In the Bloomberg family, we frequently use a common phrase as we check in with each other when life is particularly busy or stressful. We will say something to the effect of “Whew, what a year I’ve had this week,” or “What a week I’ve had this morning.” This seems an apt expression to describe the way many of us have been feeling since new federal leadership took office in Washington, DC, and as the new Ohio General Assembly has begun work in Columbus.
Many members of our CSU community have questions about the multiple and sometimes confusing actions, policy changes and executive orders issued by the federal government over the past few weeks and about the impact of pending higher education legislation in the Ohio legislature. Regardless of how any of us may personally feel about the value or impact of these decisions, we can all agree we have seen a lot of consequential change in a short period of time. This level of activity is compounded by the fact that some of the changes out of Washington, DC, are being challenged in the courts, making it unclear if, when or how to respond.
This is a lot to digest and a lot to navigate. It can be stressful for all of us and particularly difficult for the students, faculty and staff members most directly impacted by the changes.
So, how are we to react to this flurry of activity at the state and federal level?
First and foremost, I urge us all to keep the main thing the main thing: Our primary responsibility is meeting the educational needs of our students and meeting our mission as Cleveland State University.
|
|
|
-
We will continue to model the shared values we endorsed in our strategic plan: Collaborating with Community, Serving our Students, Unleashing Creativity.
-
We will maintain our focus on our strategic priorities.
-
We will remind ourselves that we are best able to achieve our goals when we support each other. I urge you to check in with your colleagues or peers and inquire about their well-being. Making time to really listen to each other can be a mind-expanding experience and can make a world of difference to a stressed colleague or classmate. Remind each other that resources are available to support employees and students who need them.
|
- We will monitor policy directives and executive orders relevant to CSU and our operations, drawing on direct government communications as well as trusted higher education sources of information, particularly when directives are challenged in the courts.
-
When actions directly impact CSU students or our operations, we will reach out first and foremost to the offices or departments most specifically and immediately impacted to ensure they are informed, supported and know how best to comply.
-
In instances where information would be most relevant when shared and discussed within departments or divisions, we will disseminate guidance through deans or department heads. This might include, for instance, guidance on how to comply should federal immigration officials visit our campus while also mitigating any resulting educational disruptions.
-
We will advocate for changes that support our students and our mission, and we will join with other higher education institutions, as well as local and state entities, in opposing federal changes that would be particularly detrimental to our mission. At present, this includes, for example, reductions in US Department of Education, NASA or NIH funding that would be detrimental to our core teaching, research and workforce development efforts. I note here that NIH research funding reductions have been the focus of multiple recent lawsuits, and these funding cuts have been temporarily blocked by the courts. We continue to work with community and national partners to communicate the detrimental impact of the proposed cuts and to urge an acceptable alternative.
- We will post regular updates on changes to research funding activities, implications and guidance here.
-
Once a final decision is made on a policy directive, we must and we will comply with it. Until that time, however, we all can exercise our right to voice opposition and communicate our concerns.
|
Indeed, what a year we’ve had this month. It is an intense time of change. I urge you to take care of yourselves and support each other. If you have questions about CSU’s response to a specific executive order or policy directive impacting our work, you can send a message directly to the President's Office. My office will monitor your inquiries and route them as appropriate.
Thank you for all you do to help build a community where we all can thrive.
|
|
|
© 2025 Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2215 PH: 216.687.2000
|
|
|
Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
|
2121 Euclid Avenue | Cleveland, OH 44115 US
|
|
|
This email was sent to p.eaves@csuohio.edu.
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
|
| |
|
|
