Record 2,000 first-year students sets new milestone for university

Cleveland State University marked the beginning of the 2017-18 academic year by welcoming 2,000 first-year students to campus, a new record and the university’s tenth straight year of enrollment growth.

"This new milestone further highlights the transformation Cleveland State has undergone over the last decade,” says CSU President Ronald M. Berkman. “We are now a destination university with a growing national reputation for offering students tremendous academic quality and excellent career connections in a vibrant urban environment.”

CSU has accomplished this goal with a razor sharp focus on engaged learning and student success. In fact, the university is uniquely positioned to provide experiences outside the classroom and bridges to future careers through its tremendous connectivity with the broader community. For example, CSU has longstanding research, education and experiential learning collaborations with numerous area businesses, nonprofit and cultural institutions and government agencies and offers over 3,000 internship opportunities annually, more than any other public university in Ohio.

The University has also developed a range of nationally recognized initiatives specifically designed to improve retention and graduation rates while also reducing student debt. The university was the first in the state of Ohio to offer multi-term registration, which allows students to plan their entire academic year in advance and better balance academic requirements with other priorities. It also implemented a 120-credit-hour standard for most degree programs, reducing the time and courses needed to complete a degree. As a result of these efforts, CSU received the 2015 Excellence and Innovation Award from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

In addition, the university is investigating potential options to construct additional freshmen housing and green space to enhance the student experience on campus.

“The model of higher education for the past several decades no longer meets the needs of the modern college student,” Berkman adds. “Universities must innovate, adapt and develop a new educational paradigm that can assist today’s students in thriving academically, socially and ultimately in a career of their choice. At CSU we have placed a premium on student success because when our students excel we excel.”

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