CLEVELAND — Cleveland State University has announced a new "aggressive" growth plan with a stated goal of attracting 4,500 additional students and 200 new faculty members by 2025.
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The plan, dubbed CSU 2.0, includes multi-million-dollar investments in research, faculty positions and initiatives to advance student success, develop new programs and build new partnerships. CSU President Harlan Sands presented the plan to the university's community during a Facebook stream on Friday.
“CSU 2.0 is a bold, forward-thinking, aspirational vision for our future,” Sands said. “This is about growth, not retrenchment. We’ve set ambitious, achievable goals. We’ll be serving more students, distinguishing ourselves as a leading urban public research institution, and expanding our role as an anchor institution in the region to better serve and support greater Cleveland.”
Sands also said that the plan is an attempt to build on the momentum the university has created in recent years. In addition to applications for admission being up for the fall 2021 semester, first-year student retention rates have risen significantly, while the university has hired new faculty in an attempt to invest in its core academic mission.
CSU 2.0 is built on the following four themes:
- Student success and engaged learning
- A leading public research institute
- An anchor institution for Greater Cleveland
- Build financial strength
More information on CSU 2.0, including a detailed look at the plan's blueprint, can be found here.