, and the board has expended considerable time to YEC-related issues, which detracts from addressing normal university concerns.


Trustee and former state senator Harry Meshel said that YSU has also had to take additional monies from the scholarship fund to compensate for YCS financial shortfalls.


"It was a few hundred thousand the last time," he said. "We've dipped into that a couple of times, and I don't know that we've ever paid it back."


Meshel said that while he believes all students should have an opportunity at college and the YEC program is important, he feels YSU's primary focus should remain with the training of college students in areas where jobs exist. Meshel cited science and technology specifically.


"We don't focus enough on the students of YSU, " he said.


Meshel added that any help YCS can get "will be welcomed," but finished by saying that "the troubled record that the Youngstown school system's got is not something we can overturn overnight at YSU.