Levin School Historic Timeline

1967: Cleveland State University Board of Trustees approves process to create urban studies program within the University.

1969: Dr. Thomas Campbell from history department appointed first Director of Institute of Urban Studies.

1969: B.A. in Urban Studies approved; Maxine Goodman Levin establishes the Albert A. Levin Chair of Urban Studies and Public Service in honor of her late husband.

1971: Master of Science in Urban Studies established; first two B.A. degrees awarded.

1972: First two M.S. degrees awarded; Institute moves to Chester Building.

1975: Dr. Campbell resigns and returns to history department; Dr. Roberta Steinbacher appointed interim director; faculty is composed of five individuals with joint appointments in traditional departments at CSU.

1976: First Albert A. Levin Chairperson selected: David O. Meeker, Executive Vice President, American Institute of Architects. First attempt to establish a College of Urban Affairs fails in the Faculty Council. Students organize protests.

1977: President Walter Waetjen creates interim department within interim college which includes the Institute; newly-formed unit reports to Graduate College Dean, Dr. Ronald Schultz; College of Urban Affairs approved by Faculty Council and Board of Trustees. Dr. Steinbacher becomes first chair of the Department of Urban Studies; Prof. Edric Weld remains director of the Institute.

1978: Dr. David C. Sweet appointed first Dean of the College of Urban Affairs.

1979: Ohio Urban University Program (UUP) and Center for Neighborhood Development established.

1980: Visiting Committee established with Dr. Ruth Miller as first chair; college moves to Corlett Building.

1981: Institute of Urban Studies renamed Urban Center under leadership of David F. Garrison.

1982: Northern Ohio Data and Information Service established.

1984: Ph.D. in Urban Studies created in cooperation with University of Akron; Public Service Leadership Program established---precursor of Leadership Academy.

1985: Visiting Committee creates In Tribute to Public Service Award, launching Mercedes Cotner Scholarship for graduates of Cleveland public high schools.

1986: Master of Public Administration (MPA) moves from College of Business and Department of Political Science to College of Urban Affairs; Center for Economic Development created.

1987: College moves from Corlett Building to Urban Affairs Building; Dean Sweet initiates 17th/18th Street Block Project for west campus; college celebrates 10th anniversary with 600+ alumni.

1989: College designated Center of Excellence in Public Administration by Ohio Board of Regents; MPA program receives national accreditation; college renamed Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs.

1990: Regents/legislators recommend funding for 17th/18th Block Project; Master of Urban Planning, Design, and Development (MUPDD) approved; General Assembly passes legislation creating Ohio Commission on the Public Service, to be coordinated by college; Center for Public Management established.

1991: College ranked among top 10 Urban Studies/Affairs programs by two independent studies; Urban Child Research Center aligns with college; first Ph.D. student graduates.

1992: Endowment funding reaches $1.8 million; alumni exceed 800; college selected for NASPAA Diversity Innovation grant and Innovations in State and Local Government Award (Ford Foundation program administered by Kennedy School of Government).

1994: B.A. in Environmental Studies established; alumni number 1,000; Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland established.

1995: Credit for Life Experience program designed and implemented.

1998: U.S. News & World Report ranks college Number 2 in master's degree specialty in City Management/Urban Policy; M.A. in Environmental Studies established; partnership created between M.S. in Urban Studies and Chung Ang University's (South Korea) urban planning degree. 

1999: B.A. in Urban Services Administration (now Nonprofit Administration) and B.A. in Public Safety Management established; alumni number 1,700; ground broken for new Urban Affairs Building at 17th and Euclid.

2000: College moves into new Urban Affairs Building November 1; Dean Sweet becomes President of Youngstown State University. 

2001: Dr. Mark Rosentraub appointed second dean; Center for Advancement of Women in the Public Service and Center for Nonprofit Administration Policy and Practice established; College Forum created.

2002: College celebrates 25th anniversary; college again ranked No. 2 in City Management/Urban Policy; Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center created.

2003: Urban Building renamed: Glickman – Miller Hall.

2005: College again receives No. 2 ranking in City Management/Urban Policy.

2006: Countryside Program aligns with college; Center for Planning Research and Practice established.

2007: Master of Nonprofit Administration and Leadership initiated; state withdraws funding from UUP.

2008: Dr. Edward (Ned) Hill named third dean; college receives contract from Ohio Balanced Growth Program to coordinate its Best Local Land Use Practices initiative; college again receives No. 2 ranking.

2009: Center for Community Planning and Development formed, combining college's previous applied research work in areas of housing, neighborhood/ community planning and development, and the Forum. 

2010: B.A. in Organizational Leadership established in cooperation with College of Business and School of Communication.

2012: Partnership established with South China University of Technology for undergraduate transfer students and faculty research exchange.

2013: B.A. in Economic Development approved; college again ranked No. 2; alumni reach 4,000.

2014: Dr. Robert Gleeson becomes Levin Chairperson; first complete major offered online: Organizational Leadership.

2015 Dean Ned Hill retires; Dr. Gleeson appointed interim dean.

2016 Dr. Roland V. Anglin appointed fourth dean of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs; college ranked seventh in the specialization of City Management and Urban Policy (only ranked specialization in Ohio) and seventeenth in the specialization of Nonprofit Management.

2020: Dr. Roby Simons becomes Faculty Chair, Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs.

2022: The Levin College of Public Affairs and Education is formed. The new college consist of the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs, School of Communication, Department of Counseling, Administration, Supervision and Adult Learning, Department of Criminology and Sociology, Department of Educational Studies, Research and Technology (formerly the Department of Curriculum and Foundations), and Department of Teacher Education.

2023 Dr. Clayton Wukich becomes Interim Director, Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs. 

2024 Dr. Jill Gordon is appointed dean of the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education.

2026 Dr. Elaine Yi Lu becomes Director, Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs.

Learn more about the history of the Levin School

• Levin Green Book: Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs: Celebrating 25 Years