2015: The Year in Review

CSU earned national recognition for its student-success initiatives, welcomed its largest freshman class ever, opened the Center for Innovation in Medical Professions and the Mandel Honors College.

By Cleveland State University

Enjoy this year-end roundup of engaging highlights from the home of Engaged Learning.

January 2015

The operations of CSU provide a significant boost to the Northeast Ohio economy, accounting for 6,739 jobs and $679 million in economic impact, according to a study by the Center for Economic Development in CSU's Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs.

CSU earned the 2015 Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, a prestigious honor bestowed upon fewer than 400 institutions nationwide in recognition of exceptional community-supporting activity.

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival brought 1,200-plus theater students and faculty from eight states to the CSU Arts Campus at Playhouse Square.

Eugene Malinskiy, who graduated from CSU’s Washkewicz College of Engineering with a master’s degree in biomedical engineering in 2012, is the founder of Dragon ID, a Cleveland-based biomedical engineering and innovation firm. He was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Check out this cleveland.com story.

February 2015

CSU's student-success initiatives were the focus of high-profile story in The Washington Post. The article showcased the University’s efforts to support students on their path to graduation via innovative programs such as the Graduation Incentive Plan, which awards students $200 toward tuition and $200 in bookstore credit for completing 30+ credit hours each year.

Cleveland Clinic President and CEO Delos M. “Toby” Cosgrove, University Hospitals CEO Thomas F. Zenty III and MetroHealth System President and CEO Akram Boutros participated in a CSU Presidential Forum on “Meeting the Challenges of 21st Century Education and Health."

President Barack Obama shared a light moment with CSU students Donald Jackson, Chris Brabenec and Nate Palsa during a visit to the MAGNET shop on the CSU campus.

March 2015

Cleveland State University's Graduation Incentive Plan, which entails a 2-percent tuition rebate and $200 textbook credit for students who complete 30 credit hours each year, was the focus of a Bloomberg Business story.

The CSU Presidential Forums continued with sessions on “From Laboratory to Wall Street: How Hopes and Dreams Enter the Marketplace" and “Preparing a 21st Century Workforce Through the Liberal Arts".

In recognition of CSU's 50th anniversary, executives from GE committed $500,000 towards full-tuition scholarships targeted for CSU students majoring in science, technology, engineering or math.

April 2015

A new memorandum of understanding between CSU and Tel Aviv Universitycalled for the two institutions to establish mutually beneficial educational and research activities, including student exchange programs, faculty exchange programs, joint degree programs and joint research programs.

The well-attended CSU Presidential Forums series drew to a close with “Building a STEMM Pipeline from School to the Workplace" and “Reflections on 50 Years of African-American Mayoral Leadership in the U.S”.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Connie Schultz was the keynote speaker at CSU’s first Women’s Leadership Symposium. A capacity crowd filled the Student Center’s Glasscock Family Ballroom for the event, whose theme was “Be Amazing.”

Common headlined a concert at the Wolstein Center to cap CSU's 50th anniversary celebration.

May 2015

At the fifth annual Radiance benefit, CSU announced Engage: The Campaign for Cleveland State University. Seeded with a $5 million gift from Donald and Pamela Washkewicz, this major fund-raising initiative aims to generate $100 million for scholarships and student-success programs. Cleveland.com has the story.

A report by the Brookings Institution ranked CSU in the top three among Ohio's four-year public universities in categories related to career earnings, placement into high-paying career paths and loan repayment rates.

June 2015

The Cleveland Foundation awarded a $5.5 million grant to the NEOMED-CSU Partnership for Urban Health, which recruits and trains medical students who reflect the socioeconomic background and cultural makeup of their communities to address and eliminate health disparities.

Academy Award-winning actress Shirley Jones was the keynote speaker at the sold-out 2015 Creative Voices Summit and Arts Education Day Luncheon, held at Playhouse Square. Presented by CSU’s Center for Arts and Innovation, the event drew nearly 600 representatives from Cleveland’s leading cultural organizations for a celebration of the arts in education and in the community. Read more on Tumblr.

CSU received a $350,000 grant from the Lubrizol Foundation for the renovation of the Chemical Engineering Laboratory in CSU's Washkewicz College of Engineering.

July 2015

Established with a $1 million grant from the KeyBank Foundation, the new KeyBank Foundation Scholars Program will provide instructional coursework, additional engagement with academic advisors, relationship-building activities and guidance in securing scholarships and on-campus employments for students who come to CSU from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

Moo-Yeal Lee, Ph.D., and Chandra Kothapalli, Ph.D., of the Washkewicz College of Engineering were awarded a $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for stem cell research to improve testing for toxic compounds that could harm the development of the human brain.

August 2015

Fall semester saw a record-setting 1,850+ first-year students enroll. Channel 19 has the story.

CSU led U.S. universities for increases in research spending, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Almanac of Higher Education. Between fiscal years 2004 and 2013, CSU was No. 1 in the nation for greatest increases in total research spending and greatest increases in federal research dollars spent, up 298 percent and 684 percent, respectively. During the same period, CSU ranked No. 12 among U.S. universities for greatest increases in corporate research dollars spent.

The dedication of the new Center for Innovation in Medical Professionsbrought more than 300 guests to the heart of the CSU campus. “This building illustrates our commitment as an urban university to align our academic programs and the development of a workforce with the needs of our community,” said CSU President Ronald M. Berkman. Among the dignitaries on hand for the celebration were two prominent CSU alumni – Congresswoman Marcia Fudge and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson – as well as Northeast Ohio Medical University President Jay Gershen. Visit our Tumblr for details.

U.S. News & World Report assessed nearly 1,600 four-year colleges and universities for its 2016 Best Colleges report. CSU was one of only 280 institutions across the country listed within the “Best National Universities” rankings.

October 2015

Cleveland State University earned the 2015 Excellence and Innovation Award in the category of Student Success and College Completion from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, a Washington, D.C.-based association that represents more than 400 public higher education institutions.

Recent initiatives at Cleveland State University reduced the cost of earning an undergraduate degree by more than $3,350. This represents a savings of 13 percent-- significantly more than the 5 percent required by law of Ohio public universities. Learn more in this article on cleveland.com.

CSU "is making the most of its location in the heart of Cleveland with its 'We put a lot of Cleveland into Cleveland State' campaign, according to Crain's Cleveland Business.

November 2015

CSU formally dedicated its new Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Honors College. A $3.6 million gift from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation and the Mandel Supporting Foundations established the college. It serves as the academic home of more than 500 students enrolled in the University Honors and University Scholars programs at CSU. “This is an investment in the better world we all want,” Morton Mandel said at the dedication ceremony..

The Veteran Student Success Program at CSU earned national recognition for its commitment to helping military veterans succeed in college as well as in their future careers. For the seventh consecutive year, CSU was named a “Military Friendly School” by Victory Media, publisher of the annual Guide to Military Friendly Schools. CSU also was featured in the Military Times 2016 “Best for Vets: Colleges” rankings, published in Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times.

December 2015

The new partnership between CSU and Quicken Loans Arena kicked off with a hoops doubleheader featuring the CSU women's and men's basketball teams at the Q. All told, the Vikings will play seven games at the home of LeBron James & Co. during the 2015-2016 season.