A Momentous Year for CSU

May 12, 2025

Dear colleagues,

This past weekend, we held three Commencement ceremonies, graduating more than 2,400 students in the company of their family, friends, peers and mentors. These ceremonies were made possible thanks to hours of planning and the effort of so many of you. If you coordinated, assisted or participated in any aspect of our spring Commencement, thank you so much.

With classes now over, the spring semester and this academic year are quickly coming to a close. This has been a year filled with change, and the path we have navigated might be one of the most eventful in our University’s recent history. Together, we have been able to provide our students with an exceptional academic experience amidst state and federal policy changes that have caused some confusion and anxiety. The impact of these changes will continue into our next academic year, but we know that our focus on student success and creating a community where people know they belong is a solid and evidence-based path forward.

Earlier this year, we unveiled Cleveland State United, our strategic plan for CSU into 2030. The mission, vision, values and priorities, as stated in our plan, remain our shared focus and will serve us well as established goals to strive toward. Already, many of you have come together as divisions, departments and colleges to form your own strategic goals in alignment with Cleveland State United. As a result, our students will benefit from a network of aligned strategies across the University.

In our strategic plan, one of our three key priorities is to “Advance Academic Offerings, Delivery, and Scholarship to Foster Success.” Thanks to a historic gift, we will be able to achieve these goals in unprecedented ways. Last week, at our annual Radiance event, we announced that CSU has received the largest gift from a single donor in the University’s history. In a gift bequeathed to CSU from the estates of Walter ’76 and Katherine McCombs, we have received the resources to remove barriers for high-need students so they can pursue their degrees. I encourage you to read our recent press release to learn more about this gift and the Katherine F. McCombs and Walter Lee McCombs Transformative Impact Fund.

As we enter the summer months, I hope that you are able to find time for yourself. Of course, our work never stops, but the summer months can afford us some time to get away and relax. If you will be with us this summer, I encourage you to take a look at our Flexible Work Arrangements and discuss them with your supervisor. For any of you departing campus soon but returning in the fall, I also wish you a restful summer and look forward to seeing you in just a few months.

Thank you for all you have done this year to build a thriving learning community for our students and for each other.

Sincerely,

Laura Blomberg, PhD
President