91����

A valued partner in changing lives

On the shores of Lake Erie. On the brink of tomorrow.

91���� at Ashtabula has grown from humble beginnings in an old junior high building nearly 70 yers ago into a thriving modern learning environment not only across 80 sprawling acres, but reaching across the globe. Yet, the campus remains focused on providing accessible, high-quality opportunities for education and enrichment to the Ashtabula County community. 

Home to Ashtabula County’s only accredited registered nursing degree program and Ohio’s first wine studies programs, among many in-demand career fields, 91����  Ashtabula provides offers certificate, bachelor’s and associate programs for students in an advanced, modern learning environment.  Here, it’s possible for learners to find their brightest path forward.

Part of one of the largest university systems in Ohio, 91���� Ashtabula has all the resources of a major university with a hometown feel, including the look and feel of a small, private college.  

Established in 1958 through the efforts of local community leaders, the campus has grown from a small program in a former junior high school into a modern, 80-acre learning environment serving nearly 2,000 students annually. Today, 91���� Ashtabula remains a vital hub for education, innovation and community engagement, offering academic programs, workforce development opportunities and cultural experiences that continue to strengthen the region.

In 1957, a group of concerned citizens from Ashtabula County came together to discuss how to ensure economic vitality within their community. Those community leaders decided it was important to establish an accredited university program in the county. Thanks to their efforts, 91���� Ashtabula was established the following year as the Ashtabula Center of 91����, employing three full-time faculty members, offering 79 courses, and housing 253 students in an unused junior high school building in the center of the city.  The campus’ first dean was Dr. Roger T. Beitler who served until 1963.

The school quickly began to outgrow the Park Avenue Junior High building. In 1963, 81 acres of land overlooking Lake Erie was donated by local entrepreneur Oliver C. Topky, and Dean Paul A. Reichert started his service to the campus. Built at a cost of $1 million, the campus’ groundbreaking took place in 1965 with the construction of Main Hall, and classes began there in the fall of 1967. The former Library building and the Technology (now Business Services and Operations) building were added in 1972.

In 1985, Dr. John K. Mahan became dean of the campus and served until 1995. Dr. Gary C. Ensign began his tenure as dean in 1995 and served until 2001, when the campus’ most recent full-time dean, Dr. Susan J. Stocker, began her tenure. Dean Stocker retired in July of 2022 following over 30 years of service to the University including 21 leading the Ashtabula Campus through some of its most noticeable changes and growth. 

Just over 50 years from those opening days, the campus surpassed 2,000 students enrolled yearly and opened the state-of-the-art Robert S. Morrison Health & Science Building (now Robert S. Morrison Hall) in 2009 ushering in the newest technology and learning resources for the campus’ allied health degree programs. In 2014, several student services offices in Main Hall were consolidated into a Student 
Services Suite that houses Admissions, Academic Advising, and Financial Aid and provides one-stop assistance for students. As part of that 
project, a student lounge was also added, and the Commons was updated with new furniture, décor and dining services. The campus’ master plan continues to guide updates and improvements to best serve students and the local community.  Included in this plan were the two most recent - and arguably the most dramatic - updates with a new central drive and grand entrance to campus and the renovation of the Main Hall Auditorium which turned an outdated venue into a state of-the-art classroom and lecture hall. Another milestone was marked in fall of 2023 with the renaming of the building representing the heart of campus, Main Hall, as Susan J. Stocker Hall.    

Current dean R. William (Bill) Ayres IV., Ph.D., began his tenure as interim Dean and Chief Administrative Officer in July of 2022 and was appointed the campus's fifth full-time dean in 2024.   

Since its founding, thousands of students have graduated from the 91���� Ashtabula campus, and tens of thousands of community members have enjoyed free concerts, guest lectures, and have taken non-credit courses for personal enrichment.

The campus continues to touch community life as many of the area’s organizations and boards have assembled in one of our meeting rooms, and degree programs, such as hospitality management and the wine degrees, have impacted the county’s economy.

You can see Lake Erie from campus and you're only minutes away from beaches, museums, award-winning restaurants, historic districts and a summer resort town. The northern-most of 91����'s eight-campus system is centrally located between Cleveland, Erie and Youngstown. 

For more information about this world-class university on the famed North Shore, call 440-964-4217.

We respectfully requests that the Institution be referred to in the following manner: The 91���� at Ashtabula upon first reference and 91���� Ashtabula or Ashtabula Campus thereafter, as opposed to “Kent Ashtabula” or "91����-Ashtabula Campus." Additionally 91���� Ashtabula is a regional campus and not a "branch." Thank you.