New Cleveland State Program Creates Degree Pathway for International Students

Partnership with Shorelight Education to significantly benefit Northeast Ohio workforce

Cleveland State University (CSU) and Shorelight Education today announced the launch of a new strategic partnership that will provide international students with the opportunity to receive a transformative CSU education and bolster Cleveland’s growing regional economy and highly skilled workforce.

Shorelight’s signature undergraduate and graduate support programs will help CSU recruit and retain top international students from across the world and ensure their success as they progress through graduation. The collaboration between Shorelight and CSU will allow more international students to access CSU’s robust undergraduate and graduate programs; the university features 10 colleges and more than 175 academic programs.

As a core component of the partnership, Shorelight and CSU will work collaboratively with the City of Cleveland and local businesses to build a strategic workforce pipeline that will connect qualified international students who complete their studies at CSU with companies eager to employ highly skilled and talented students in Northeast Ohio.

As part of the new three-pronged relationship, CSU will serve as the academic provider – delivering high-quality undergraduate and advanced degree programs in a number of fields, and featuring thousands of experiential learning opportunities. As the operational and programmatic provider, Shorelight will deliver technology-enabled services and resources to help engage and support international students throughout the application, enrollment, and academic experience. Finally, the City of Cleveland will help connect talented, globally-minded international graduates with employment opportunities in the Cleveland area in their chosen field to support the local economy.

“Cleveland State has long been an anchor for the city of Cleveland, helping to promote educational and economic growth for our community,” said Cleveland State University President Harlan Sands. “This unique partnership with Shorelight Education will expand that mission and establish CSU as a beacon institution for students from around the world, bringing an even richer diversity of viewpoints and experiences into our classrooms, communities, and places of work.”

“Working with CSU and the City of Cleveland, we are presented with the truly unique opportunity to create a groundbreaking initiative that benefits the entire campus community—current students, international students, the university itself, and the local Cleveland economy,” said Shorelight CEO Tom Dretler. “Our team is thrilled to use our global reach and experience to further expose CSU and the City of Cleveland to the world, and ensure that international students are supported and successful throughout their academic and professional journeys.”

The relationship will leverage Shorelight’s reach and experience serving international students to complement CSU’s Engaged Learning approach, which emphasizes experiential and practical learning leading to tangible post-graduation outcomes. By introducing international students to a one-of-a-kind academic track that will ultimately place qualified students into workforce opportunities in and around Northeast Ohio, this strategic partnership will directly connect companies in need of talent to fully prepared students who have successfully completed targeted, industry-aligned programs at CSU.