In an afternoon ceremony, Dr. Berkman told hundreds of attendees that one of his prime goals is to increase connections between the downtown school, and the city.
"Cleveland State is in and of this city, and the connections and bonds between the two of them must be strengthened. We must build bridges between the university and the city, that will provide environments for students to apply and expand what they are learning in the classroom, and the laboratory. Our campus' urban environment is an incredible asset, of which we must take full advantage."
Among university plans is the addition of a K-12 school on the Cleveland State campus.
Dr. Berkman also laid out plans for what he termed "signature themes" for the school.
"One of these themes will be Health, a natural direction for us, given the outstanding medical and health related institutions based in this region. The second signature theme will be sustainable communities. Their focus will be on finding new ways to restart and sustain, urban and regional economies."}
The new President said he also wants to instill two 'signature themes' for Cleveland State to aim toward - the first being an increased focus on Health Education, with the second being a strict curriculum in Sustainable Communities.
Dr. Berkman comes to Cleveland after 12 years as an administrator at Florida International University in Miami.
