The impact and influence of Cleveland’s colleges stretch far beyond their downtown campuses. These schools are lots of things to lots of people, including employers, land owners, and, of course, educators. 

Their futures are intertwined, too. Cleveland State University President Laura Bloomberg and Cuyahoga Community College President Michael Baston shared a stage at the City Club of Cleveland to talk about just that: the future of higher education in Cleveland. 

Each are relative newcomers to Cleveland. Baston officially became the leader of Tri-C in July 2022. Bloomberg took over Cleveland State’s top spot earlier that spring. 

Read on for some takeaways from Friday’s discussion. 

Giving grades

Moderator Ken Schneck, a higher education professor at Baldwin Wallace University and editor of The Buckeye Flame, asked each president to grade the health of their institution. They each landed on the same response: a B+.

Baston applauded Tri-C for its connections with the business community as well as the 85% of graduates who stay and work in Northeast Ohio. 

The college, though, wants “to be an A+ institution,” he added. He said improving the quality of programs and services as well as making it easier for students to navigate Tri-C’s offerings could help it get there.

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For her score, Bloomberg sang the praises of her team, giving props to the university’s ability to “recruit excellent leaders.” She said that, between them, she and Provost Nigamanth Sridhar have hired the bulk of their administration’s deans.  

However, areas holding CSU back are its “systems and structures,” Bloomberg said, giving an example of an outdated software program. 

Both schools, like their peers across the country, face challenges such as pandemic-amplified enrollment losses and declining trust in higher education. 

Discussing race-conscious admissions  

The conversation later turned to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to ban colleges from considering race in admissions decisions.  

Neither Cleveland State nor Tri-C considered race before the SCOTUS decision, though Case Western Reserve University did. Most of the area’s colleges “don’t have hyper-competitive admissions processes,” an economist from the Cleveland Fed told Signal Cleveland in June 2023. 

But while CSU doesn’t consider race in admissions,  Bloomberg said the university does look to have “a diverse learning environment.” 

“When we’re in a community of people who are different than we are – different among dimensions of age, race, religion, political affiliation, gender –  it creates an opportunity that we can’t have ourselves,” said Bloomberg. “That is to see the world, or endeavor to see the world, through another lens. That is a rich learning environment, and that’s the kind of place I want to be in.” 

Cleveland camaraderie  

The leaders’ easy rapport with each other was evident throughout the hour-long discussion. It’s not the first time they’ve shared space. Bloomberg, in fact, began her remarks by noting that their friendship is real. Baston called Bloomberg an extraordinary leader and person. 

The good vibes seem to extend to their institutions. They are collaborating on projects such as the Scholar House, a housing option for college students who are parents. 

Bloomberg mentioned her institution could take notes from Tri-C’s flexibility, and Baston pointed out how he always says that “a strong CSU strengthens Tri-C.”

No-show from Case Western Reserve President Kaler 

The event was long billed online as a broad discussion among Baston, Bloomberg and Case Western Reserve University President Eric Kaler. That’s a big deal. The leaders of the city’s three biggest higher education institutions rarely share a public stage together. 

But Kaler wasn’t there. Mentions of him seemed to be scrubbed from the event page earlier in the week. The university gave Signal Cleveland the following statement before Friday’s forum: 

In fact, the conversation did turn to economic development within the first 15 minutes. Baston again mentioned his push for Cleveland to become the “career capital” of Ohio, while Bloomberg highlighted how “a well-educated citizenry” is connected to a healthy workforce. 

Representatives from the City Club declined to talk about Kaler’s absence. By Signal Cleveland’s count, CWRU was only referenced once during the discussion.