WILBERFORCE — An partnership between Central State University and the Cleveland Cavaliers will expose the NBA franchise to the state of Ohio’s fastest-growing public university and HBCU with explosive growth in enrollment, new academic programs, record-setting grant research funding, and new building infrastructure.
The team’s leadership, including Kevin Clayton, VP, diversity, inclusion and community Engagement; Alberta Lee, senior vice president, people and culture; and Corey James director, D&I, community engagement and fan development, will visit CSU Tuesday, March 15 to meet with university administrators, students, and tour the campus. The relationship will give the university access to one of the NBA’s prominent teams to increase its visibility primed for expansion opportunities for student recruitment, alumni engagement, and professional development, according to officials.
“We are excited about this engagement opportunity for our University community,” said Central State University President Dr. Jack Thomas. “We know the NBA has exuded a strong commitment to supporting the growth of the next generation of leaders from the black community and we want to avail ourselves for every opportunity we can to position our students at the forefront of this expanding support.”
The Cavaliers visit comes at the start of Central State’s career fair in which students from all four colleges meet with potential employers to discuss internship and career opportunities. Each day is dedicated to a college. The College of Engineering, Science, Technology, and Agriculture will kick-off of the job-seeking event.
Taking full advantage of this exciting time and expansion opportunities, Central State University has hired a recruiter to manage the five-county Cleveland–Elyria region.
The Cavaliers and Central State University are a natural fit, according to university officials.
“Both share a vision for diverse representation, economic collaboration, and a passion for developing the next generation of high performance talent,” a release from CSU said.
The day will conclude with a visit to Wilberforce University campus.
