Capital University's 18th president was invested Friday although he began his role at the university last August.
But President Jared Tice said that gave him the benefit of having an extended time between his appointment and investiture to help create a five-year strategic plan that was rolled out today and the vision for the future, including boosting enrollment.
And that includes bringing back and expanding programs.
"We've restored men's tennis to our athletic offerings. We've added esports, competitive video game playing to our portfolio. In our outstanding conservatory of music we've expanded and added pep band which will be on the field this fall rooting on our Capital Comets and our football games and across our athletics," Tice said.
Tice said that at the beginning of the current school year, Capital had 1,600 undergraduate students and 2,400 overall, including those in its law school.
Tice leads Capital as many private universities across the country struggle, including some in Ohio.
In 2023, Wittenberg University in Springfield was in financial distress, facing a $25-million debt. The university cut staff and programs to make up the shortfall.
In 2025, regulators removed a financial distress designation for Antioch College in Yellow Springs after the college showed it had a viable plan to move forward.
And Lourdes University, a small Catholic college in Sylvania in northwest Ohio, is closing at the end of this school year. Like other colleges, it has faced declining enrollment and rising costs.
Tice said first-year enrollment this past fall was up 25%. He said he hopes that will continue to improve in the upcoming school year.
Tice said the fact that Capital is in the Columbus area is an important recruiting tool, since it is a growing city and an attractive one for young professionals.
"We'll be more intentional about out-of-state recruitment," Tice said. He said 55% of the admissions to Capital's law school this past year were from out of state.
According to Capital's website, undergraduate tuition is $45,600 a year. When on-campus housing and food, plus transportation, books and other costs are added, that cost increases to close to $64,000.
Capital has provided financial aid to ensure the university's education is reachable for any family, Tice said.
He said tuition won't be raised for graduate students this upcoming school year, although tuition for undergraduate and law school students will be increasing, and the number of scholarships will be increasing as well.
"We're paying really close attention to that," Tice said.
Tice sees Capital as a dynamic, innovative campus that's going to meet the needs of the region and the world through high-quality offerings. But he also sees Capital's success as important for Bexley, where the campus is located.
"You know Capital is the largest private property owner and private employer in Bexley and so we are a real economic driver for our communities and we want to make sure we're attracting talent from across the world here as well," Tice said.
Tice said the university is exploring adding new degrees to meet the needs of the changing workforce.
