By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The class of 2022 has some exciting days ahead of them.
On Thursday, many young people arrived with parents in tow with all the accoutrements of dorm life to settle in as Bowling Green State University students. The university is expecting a class of just over 3,600 first year students.
The Falcon spirit hovered in the air. Frieda Falcon milled around just before noon to greet students and their helpers as they lined up to make their ways into their new homes. Just above the chatter one could hear the strains of the Falcon Marching Band practicing a quarter mile away.
And President Rodney Rogers, still in his first year in his position, was also on hand to greet students, chatting with them about their hopes and prospects.
Move in is staggered Thursday through Sunday, with some students arriving as early as Tuesday.
Students move into Centennial Hall.
The class of 2022 is the most academically prepared class ever. It is the sixth year the university has achieved that, according to the press release from the Office of Marketing and Communications.
“(T)his class is trending to have the highest grade-point average in University history at 3.46,” the release said. “In addition, the number of top scholars (those with an ACT score of 27 or higher and a GPA above 3.7) in this freshman class is up by 5 percent over last year.
“Students from the class represent 31 states, 79 Ohio counties and nearly 900 high schools. Twenty-three percent of the incoming freshmen are first-generation college students.”
Rogers said that the class was also the most diverse class ever, “which we’re also really proud of.”
“It’s important to have students well prepared to be successful but also to have them from all kinds of background to live and learn together.”
Rogers also noted that after a couple down years, the number of international students has gone up. That bucks a national trend among universities that have seen a decline in enrollment by foreign students.
Foreign and domestic students are being drawn by a host of recent additions to the curriculum, software engineering, data analytics, and forensic science. Those kind of applied STEM disciplines tend to be what international students are interested in, Rogers said.
Inclusive early childhood education also continues to be a draw. He also noted that the College of Musical Arts is seeing a 14-percent increase in enrollment.
The Class of 2022 can expect the rollout of even more academic programs as well as new and renovated facilities.
The Mauer Center for Business is scheduled to open in fall, 2019 and after that will begin the thorough renovation of the facilities for the College of Technology, Architecture, and Applied Engineering.
The president also said they he expects that the total enrollment, undergraduate and graduate will increase as more students stay to graduate.
Graduation rates have also been increasing, a trend administrators hope continues with these new Falcons.
