Mosaic House Offers Welcoming Space to All Students

The Mosaic House on 12 is an inclusive cultural hub at Cleveland State University for undergraduate and graduate students of all backgrounds, academic years and disciplines to learn, grow, share and support each other in a safe and welcoming environment.

The Mosaic House is a place for students to build meaningful relationships with peers. Connecting and bonding with classmates, helps students build a network of support that will encourage academic success. Mosaic House’s inclusive atmosphere celebrates the diversity of its students, encourages an exchange of ideas and cultures, and supports students’ academic success. By learning more about each other’s cultures, perspectives and ideas, students gain an appreciation for the value of diversity which helps students become better leaders in the classroom. Insides its walls, on the 12^th floor of Rhodes Tower, there are study rooms and meeting spaces. Whether for individual or group studying or for organization meetings, the space is available to students and campus groups. Trained Student Navigators and staff are at Mosaic House to greet students and direct them to the resources they need around campus to reach their academic goals.

“This is a place where everyone is focused and driven to succeed,” said Andrew, a Student Navigator. “It’s motivation. You see people around you and how successful they are and it pushes you to succeed.”

Andrew, a senior and finance major, values the support he has received from his peers and he aims to provide that support to fellow students. As a Navigator, Andrew also helps guide Mosaic House guests to find resources on campus that they might not otherwise connect with whether that be Career Services, professors or study groups.

Each month, the Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement hosts Lunch & Learns, book discussions and other activities on topics ranging from building strong study habits to discovering learning styles to time management. Many of these activities and events are designed by the Student Navigators.

“This is a place for students to come and really be part of a community,” said Michael, a Student Navigator and senior accounting major. “Students should know if they engage fully with our office they will benefit.”

It’s not uncommon to see an exchange of cultures transpire, whether that be in an exchange of food dishes, language or ethnic customs. And those experiences reinforce CSU’s goal for students to become global leaders, said Charleyse Pratt, Assistant Vice President for Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement.

The office strives to empower students in the classroom and to be leaders on campus.

-- By Nancy Kelsey