Campus Profile: Youngstown State University

Youngstown State University is a public university in Ohio. Around 9,400 undergraduate students are enrolled at the university.

Campus Reform Campus Profiles evaluate individual American college campuses based on liberal bias, speech codes, and other relevant policies and factors.

Youngstown State University is a public university in Youngstown, Ohio. Around 9,400 undergraduate students are enrolled at the university.

Official Political Student Organizations: 

Conservative Organizations: 

  • College Conservatives

Liberal Organizations:

  • Planned Parenthood Gen Action

  • LatinX & Hispanic Student Organization

  • Black Student Union

  • College Democrats

  • YSUnity

FEC Data on Youngstown State University Political Donations:

According to Campus Reform’s analysis of Federal Election Commission (FEC) data, Youngstown State University employee political donations contributed 60.15% to Democratic candidates, while 39.85% went to Republican candidates during the 2020 cycle.

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education Rating:

Youngstown State University has been given a yellow light speech code. According to FIRE, this is due to “at least one university ambiguous policy that too easily encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application.” FIRE also notes that a yellow light policy at a public institution is unconstitutional.

COVID-19:

Youngstown State University is NOT requiring a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students or employees.

Campus Reform stories about Youngstown State University:

Youngstown State students say late-night chicken is homophobic

A petition is demanding that Youngstown State University [remove] the Chick-fil-a on campus, saying access to late-night chicken “adds to the negative experience of LGBT students.”

Noting that the Chick-fil-A is “the only place to get food in the evenings,” the Change.org petition complaint that while the restaurant chain has apologized for “statements by its founders regarding members of the LGBT community,” the business “is still donating money to anti-LGBT organizations.”

University slams union after profs hold strike vote

The union is frustrated with the university’s decision to get rid of one of its academic colleges.

Youngstown State University faculty members union held a vote for going on strike this August.

33 schools ignore Congressional request to change restrictive speech codes

Thirty-three public colleges have elected to ignore a deadline to respond to the House Judiciary Committee’s request to adopt new speech codes on campus.

Bob Goodlatte, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, asked 160 schools to change at least one of their existing policies after a Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) report showed that these schools substantially restricted their students’ free speech rights.