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ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University’s Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the Digital Engineering Design Center within the College of Aeronautics and Engineering, positioning the university as a regional and national leader in digital engineering education, research and workforce development. The Board’s vote of approval came during its regular quarterly meeting held March 4 on the Kent Campus.

Effective fall 2026, the Digital Engineering Design Center will provide students and faculty with advanced tools and interdisciplinary project opportunities; support research and innovation across engineering and aeronautics; and strengthen partnerships with industry, government and regional organizations to prepare graduates for high-demand careers and emerging technological fields.

Students will gain hands-on experience with industry-standard platforms, along with applied project internships supported by the Department of Defense. These opportunities will prepare students for a rapidly evolving workforce that relies on model-based systems engineering, real-time simulation and cyber-informed design while strengthening retention, career readiness and integration across the college’s two schools.

Student interest in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering has surged, with applications rising from 1,082 in December 2022 to 2,480 for fall 2026 and admits increasing from 718 to 1,582. Engineering applications and admits have nearly doubled, reflecting a highly qualified student body. The center will meet this growing demand by offering advanced infrastructure, interdisciplinary projects and industry-aligned experiential learning.

ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì is the only university in Ohio – and among few nationally – to combine engineering and aeronautics within one college. The center will leverage major institutional investments, including the expanded Aeronautics and Engineering Building and the FedEx Aeronautics Academic Center, and will complement the 2025 launch of the School of Engineering and the School of Aeronautics. ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì’s structure, facilities, partnerships and commitment make it the ideal site for the center.

The Digital Engineering Design Center will utilize two connected rooms in the Aeronautics and Engineering Building as its primary space. Initial setup costs were covered by Department of Defense projects, and ongoing software and platform needs will be met through industry partnerships and external funding sources, including federal grants and training events. The center will not require new university funds.

The center will function as an academic administrative unit within the College of Aeronautics and Engineering. A director, appointed by the provost in consultation with the dean, will oversee daily operations and digital engineering initiatives, with annual reports submitted to the dean and provost. An advisory board of faculty, industry and government partners will guide strategy and identify new research and workforce opportunities.

Board Extends President Diacon’s Contract Through 2029

The Board approved an extension of President Todd A. Diacon’s employment agreement through June 30, 2029, citing exceptional leadership and expressing strong confidence in his leadership and the university’s direction. The extension adds two years to his current agreement, which was set to expire June 30, 2027. 

Diacon was appointed as the 13th President of ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University on July 1, 2019. During his tenure, the university has undertaken its most significant academic restructuring in decades through the Transformation 2028 initiative, launched major capital investments including Crawford Hall and the FedEx Aeronautics Academic Center and established strategic positioning around the Health and Design themes that define the university’s regional identity and national competitiveness.

The newly established Digital Engineering Design Center and two new degree programs approved at today’s meeting reflect the continued momentum of that vision.

Board Approves New Engineering and Aviation Science Degree Programs

Building on the momentum of the new Digital Engineering Design Center, the Board also approved two new degree programs within the College of Aeronautics and Engineering, further expanding the university’s academic offerings in high-demand technical fields.

The Board approved the establishment of the Industrial and Systems Engineering major within the Bachelor of Science degree, effective fall 2026, pending Ohio Department of Higher Education approval. The program, housed in the School of Engineering, will prepare graduates for careers in manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, aerospace, supply chain management and advanced technology sectors. Graduates will be prepared for roles including industrial engineer, systems engineer, operations analyst, quality engineer, process improvement engineer and engineering project manager.

The program requires a minimum of 120 credit hours, building a strong foundation in mathematics, science and engineering fundamentals, followed by advanced coursework in operations research, quality, optimization, risk analysis, project management and digital engineering. In the senior year, students select one of two tracks: Industrial Engineering, emphasizing process improvement, quality, manufacturing systems and risk; or Systems Engineering, emphasizing model-based systems engineering, decision analysis and digital engineering. The program is designed to pursue Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation and to prepare graduates for professional engineering roles across multiple industry sectors.

The Board also approved the establishment of the Aviation Science major within the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, effective fall 2026, pending final approval by the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission. Both programs will be housed within the School of Aeronautics and are designed to advance graduate education and research in aviation as an integrated, safety-critical and highly regulated sociotechnical system.

ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì is home to one of the nation’s largest collegiate flight and aeronautics programs and is uniquely positioned to offer graduate-level education that integrates technical expertise, human factors, management, law and policy to meet evolving industry needs. The new degrees address emerging domains including advanced air mobility, unmanned aircraft systems and data-informed aviation operations. No public institution in Northeast Ohio currently offers a research-intensive graduate degree in aviation science that integrates aviation safety, human performance, operations, policy and emerging aviation technologies.

The Master of Science in Aviation Science requires a minimum of 32 credit hours and may be completed through either a thesis or non-thesis option. The Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation Science requires a minimum of 90 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree or 60 credit hours beyond a relevant master’s degree, culminating in a 30-credit-hour dissertation. Both programs will be offered through online and in-person blended delivery modalities to support full-time students and working professionals. The programs are expected to become financially self-sustaining within the first year of implementation.

Board Approves Next Phase of Transformation 2028 Academic Reorganization

The Board approved academic reorganization actions representing the next major stage of implementation of the university’s Transformation 2028 initiative. The actions, effective fall 2026, follow the Board’s March 2025 endorsement and June 2025 endorsement of reorganization models for both degree-granting and non-degree-granting colleges – a restructuring described at the time as the most significant transformation of ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì’s academic structure since the 1960s and ’70s.

Launched in summer 2024 by the Office of the Provost, Transformation 2028 has two overarching goals: to strengthen the Division of Academic Affairs through strategic reorganization and sustainable realignment of academic units, programs and resources, and to develop a next generation of the division that will positively impact learners, enhance collaboration and position ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì for future growth. The initiative has engaged faculty governance bodies, administrators, staff and students throughout its development.

The March 4 actions include mergers of colleges and units, revisions to college names, inactivation of schools and relocations of academic units and programs. Among the structural changes include Graduate College will merge with University College to establish a unified University College, and the Office of Global Education will merge with the Honors College to establish the College of Honors and Global Education. Three colleges will be renamed: the College of Education, Health and Human Services becomes the College of Education and Human Services; the College of Public Health becomes the College of Public Health and Health Sciences; and the College of Arts and Sciences becomes the College of Sciences and Humanities.

The actions also include the inactivation of the School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration and the School of Health Sciences, with programs from those units relocated to other schools within the College of Education, Health and Human Services or to another college. A suite of sport, hospitality and event management programs will move to the newly established Department of Sport, Hospitality and Event Management in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, while more than 20 health-related programs, including Athletic Training, Exercise Science, Nutrition, Speech Pathology and Audiology, and Sports Medicine, will relocate from the College of Education, Health and Human Services to the College of Public Health, strengthening that college’s health sciences identity.

Additional relocations move the School of Communication Studies and the School of Information from the College of Communication and Information to the College of Arts and Sciences, and transfer the Advertising program from the School of Media and Journalism in the College of Communication and Information to the Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Animation Game Design programs will move from the College of Applied and Technical Studies to the School of Art in the College of the Arts, and the Cybercriminology program will move from the School of Multidisciplinary Social Sciences and Humanities to the Department of Sociology and Criminology within the College of Arts and Sciences. Remaining Transformation 2028 actions will be presented to the Board in March 2027 and March 2028 to complete the plan’s full implementation.

Among other Board actions:

