Cleveland State Community College’s first office on 623 Broad Street when the school first opened in 1967
As many people may have heard, Cleveland State Community College is celebrating its 50th year of service to the community. Opening in January of 1967 in a converted residence at 623 Broad St., the college now sits on 105 acres, has over 200 employees, and a gymnasium that seats 3,000 people.
Dr. David F. Adkisson was the first president of CSCC, and his mission was for the community to come first. He had made it well known that the school’s role was to be, “a partnership with the community to fulfill its needs.”
Dr. Bill Seymour became president of Cleveland State in January of 2014 after serving as vice president at Jackson State Community College. Dr. Seymour has continued that same mission that Dr. Adkisson envisioned and passed along to every proceeding president and faculty member since 1967.
“Celebrating our history is important to our entire community," said Dr. Seymour. "Those who started the college and nurtured our mission over the decades crafted a significant legacy of excellence. Our focus now is building on that success and shaping the next 50 years, ensuring we meet the needs of a dynamic and changing workforce.
“Dr. Adkisson’s mindset is still absolutely true today. That is why we have promoted the theme of 'Community First,' as community college partnerships are essential for us to succeed.”
Dr. Seymour has also placed a lot of belief in a saying by his mentor, Dr. Gerald Gibson (former President of Maryville College), which was “routine is the enemy of progress.”
“While our history is strong, Cleveland State must become more progressive to be relevant and competitive," said Dr. Seymour. "Our strategic plan lays out those goals that will change how we do business for the better."
A vital part of Cleveland State’s success comes from the Sports Department. CSCC was part of the original group of community colleges who started athletic programs in 1967-1968.
“Concerning athletics, we want to recapture the community involvement we once had. So I am glad we are enhancing our sports information program,” said Dr. Seymour.
At the moment there are over 80 student athletes at Cleveland State. A majority of those student athletes might not be attending the community college if it weren’t for the opportunity to play sports. Also, it is easy to think that there are a percentage of them that would not have the financial support to get furtherance in education without athletic scholarships.
“Athletics provide students opportunities to continue their education," said Cleveland State's Athletic Director Mike Policastro. "Many students will attend a college or university because of athletic ability that might not have been the case if he or she did not pursue athletics.
“Many times athletics is the vehicle for students to gain a college degree, or a skill set that would put them on the path for a successful future. Our goal is to provide our student athletes with the best experience possible in all areas. We look forward to continuing the outstanding tradition of Cleveland State athletics in providing educational opportunities for the community.”
In efforts to celebrate not only the 50th anniversary of the school, but also 50 years of athletics at Cleveland State, the school and athletic department has decided to make admission to every sporting event free. Yes, free; no gimmicks or timeshare meetings to attend, just great hard-fought athletic competition.
“By having free admission, we want to promote the 50th anniversary of Cleveland State, as well as have the community see our student-athletes perform," said Mr. Policastro. "We play in a very competitive league and know that people would enjoy watching our student-athletes compete."
“We consider our campus as a community living room. It makes sense - particularly during this anniversary year - to invite the whole community to come join us at no change,” said Dr. Seymour.
There will be many other upcoming events to come over the 2016-2017 calendar year. If your family, or a group of friends want a fun day or night, please come support the Cougar and Lady Cougar athletic teams. For more information on when these sporting events will be taking place please visit www.cscougars.com.