LOOKING BACK & MOVING FORWARD

In appreciation of Michael Schwartz's vision and in anticipation of Ronald Berkman's plans.

A SPECIAL FEATURE BY THE CLEVELAND STATER STAFF

Schwartz's legacy BY VINCE FRATIANI

Former Cleveland State University President Michael Schwartz focused his professional attention and energy toward creating the best environment possible for students.

When the Chicago native became interim president in 2001, CSU was depleted of energy, pride and identity. Schwartz set out to change that.

Schwartz’s university Master Plan is well on its way toward creating not only a state-of-the art academic environment, but also a thriving social environment and neighborhood.

The three-year-old Recreation Center and Fenn Tower renovation were the first signs of progress. A new administration center and numerous renovations to campus buildings have brought prestige to the university.

The new Student Center and the College of Education and Human Services buildings will be up and bolstering student life by fall 2010.

In the community, Schwartz was Cleveland State’s biggest fan, readily bragging about the university’s accomplishments and exciting progress.

“A little bit of cheerleading can be helpful for morale,” said Schwartz. “There’s no substitute for some old-fashioned bragging once in a while to let people know all the good things that are happening on campus.”

During his term, Schwartz also set out to fix how CSU operated. He oversaw a reorganization of the administration that ensured the university operate more like a business than a school. He added easily identifiable signage to make sure people know they’re on the CSU campus.

But two measures that Schwartz implemented will no doubt have a lasting impact.

First, he created admissions standards in place of an open enrollment, ensuring that every student admitted to CSU is more prepared to tackle the challenges and rigors of a college curriculum.

Second, he oversaw the creation and implementation of an honors program. Honors students participate in an advanced level of coursework and receive a full tuition scholarship for their participation, in addition to graduating with an honors diploma. CSU is now able to bring some of the greatest young minds to campus and to the city.

Schwartz also separated the College of Arts and Science into the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the College of Science. Under Schwartz, CSU’s Law College saw bar passage rates go from the basement to the top three in the state, with passage rates reaching as high as 95 percent in 2008.

Finally, CSU’s athletics experienced some of their greatest success under Schwartz. In 2008, CSU won the McCafferty Trophy as the Horizon League’s all-around sports champion.

With more alumni involvement and school pride at an all-time high, the Schwartz Era can only be described as a Cleveland State renaissance. It is a time when CSU has stepped out of the shadows and into an age of leadership in the community, when students have unparalleled opportunities to succeed.

Next - Berkman's future