2016: The Year in Review

CSU welcomed another record-breaking freshman class, broke ground for a state-of-the-art addition to the Washkewicz College of Engineering, got caught up in the excitement of a Cavs championship.

By Cleveland State University

CSU welcomed another record-breaking freshman class, broke ground for a state-of-the-art addition to the Washkewicz College of Engineering, got caught up in the excitement of a Cavs championship and the Republican National Convention...and more! Enjoy this year-end roundup of engaging highlights from the home of Engaged Learning:

January 2016

USA Today had the scoop on the CSU Student Government Association's drive to collect water for the residents of Flint, Michigan, organized by SGA Senator William Johnson.

"A federal policy that has the potential to help college students finish what they’ve started? I’d call that a very good start," ‪CSU President Ronald M. Berkman wrote in an op-ed for The Hill, a leading Washington, D.C., newspaper.

The Online Accelerated Master of Business Administration from CSU’s Monte Ahuja College of Business advanced to No. 20 in the nation on U.S. News & World Report’s 2016 list of the Best Online MBA Programs. The program remains No. 1 in Ohio.

February 2016

The jersey numbers of former CSU basketball standouts Norris Cole and Kailey Klein were retired at the Wolstein Center:

The 2016 Cleveland Internship Summit, presented by CSU and the Greater Cleveland Partnership, brought 250 business leaders and educators to the Student Center. Cleveland.com covered the event.

The Ohio Federal Research Network awarded $1 million to CSU and Lorain County Community College to help lead a statewide initiative focused on furthering the research priorities and economic impact of federal laboratories in Ohio.

March 2016

The latest edition of U.S. News & World Report's Best Graduate Schools featured more than a dozen CSU programs.

Roland V. Anglin, Ph.D., a widely recognized and highly respected authority on community economic development, was appointed dean of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs. Read the article in Crain's Cleveland.

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences dedicated its new Liberal Arts Edge Lounge in the Main Classroom Building:

Vikings swimmer Philipp Sikatzki finished fourth in the 100-meter butterfly at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships and earned All America honors:

April 2016

Officials from the Ohio General Assembly and the Greater Cleveland Film Commission came to campus to help make a major announcement: CSU will be the first university in Ohio – and one of the few between the East Coast and the West Coast – with a dedicated School of Film, Television and Interactive Media:

The Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion at CSU was dedicated with a net-cutting ceremony and a friendly tennis match between CSU President Ronald M. Berkman and Medical Mutual Chairman, President and CEO Rick Chiricosta. Check out our Tumblr blog on the event.

The Vikings men's golf team won its third straight Horizon League championship:

May 2016

The sixth annual Radiance: CSU Realizing the Promise raised $1.1 million for student scholarships. At the benefit, held May 13 in the Student Center's Glasscock Family Foundation Ballroom, Radiance Scholar Drewcilla Roberts shared her story and CSU Executive-in-Residence Steven Minter was awarded the President's Medal. Pictured below are, from left, Minter, Roberts and CSU President Ronald M. Berkman.

Cleveland Magazine's Community Leader profiled CSU President Ronald M. Berkman and the partnerships that he is cultivating within the community:

Mark Souther, associate professor of history at CSU and director of the Center for Public History + Digital Humanities, lent his expertise on local history to an in-depth documentary about Cleveland sports fans. "Believeland" had its world premiere at the Cleveland International Film Festival and later aired on ESPN. Watch "30 for 30: Believeland - This Is Cleveland."

June 2016

Cleveland State University was all in when the Cavs made a historic comeback to win the NBA championship – the first major sports title for a Cleveland team in 52 years. CSU students, faculty and staff were among an estimated 1 million fans who lined the streets of downtown Cleveland to catch a glimpse of LeBron James and his teammates during the victory parade.

Acclaimed dancer and choreographer Judith Jamison was the keynote speaker at the 2016 Creative Voices Summit and Arts Education Day Luncheon, held at Playhouse Square. Some 600 representatives from Cleveland’s leading cultural organizations turned out for the latest installment of this annual hot ticket, presented by CSU's Center for Arts and Innovation:

Lee Fisher, former lieutenant governor and attorney general of Ohio, was appointed interim dean of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Cleveland.com had the story.

July 2016

The Republican National Convention came to town – and we were in the thick of it. CSU-branded kiosks around town welcomed visitors to Cleveland:

The Galleries at CSU hosted a "Get Out the Vote" exhibit:

CSU alumna and Ohio Congresswoman Marcia Fudge hosted a town hall meeting on voting rights in the CSU Student Center, where the panelists included fellow alumni Mike Brickner of the ACLU and Ohio State Representative Stephanie Howse, as well as Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina:

To kick off the RNC, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited by local students who participated in the Red, Write & Blue Challenge, administered by CSU’s Center for Excellence and Innovation in Education:

The inaugural TEDxClevelandStateUniversitySalon featured thoughts on "21st Century Democracy" from Lee Fisher, Ed Horowitz and Richard Perloff of CSU, as well as Sharon Broussard of cleveland.com and Lee Weingart of LNE Group.

NBC's "Today" show broadcast live from East Fourth Street in Cleveland during the RNC – and Magnus and the CSU Cheer Team were there to welcome Al Roker and friends:

August 2016

Fall 2016 semester got off to a record-breaking start. CSU welcomed 1,900 first-year students – the largest freshman class in University history – as well as 73 new faculty members:

CSU was ranked second lowest among public universities in Ohio for average student debt per borrower by LendEDU.com:

September 2016

In the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, CSU was once again one of fewer than 300 institutions on the “Best National Universities” list:

From Plazapalooza to VikeFest, Homecoming 2016 brought Vikings past and present together for a full slate of festivities:

October 2016

In the 2016 State of the University address, President Ronald M. Berkman shared recent CSU highlights and discussed upcoming challenges and opportunities:

Officials from CSU and Parker Hannifin broke ground for a 100,000-square-foot addition to the Washkewicz College of Engineering:

"Reality Shifts: Are You Ready?" was the theme of our third annual TEDxClevelandStateUniversity. Attendees packed Waetjen Auditorium to soak up "ideas worth spreading" from 13 presenters, including Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Connie Schultz, MetroHealth President and CEO Akram Boutros and Distinguished Gentlemen of Spoken Word founder Honey Bell-Bey.

CSU and St. Vincent Charity Medical Center announced plans to expand the partnership between these anchor institutions, cleveland.com reported.

Four months after the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Championship, the Larry O'Brien Trophy paid a visit to the CSU Student Center:

November 2016

Student success at CSU and our connectivity with the community were showcased in Forbes.

Our hometown was back in the national spotlight, thanks to an incredible postseason by the Cleveland Indians. Huntington University in Canada and CSU made a friendly wager on the American League Championship Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Indians. Our friends up north ended up sending us some Canadian maple syrup -- which our Lift Up Vikes! food pantry was happy to receive:

After winning the regular season title as well as the tournament title for the second year in a row (and third time overall) in the Horizon League, the Vikings volleyball team made their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance:

December 2016

Amid the hustle and bustle of the season, a good time was had by all at the President's Holiday Reception, where CSU students, faculty and staff donated enough toys for children in our community to fill a few sleighs: