Hope, Strength, Resilience
How the CSU Community Responded to the Global Pandemic
Difficulty is often the ground from which some of life’s greatest triumphs bloom. And there’s no mistaking that COVID-19 plagued 2020 with what seemed to be an never-ending barrage of challenges. But the CSU community swiftly responded with compassion and a laser-focused determination to emerge better for having weathered the storm.
CSU’s Response to COVID-19
March 2: Initial reports of emerging pandemic in the U.S.
March 3: First meeting of the Pandemic Response Team (PRT) with daily meetings thereafter, including weekends. President Harlan Sands began providing regular updates to Board of Trustees Chairman.
March 5: All CSU personnel recalled from CSU-sponsored travel.
March 6: PRT begins initial planning. Daily updates provided to campus community. CSU launches coronavirus update website to serve as the single source for all information related to CSU and COVID response.
March 6-19: Updates provided to Faculty Senate. President of Faculty Senate included in all COVID planning as PRT member since PRT began on March 3.
March 19: Update to Board of Trustees. Updates at every BOT meeting thereafter. Executive leadership gets regular updates in-between meetings.
March 20: Weekly virtual town hall meetings with President Sands begin.
March 23: Virtual classes begin.
March 20-August 17: Planning for fall semester begins, including the implementation of the 7 Layers of Protection. PRT meets 3 times per week. Inter-University Council of Ohio Campus Repopulation Work Group meets weekly.
April 1 (approximately): Inter University Council convenes Campus Repopulation Work Group. CSU leads coordination and best practices for safe campus reopening among all Ohio public universities and colleges.
June 1: Research labs restart.
August 8: Early faculty return.
August 17: Early student return.
August 24: Fall semester classes commence on time in hybrid model. Planning for spring semester begins.
CSU’s 7 Layers of Protection
CSU’s Pandemic Response Team, comprising various university officials, including team lead Forrest Faison, MD, senior vice president for research and innovation, and chief healthcare strategy officer, led an effort to create a blanket of protective services and functions to help ensure the wellbeing of the CSU community called the 7 Layers of Protection.
- Online health assessment
Before arriving on campus, everyone must pass an online health assessment. - Personal Protection
Masks are required and over 400 hand-sanitizing stations are located throughout the campus. - Environmental controls
The university nearly doubled housekeeping staff to frequently clean high-volume, high-touch areas and sanitize classrooms between each class. Furniture is spread out to create socially distanced sitting areas. CSU also invested in technology to improve airflow in buildings and remove contaminants from the air. - Education and signage
There’s a dedicated COVID-19 information page on the CSU website and signage on campus encourages proper distancing and sanitizing measures. - Contact tracing
The university hired a team of contact tracers to respond to positive cases on campus. - COVID-19 testing
Cleveland Clinic provides a number of daily rapid response tests for CSU students suspected of having contracted the virus and provides next-day results. - Isolation and quarantine
The top two floors of Fenn Tower were designated as a quarantine zone with CSU offering full support, supplies and food to any student required to isolate.
Also in This Issue...
Tuition On Us
CSU freshmen can get up to 50 percent off yearly tuition with our “2-for-1” tuition promise.
Leading With Honor
Meet the man helping shape CSU’s response to the pandemic.
Living With History
Tom Yablonsky’s Keen Eye for Redevelopment is Shaping Downtown Cleveland’s Housing Market
Never Flashy. Never Trendy. Always Cleveland.
How David Gilbert is raising Cleveland’s nationwide profile.
A Message from the President
If there is anything we have learned in 2020, it is about the resilience and strength of our CSU family – and our Cleveland community.
Quarantined in China
A CSU alumni recounts being quarantined in China during COVID’s early days — surveillance, strict lockdown vs. looser U.S. guidelines — highlighting stark contrasts in pandemic response.
Alumnus and Cleveland judge cuts jail population in half amid growing coronavirus fears
Judge Brendan Sheehan (JD ’93) led a 34-judge effort to cut Cuyahoga County Jail’s population from 1,800 to 900, creating space to protect inmates.
Law grad fights for ICE detainees and wins
Elizabeth Bonham (JD ’15), an ACLU‑Ohio attorney, secured the release of 21 ICE detainees from Ohio jails during the 2020 COVID surge by filing federal lawsuits that prioritized health and safety.
Teaching Virtually: An Instructor’s Perspective
A CSU professor weighs in on how she’s faring amidst the upheaval in shifting to remote learning.
COVID-19 Research at CSU
While the rest of the world moved to quickly develop a vaccine for COVID-19, teams of undergraduate and graduate students and four members of CSU’s Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease (GRHD) joined the effort.
The CSU Community Quickly Moved Into Action
CSU’s community mobilized to launch “Lift Up Vikes!,” a campus pantry and resource center offering food, toiletries, financial aid, and workshops, easing food insecurity and supporting student success.
CSU Research Team Awarded Three-Year, $1 Million National Science Foundation Grant
A team of researchers from Cleveland State University has been awarded a three-year, $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program for a project titled Achieving Excellence and Equity through Academic Leadership Development.
CSU Student Team Wins First Place in Fluid Power Vehicle Competition
A team of students from Cleveland State University’s Washkewicz College of Engineering placed first in the 2020 Fluid Power Vehicle Competition presented by the National Fluid Power Association.
Granting Help
New Project Helps CMSD Students Embrace Computer Science Careers
Internet of Things Collaborative Plans Two New Research Hubs
CSU and Case Western Reserve University have received a $3.1 million grant from the Cleveland Foundation to further advance the Internet of Things Collaborative (IOTC).
Going for Gold
Washkewicz Hall Earns LEED Gold Certification
Young Alumni Honor Faculty and Staff During Homecoming
In what is fast becoming an anchored tradition of CSU’s Homecoming annual festivities, faculty and staff were honored for their work in the classroom and beyond with this year’s Golden Apple Awards.
Communication professor earns award for opinion pieces
Richard M. Perloff, Ph.D., Cleveland State University professor of communication and political science, earned statewide recognition from the Press Club of Cleveland for three essays he wrote.
Congrats to Crain’s Cleveland Business honoree – Brittany Wampler!
Brittany Wampler, CSU’s director of pre-professional health programs, has been recognized as a 2020 ‘Forty Under 40’ honoree by Crain’s Cleveland Business.
Coming Together To Make A Change
CSU Senior Asha McClendon Designs Black Lives Matter Mural at Centers for Families and Children
Deep Connection, Keen Perception Prompt Major Gift
Marjorie B. Shorrock (MBA ’98) donated $1M to support CSU student success — scholarships, global study, and the 2-for-1 Tuition Promise — driven by her decades-long bonds with the university.
CSU receives “Knowledge Challenge” grant to fund study of underserved entrepreneurs
Cleveland State University received a $225,000 grant through The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s “Knowledge Challenge,” a biannual program dedicated to the education and advancement of entrepreneurship in the United States.
Giving During COVID
Timley Fowler Gift Helps Hundreds
How COVID-19 shifted the work of the CSUAA
As a result of the world’s shift to virtual connection as a primary source of interaction, the CSU Alumni Association developed a number of programs to engage with alumni both near and far.
A Homecoming Like No Other
While we could only connect via computer and phone screens, the feeling—that strong, vibrant, resilient, unmistakable Viking spirit— was still the same. Until next year… go Vikings!
Look for the silver lining
Two alumni share their thoughts on remaining grateful and cracking a laugh or two even during some of life’s trying moments.
Tuition On Us
CSU freshmen can get up to 50 percent off yearly tuition with our “2-for-1” tuition promise.
Living With History
Tom Yablonsky’s Keen Eye for Redevelopment is Shaping Downtown Cleveland’s Housing Market
A Message from the President
If there is anything we have learned in 2020, it is about the resilience and strength of our CSU family – and our Cleveland community.
Alumnus and Cleveland judge cuts jail population in half amid growing coronavirus fears
Judge Brendan Sheehan (JD ’93) led a 34-judge effort to cut Cuyahoga County Jail’s population from 1,800 to 900, creating space to protect inmates.
Teaching Virtually: An Instructor’s Perspective
A CSU professor weighs in on how she’s faring amidst the upheaval in shifting to remote learning.
The CSU Community Quickly Moved Into Action
CSU’s community mobilized to launch “Lift Up Vikes!,” a campus pantry and resource center offering food, toiletries, financial aid, and workshops, easing food insecurity and supporting student success.
CSU Student Team Wins First Place in Fluid Power Vehicle Competition
A team of students from Cleveland State University’s Washkewicz College of Engineering placed first in the 2020 Fluid Power Vehicle Competition presented by the National Fluid Power Association.
Internet of Things Collaborative Plans Two New Research Hubs
CSU and Case Western Reserve University have received a $3.1 million grant from the Cleveland Foundation to further advance the Internet of Things Collaborative (IOTC).
Young Alumni Honor Faculty and Staff During Homecoming
In what is fast becoming an anchored tradition of CSU’s Homecoming annual festivities, faculty and staff were honored for their work in the classroom and beyond with this year’s Golden Apple Awards.
Congrats to Crain’s Cleveland Business honoree – Brittany Wampler!
Brittany Wampler, CSU’s director of pre-professional health programs, has been recognized as a 2020 ‘Forty Under 40’ honoree by Crain’s Cleveland Business.
Deep Connection, Keen Perception Prompt Major Gift
Marjorie B. Shorrock (MBA ’98) donated $1M to support CSU student success — scholarships, global study, and the 2-for-1 Tuition Promise — driven by her decades-long bonds with the university.
Giving During COVID
Timley Fowler Gift Helps Hundreds
A Homecoming Like No Other
While we could only connect via computer and phone screens, the feeling—that strong, vibrant, resilient, unmistakable Viking spirit— was still the same. Until next year… go Vikings!
Leading With Honor
Meet the man helping shape CSU’s response to the pandemic.
Never Flashy. Never Trendy. Always Cleveland.
How David Gilbert is raising Cleveland’s nationwide profile.
Quarantined in China
A CSU alumni recounts being quarantined in China during COVID’s early days — surveillance, strict lockdown vs. looser U.S. guidelines — highlighting stark contrasts in pandemic response.
Law grad fights for ICE detainees and wins
Elizabeth Bonham (JD ’15), an ACLU‑Ohio attorney, secured the release of 21 ICE detainees from Ohio jails during the 2020 COVID surge by filing federal lawsuits that prioritized health and safety.
COVID-19 Research at CSU
While the rest of the world moved to quickly develop a vaccine for COVID-19, teams of undergraduate and graduate students and four members of CSU’s Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease (GRHD) joined the effort.
CSU Research Team Awarded Three-Year, $1 Million National Science Foundation Grant
A team of researchers from Cleveland State University has been awarded a three-year, $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program for a project titled Achieving Excellence and Equity through Academic Leadership Development.
Granting Help
New Project Helps CMSD Students Embrace Computer Science Careers
Going for Gold
Washkewicz Hall Earns LEED Gold Certification
Communication professor earns award for opinion pieces
Richard M. Perloff, Ph.D., Cleveland State University professor of communication and political science, earned statewide recognition from the Press Club of Cleveland for three essays he wrote.
Coming Together To Make A Change
CSU Senior Asha McClendon Designs Black Lives Matter Mural at Centers for Families and Children
CSU receives “Knowledge Challenge” grant to fund study of underserved entrepreneurs
Cleveland State University received a $225,000 grant through The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s “Knowledge Challenge,” a biannual program dedicated to the education and advancement of entrepreneurship in the United States.
How COVID-19 shifted the work of the CSUAA
As a result of the world’s shift to virtual connection as a primary source of interaction, the CSU Alumni Association developed a number of programs to engage with alumni both near and far.
Look for the silver lining
Two alumni share their thoughts on remaining grateful and cracking a laugh or two even during some of life’s trying moments.
Tuition On Us
CSU freshmen can get up to 50 percent off yearly tuition with our “2-for-1” tuition promise.
Never Flashy. Never Trendy. Always Cleveland.
How David Gilbert is raising Cleveland’s nationwide profile.
Alumnus and Cleveland judge cuts jail population in half amid growing coronavirus fears
Judge Brendan Sheehan (JD ’93) led a 34-judge effort to cut Cuyahoga County Jail’s population from 1,800 to 900, creating space to protect inmates.
