Cleveland State University President Laura Bloomberg, Ph. D., directly addressed Ohio Senate Bill 1, at the faculty senate meeting on March 26.

Her comments were the clearest indication yet of how the CSU administration intends to engage with SB1, which Ohio's Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law two days later on March 28.

“It's a big bill," Bloomberg said. "I said in a message that I sent out about a month ago, when something becomes law, we will comply,” Bloomberg told the senate.

At the faculty meeting, the president outlined key elements of the bill, including the banning of civic rights initiatives that foster diversity, equity and inclusion, and faculty striking, as well as the state-mandated adoption of a civics course for all students.

Bloomberg acknowledged that as a publicly funded university, Cleveland State must comply with any new state laws, but she noted there is a 90-day timeline to implement changes and that the university, unlike some of its peers, would not take preemptive action.

“We will comply,” the president said. “What we won't do is compromise our mission, the strategic plan that says we are Cleveland's university, which means that we're situated in a city and pledging to serve a city where the majority of people identify as a member of a minoritized group."

"I understand that sounds like threading a needle," Bloomberg said, "but I think it's very important to know that some of this work will continue. And our challenge is to figure out how to make that happen appropriately, respectfully and wisely within what we say our mission is and what our vision is."

Other business discussed at the meeting included budget forecasting, dismissal policy, instructor evaluations, and computer centralization.

The last faculty senate meeting of the spring 2025 semester will take place on May 8.