• The Board confirmed the conferral of 2,264 degrees from fall 2025 on those ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì students who have been officially recorded by the University Registrar as having completed the requirements of their respective programs of study during the period of Aug. 10, 2025, to Dec. 13, 2025.
• The Board authorized changes in a variety of special program, course and other fees, including the elimination of 62 fees. University staff, including executive officers, extensively reviewed the changes to the program, course and miscellaneous fees for fall 2026 for compliance with statutory requirements and to ensure that all are in the appropriate amounts and are necessary to protect program quality.
• The Board approved tuition and fees for the College of Podiatric Medicine for the 2026-2027 academic year. The Board approved a 3% increase in the current tuition rates for both in-state and out-of-state students. It is expected that the college’s tuition rates will remain among the lowest in podiatric medicine nationally. In the 2025-2026 academic year, ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì’s College of Podiatric Medicine was the lowest-cost option anywhere in the country for Ohio residents seeking podiatric medicine education, and it ranked fifth of the 11 institutions for out-of-state tuition, ranking from lowest to highest.  ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì’s College of Podiatric Medicine operates under a different academic calendar than the rest of the university, as third-year and fourth-year students begin their new academic year in May. Approval of the college’s tuition and fees for the next academic year takes place at this time so that billing can occur prior to the beginning of the semester. Tuition for the college is not subject to the tuition increase limitations set forth by the state of Ohio’s budget bill. 
• The Board approved critical deferred maintenance for Stocker Hall C-Wing on the Ashtabula Campus. Stocker Hall is home to most of the educational programs and classes offered at the campus. The project addresses critical deferred maintenance in C-Wing, a 30,064-square-foot area used for classrooms. The renovation will focus on heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrades, controls and electrical renovations to this space, which currently is served by equipment original to the building’s 1965 construction. The total project cost is $1.2 million, which the university has budgeted from state capital improvement funds. Construction is anticipated to start in winter 2026 and be completed in summer 2027 for fall 2027 occupancy.
• The Board approved the following program revisions not under the Transformation 2028 initiative:
  • The revision in the name of the Aeronautical Systems Engineering Technology major in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering to the Aerospace Engineering Technology major within the Bachelor of Science degree, effective fall 2026.
  • The revision in the name and relocation of the Center for Sport and Recreational Development in the College of Education, Health and Human Services to the Center for Sport Innovation in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, effective fall 2026.
  • The revision of degree designation of the Insurance Studies major in the College of Applied and Technical Studies from the Bachelor of Applied Studies degree to the Accelerated Bachelor of Applied Studies degree, effective fall 2026, pending final approval from the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission.
  • The revision in the name of the Curriculum and Instruction major in the College of Education, Health and Human Services to the Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies major within the Master of Education, Educational Specialist and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, effective fall 2026.
  • The revision in the name of the Physical Education and Sport Performance major in the College of Education, Health and Human Services to the Physical Education, Health and Sport Exploration major within the Bachelor of Science degree, effective fall 2026.
  • The revision in the name of the Reading Specialization major in the College of Education, Health and Human Services to the Literacy Specialization major within the Master of Education degree, effective fall 2026.
• The Board approved the following inactivations not under the Transformation 2028 initiative:
  • The College of Education, Health and Human Services will inactivate the Recreation, Park and Tourism Management major within the Bachelor of Science degree, effective fall 2026. Due to declining enrollment trends in the last several years, faculty voted to inactivate the major.
  • The College of Architecture and Environmental Design will inactive the Landscape Architecture major within the Master of Landscape Architecture II degree, effective fall 2026. Since the Master of Landscape Architecture II degree’s inception in 2013, it has not attracted applicants and currently has no student enrollment. The Master of Landscape Architecture I degree will continue to be offered.
  • The College of Education, Health and Human Services will inactivate the Audiology major within the Doctor of Philosophy degree, effective fall 2026. The inactivation is due to consistently low completion numbers and the availability of alternative doctoral degree options for students.
• The Board approved the vendor selection for painting supplies and services for its student housing operations. In response to a request for proposal issued by the university’s Procurement Department, EM Painting LLC provided the proposal with the best overall value. The proposed contract will be for an initial term of one year with the university option to renew up to four additional one-year periods for a potential total contract duration of five years and an estimated total spend not to exceed $3.7 million.
• The Board approved the vendor selection for flooring supplies and services for its campus buildings. In response to a request for proposal issued by the university’s Procurement Department, Ryan Carpet Sales & Service Inc. provided the proposal with the best overall value. The proposed contract will be for an initial term of one year with a university option to renew up to four additional one-year periods for a potential total contract duration of five years and an estimated total spend not to exceed $2.9 million.
• The Board approved entering into an agreement for public safety technology solutions and related maintenance and service. Tyler Technologies Inc. has provided public safety software applications for the university’s Department of Public Safety since 2002. The department desires to continue to contract with Tyler Technologies and upgrade its public safety technology solutions to a cloud-based platform. The current negotiated proposal with Tyler Technologies includes a one-time implementation fee and a potential total maintenance and service contract duration of five years at an estimated total spend of $1.8 million.
• The Board passed a resolution of appreciation to John Rathje, who joined ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì on March 5, 2018, as vice president for information technology and chief information officer. Under Rathje’s leadership, ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì’s Division of Information Technology has become a national model for digital transformation, student-centered innovation, operational excellence and public service. Rathje departed ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì on Feb. 6, 2026, to return to the private sector. The Board expressed deep gratitude to Rathje for his far-reaching contributions to the advancement of the university and wished him and his wife all the best in their future pursuits.

Caption:

Students in ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University’s College of Aeronautics and Engineering use immersive virtual reality tools to build digital skills for real-time design, testing and collaboration, reflecting the hands-on innovation driving the newly established Digital Engineering Design Center.