Annual State of the University Address Comes with a Transformational Gift Announcement

Cleveland State University President Laura Bloomberg delivered her annual State of the University address, announcing a $10 million gift to the CSU Monte Ahuja College of Business from alumni Monte and Usha Ahuja. 

The gift makes the Ahujas the largest lifetime donors in CSU history.

It will support key areas of modern business, equip faculty to prepare students for a technology-driven world and create opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through corporate partnerships.

“With that kind of generosity, it’s hard to imagine sharing our gratitude enough,” said Bloomberg.

The latest gift comes 15 years after the Ahujas made their initial $10 million gift to the College of Business, which was renamed the Monte Ahuja College of Business in 2011.

To honor the Ahuja family’s legacy, Bloomberg announced that the college will be renamed the Ahuja College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

“This name will be a signal to the region that our business programs are attracting world-class facilities, get it done in a kind of spirit and persona by creating a new name to accompany this renewed focus,” said Bloomberg.

The Ahujas generosity comes as Cleveland State University works to expand experiential learning opportunities for students. 

Throughout her address, Bloomberg highlighted several key initiatives the university has launched to enrich the student experience including:

Cleveland State Commitment 

Earlier this month, Bloomberg announced the Cleveland State Commitment, a program launching next fall that will provide free tuition to incoming Ohio high school graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher whose families earn $125,000 or less annually.

As part of CSU’s vision to provide students with unlimited opportunities, the Cleveland State Commitment aims to help students with the potential to succeed but limited financial resources access higher education. 

“I fundamentally believe that access and excellence must be linked,” said Bloomberg. “I don’t believe that we can be excellent without doing everything we possibly can to enable access for those who are eager to make the most of the opportunity.”

A Focus to Work-Based Learning

To further advance the university’s strategic plan, Cleveland State United, Bloomberg also highlighted the newly launched CSU Talent Hub. Introduced earlier this fall, the program provides every undergraduate student with opportunities to participate in internships, co-ops and hands-on projects.

She sat down with Janine Kaiser, executive director of the Talent Hub, and Dr. Michele Heath, faculty director. Together, they will continue to expand community partnerships and equip students with the skills needed to succeed in the future workforce.

“We are working extensively with both internal and external partners to scale up opportunities for students here on campus,” said Kaiser.

The Talent Hub helps students gain practical, hands-on experience and prepare for their future careers before graduation. Through partnerships with local companies, CSU brings real-world learning opportunities directly into the classroom.

“We are starting a faculty committee that will be responsible for actually championing the work-based learning work in their own individual colleges,” said Heath.

To make real-world learning more accessible, the Talent Hub is introducing two new opportunities for students this spring.

Students can enroll in a zero-credit internship course that allows them to document their internship experience on their transcripts. They can also participate in a consulting project in partnership with the campus district.

Expanded Presence in Playhouse Square

As part of her address, Bloomberg highlighted the announcement of a strategic alliance with Cleveland Playhouse. As one of the oldest regional theaters in the country, the Tony Award-winning theater is collaborating with CSU to give students opportunities to learn directly from artists and professionals.

Bloomberg highlighted CSU’s partnership with Playhouse Square to expand opportunities for School of Film and Media Arts students and develop The Galleries at East 13th Street, a university-operated art gallery expected to open next fall that will also serve the broader community, pending funding.

“With this gallery, we really want to focus on not only enriching opportunities for students, but also enriching opportunities for our neighborhood,” said Bloomberg.

Last year, the university announced a partnership with Ideastream, headquartered in Playhouse Square, to expand students’ access to broadcasting and production opportunities. Since then, several communications students have collaborated with industry professionals on media projects serving audiences across Northeast Ohio.

Bloomberg emphasized the growing demand for work-based learning opportunities, noting that students gain valuable experience, build long-term professional networks and improve their employment prospects. These initiatives reflect CSU’s momentum toward becoming Cleveland’s University and demonstrate its commitment to students, the community and the region’s future.

CSU’s efforts to advance excellence have not gone unnoticed. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine attended the address, expressing gratitude to the Ahuja family and emphasizing Cleveland State University’s importance to the state of Ohio. 

“Monte and Usha Ahuja are exceptional people, and you’ll see the results of their legacy for the next 50 years,” said DeWine. “Their contribution to Cleveland State is vitally important not just to Cleveland, not just to Northeast Ohio, but vitally important to the state of Ohio.”