The Cleveland State University (CSU) Faculty Senate discussed the sharp decline in international student enrollment during its first senate meeting of the semester on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025 in the Student Center (SC) Ballroom.
Provost Nigamanth Sridhar shared that international students have faced challenges with obtaining visas in order to study in the United States, citing “various rhetoric and policy changes about immigration.”
“We started to hear from our recruiting partner, Shoreline, in the spring semester that there was a general feeling across the student population that they were less likely to come to the United States because of all the various rhetoric and policy changes…about immigration…,” Sridhar said. “…More specifically is the fact that students just couldn’t go and obtain a visa.”
International students across the country have had their visas revoked and legal statuses terminated by the administration of President Donald Trump. In June 2025, an executive order was issued to “restrict the entry of foreign nationals” from various countries to protect national security.
On top of Trump’s crackdown on immigration, with ICE raids that have generated mass detainments and deportations, current and prospective international students in the U.S. find themselves in troubled waters. Cleveland has seen ICE raids since the beginning of the current presidential administration.
“This is a constant conversation that we will continue to have with [our recruiting partner],” added Sridhar.
Despite the decline in international student enrollment for the fall 2025 semester – which is projected by Crain’s to be a 41% decrease from fall 2024 – Sridhar highlights the diversity of newly-enrolled global students, who come from 26 different countries.
“Even as recently as last semester, our students predominantly came from one or two countries,” said Sridhar. “This year, there were 26 countries represented. That’s a really cool thing.”
Last fall, international students at CSU largely came from India, specified Sridhar.
Other enrollment stats: in-person increase, online surge, tuition upped
Judy Ausherman, chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, reported projected enrollment shortfalls for the fall 2025 semester.
“Fall 2025 enrollment will likely be 400 to 500 short of a projection of 13,850, so that will impact the budget,” Ausherman said.
A three percent increase in tuition will take into effect beginning with the incoming freshman class of students. This increase will not affect students who were already enrolled before the fall 2025 semester, as CSU offers a four-year tuition guarantee.
Ausherman also mentioned slight increases with in-person enrollment and “a huge increase in online enrollment.”
Student Belonging budget increase
Funds from all the University’s college’s budgets have been reallocated to invest in Student Belonging and Success, which has caused the latter’s budget to increase by 12.3% – just over one million dollars.
“Since student success and belonging is primarily a non-academic unit, we hope to see a clear and measurable process in place to evaluate how this significant investment in unified advising supports student retention,” said Ausherman.
New AI Teaching and Learning Lab
Melanie Gagich, director of the First-Year Writing Program at CSU, shared information on the launch of a new AI Teaching and Learning Lab that will serve to “promote literacy and AI fluency.”
“[The Lab] is going to be a student-focused space in the Academic Support Hub that’s dedicated to AI literacy and responsible use of AI tools.”
The Academic Support Hub is a new consolidation of many student services and resources at CSU, including the Math Learning Center, Science Resource Center and the Academic Support Center (formerly TASC or Tutoring and Academic Success Center).
Featuring interactive faculty-led workshops and a “hands-on AI sandbox” – essentially a space for students to experiment with AI – the AI Teaching and Learning Lab does not aim to “make it easier for students to misuse AI,” shared Gagich.
“This lab is going to be designed to help them engage with AI thoughtfully and ethically, ensuring that it becomes a tool for learning rather than a shortcut.”
This semester’s AI workshops will take place Sept. 25, Oct. 9 and Nov. 13, all of which are Thursdays. The Lab is located in Berkman Hall (BH) 223.
The next meeting of the CSU Faculty Senate will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 1 in the SC Ballroom.
Ele Solovyov 
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