By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Enrollment growth is critical to maintaining Bowling Green State University’s financial health, Chief Financial Officer Sheri Stoll told the Board of Trustees Thursday morning.
A couple hours later, the trustees attended a ribbon cutting for a new addition to the Bowling Green Flight Center, which services one of the university’s most in demand programs.
The aviation program will enroll 136 new students in fall, said Cecilia Castellano. That’s in keeping with the growing interest in the program.
The Flight Center is operated by Minnesota-based North Star Companies. It provides all the flight training for students. The academic courses are offered through the College of Technology, Architecture and Applied Engineering.
The opening of the $5 million addition, which includes top of the line flight simulators, was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting on Thursday. The L3 Harris’ CRJ 900 jet simulator is the same technology used by the airlines.
The center is also increasing its fleet of Seminole and Piper Archer planes.
Dean Jennie Gallimore said the center is crucial to training “the highest quality” airline pilots, corporate pilots airport managers, airfield specialists and aviation consultants.
Since contracting with BGSU in 2014, the company has fulfilled what it promised in its initial proposal, President Rodney Rogers said.
In its proposal then-owner Mark Smith promised BGSU to help build a preeminent aviation program. “Clearly that has been achieved,” Rogers said.
This helps fills a critical need both in the United States and globally for pilots.
About half BGSU’s aviation students come from out of state, and many from other abroad, he noted.
BGSU is one of the few universities with the airport on campus.
That’s important to recent aviation graduate Audrey Rice, and an important reason she decided to attend BGSU. “Having the airport so close to campus made such a huge difference.”
The flight center is 15 minutes from any building on campus, and that’s important given all the planning and preparation that goes into flying.
The new addition and technology will enhance that experience. “With brand new technology, this will make the transition to flying aircraft that much easier,” Rice said. “I’m beyond excited by the new opportunities the new building will offer to our students and staff.”
Rice is now working on certification to become a flight instructor.
Jerry Redman, North Star vice president, said the fleet of more than 20 planes with more coming on next year, is one of the newest in the field, with an average age of six years.
This addition is the culmination of North Star’s vision for the center.
The company has invested a total of $9.5 million at BGSU.
BGSU budget paves way for future growth
The all-funds budget approved by trustees earlier in the day reflects BGSU’s investment in in-demand programs.
Stoll reported that the university has spent $1,741,755 in salaries and operational costs on its new School of Nursing and Doctorate in Physical Therapy.
She praised the work of Health and Human Services administrators, faculty and staff for their work bringing the two programs up to steam. The doctorate in physical therapy begins in fall.
“Bringing programs to life and seeing them come to fruition does not happen by magic. These folks put in an amazing amount work during one of the most challenging periods of their professional careers,” she said. “That is some truly amazing work.”
Stoll said the university is rebounding with enrollment again trending up after the pandemic disruption. That’s evident in the bottom line. The university’s state share of instruction increased by 3.7 percent, about $3.1 million. This reflects BGSU’s ability not just to recruit more students but retain them through graduation.
Castellano said that the university’s retention rate, which measures how many first year students stay for their sophomore year, for this fall is holding steady at 79 percent. Half the state’s funding is based on the number of students who graduate.
If the university could increase that to its target of 80 percent and stay there , Stoll said, that could increase state funding by 1.5 percent.
The state, she said, has bounced back from the slump caused by the pandemic. It came back quickly enough that cuts in funding that were projected in spring, 2020 were never imposed.
Looking forward, she said, articulating the value of a BGSU education to prospective students and their families and then delivering on that will be critical for the university.
Stoll said the new Life Design program should help connect students to the university. The budget includes $420,000 as new spending for Life Design salaries and $580,000 for Life Design operations.
In addition, the budget includes a 2.75 percent increase in the salary pool for classified staff and administrators.
Overall, BGSU will spend an additional $6.6 million in salaries and benefits, which include $2.8 million for faculty, a 3.8 percent increase, and $832,000 in new salaries.