COVID-19 Research at CSU
While the rest of the world moved to quickly develop a vaccine for COVID-19, teams of undergraduate and graduate students and four members of CSU’s Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease (GRHD) joined the effort.
CSU Student Team Wins First Place in Fluid Power Vehicle Competition
A team of students from Cleveland State University’s Washkewicz College of Engineering placed first in the 2020 Fluid Power Vehicle Competition presented by the National Fluid Power Association.
Going for Gold
Washkewicz Hall Earns LEED Gold Certification
Congrats to Crain’s Cleveland Business honoree – Brittany Wampler!
Brittany Wampler, CSU’s director of pre-professional health programs, has been recognized as a 2020 ‘Forty Under 40’ honoree by Crain’s Cleveland Business.
CSU receives “Knowledge Challenge” grant to fund study of underserved entrepreneurs
Cleveland State University received a $225,000 grant through The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s “Knowledge Challenge,” a biannual program dedicated to the education and advancement of entrepreneurship in the United States.
A Homecoming Like No Other
While we could only connect via computer and phone screens, the feeling—that strong, vibrant, resilient, unmistakable Viking spirit— was still the same. Until next year… go Vikings!
Leading With Honor
Meet the man helping shape CSU’s response to the pandemic.
A Message from the President
If there is anything we have learned in 2020, it is about the resilience and strength of our CSU family – and our Cleveland community.
Law grad fights for ICE detainees and wins
Elizabeth Bonham (JD ’15), an ACLU‑Ohio attorney, secured the release of 21 ICE detainees from Ohio jails during the 2020 COVID surge by filing federal lawsuits that prioritized health and safety.
The CSU Community Quickly Moved Into Action
CSU’s community mobilized to launch “Lift Up Vikes!,” a campus pantry and resource center offering food, toiletries, financial aid, and workshops, easing food insecurity and supporting student success.
Granting Help
New Project Helps CMSD Students Embrace Computer Science Careers
Young Alumni Honor Faculty and Staff During Homecoming
In what is fast becoming an anchored tradition of CSU’s Homecoming annual festivities, faculty and staff were honored for their work in the classroom and beyond with this year’s Golden Apple Awards.
Coming Together To Make A Change
CSU Senior Asha McClendon Designs Black Lives Matter Mural at Centers for Families and Children
Giving During COVID
Timley Fowler Gift Helps Hundreds
Look for the silver lining
Two alumni share their thoughts on remaining grateful and cracking a laugh or two even during some of life’s trying moments.
Living With History
Tom Yablonsky’s Keen Eye for Redevelopment is Shaping Downtown Cleveland’s Housing Market
Quarantined in China
A CSU alumni recounts being quarantined in China during COVID’s early days — surveillance, strict lockdown vs. looser U.S. guidelines — highlighting stark contrasts in pandemic response.
Teaching Virtually: An Instructor’s Perspective
A CSU professor weighs in on how she’s faring amidst the upheaval in shifting to remote learning.
CSU Research Team Awarded Three-Year, $1 Million National Science Foundation Grant
A team of researchers from Cleveland State University has been awarded a three-year, $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program for a project titled Achieving Excellence and Equity through Academic Leadership Development.
Internet of Things Collaborative Plans Two New Research Hubs
CSU and Case Western Reserve University have received a $3.1 million grant from the Cleveland Foundation to further advance the Internet of Things Collaborative (IOTC).
Communication professor earns award for opinion pieces
Richard M. Perloff, Ph.D., Cleveland State University professor of communication and political science, earned statewide recognition from the Press Club of Cleveland for three essays he wrote.
Deep Connection, Keen Perception Prompt Major Gift
Marjorie B. Shorrock (MBA ’98) donated $1M to support CSU student success — scholarships, global study, and the 2-for-1 Tuition Promise — driven by her decades-long bonds with the university.
How COVID-19 shifted the work of the CSUAA
As a result of the world’s shift to virtual connection as a primary source of interaction, the CSU Alumni Association developed a number of programs to engage with alumni both near and far.