Cleveland State University President Laura Bloomberg, Ph.D., sat down Monday with The Cleveland Stater’s Editor-In-Chief Lainey Novak and News Editor Lauren Schwan and spoke about the university’s new strategic plan, budget and faculty cuts, campus safety and possible impacts of the Nov. 5 election on higher education. 

Strategic Plan

Last month, CSU’s strategic planning task force rolled out a new strategic plan titled “Cleveland State United”. The plan outlined the university’s priorities through 2030. A powerful mission statement led the tenets, “Cleveland’s university. Infinite opportunity.”

“I think whenever you launch a strategic plan, fundamentally, one of the reasons to do it is to get better, to serve your mission and to help us keep our focus,” Dr. Bloomberg said. “This is going to help us determine how we set our priorities and where we focus our time."

One of the core tenets of the plan is “Vision 2030, Where Everybody Thrives." Vision 2030 states CSU’s aspiration to be a national leader in social and economic mobility and works alongside the other priorities of the plan.

When asked what her key priorities were as CSU’s president, Dr. Bloomberg said that ensuring that all students feel they are a part of an institution that serves them well is always at the top of her mind. 

She discussed the rising mental health crisis in the country and how she is striving to acknowledge the mental health needs of students, staff and faculty as a part of the new strategic plan. 

“The core value part of this is that we want to collaborate with the community to support students and unleash creativity,” said Dr. Bloomberg.

Impact of the election on CSU

On Nov. 5, Donald Trump was elected to be the 47th president of the United States. Trump and the Republican Party have been staunch critics of the higher education system. With Trump’s threats to abolish the Department of Education, the future of higher ed. is uncertain. 

“We have elected someone who has some pretty strong opinions about higher education,” said Dr. Bloomberg. “I cannot predict exactly how that's going to impact us, but I know what my job is, which is to serve and support the students and the mission of this institution.”

When asked if she was getting any signals at the state level that could impact CSU post-election, Dr. Bloomberg stated that she expects a tough budget season for state funding and acknowledges there are multiple and competing priorities for funding at the state level. 

“I can be really frustrated sometimes with budget decisions," Dr. Bloomberg said, "but I have an enormous amount of empathy for legislators who are faced with making those difficult trade-off decisions." 

Budget, staff and faculty cuts

In August, CSU laid off 14 employees in a move separate from the buyout packages offered in the spring. The action comes as part of the administration's efforts to close the university’s $40 million budget gap. 

When asked about the cuts to faculty and staff Dr. Bloomberg said, “I don't love the word ‘cuts’. We had a very small number of layoffs, which was elimination of a position, not a person.”

She said that when the university eliminates a position, the affected faculty are able to look for employment in other areas of the institution. 

When asked if the mass layoffs would continue to roll out in the near future, she stated that the university is not done with its voluntary separation incentive program (VSIP), which will continue through the academic year.

“I don’t know the exact number, but we’re not done with that yet,” said Dr. Bloomberg.

Safety

Given Cleveland State's location in the heart of the city, issues surrounding campus safety are of the utmost importance. 

The Cleveland Stater tracks every reported crime on campus through CSUPD’s 60-day crime ledger. Dr. Bloomberg shared her view on the safety of CSU’s campus stating that one of the university’s strengths is its location in an urban core, but with that comes crime associated with the city. 

“The campus generally always needs to be made more safe and there's always an opportunity to make it more safe,” said Dr. Bloomberg. 

The president said that the university is in the midst of submitting a proposal for the state to fund more security cameras on campus, specifically AI-powered cameras. 

“It's amazing what you can do with AI cameras now," Dr. Bloomberg said. "You don't necessarily need somebody to monitor them. They can do 360 pans and be watching all the time and flag you if there's somebody who's acting in an erratic way."

As CSU sends out safety tips, the campus community is reminded to stay in groups, lock their cars with valuables hidden and look up from their phones when walking.

However, on-campus residents face one threat that safety tips can’t address -- mice. Euclid Commons, The Langston and The Edge are reported to be experiencing this pest infestation.

Asked to comment on the issue, Dr. Bloomberg said she is aware of the problem and the university is working to address it.

“We need to do more so we can understand some of the sources of the challenges," Dr. Bloomberg said. "But I just, I just want you to know that I am aware and that we are investing in this."

Final statement 

When asked for a final remark, Dr. Bloomberg spoke about the gratitude she feels towards the CSU community. 

“There's no place I would rather spend my time than on a university campus,” Dr. Bloomberg said. “I'm really grateful for the students and the faculty and staff who make it a great place.”