By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
In his State of the University address earlier this week, BGSU President Rodney Rogers declared that the state of the university was strong.
Today (Friday, 9/22/23), the university’s Board of Trustees demonstrated that Rogers’ performance as leader deserves to be rewarded.
The trustees gave Rogers a 2.5 pay increase, which is in line with raises granted to other university employees, as well as a one-time bonus of $77,063, which amounts to 15% of his salary, and deferred compensation equal to 10 percent of his salary.
In response, Rogers said in an interview after the meeting, said the success was about more than him. “The work we do here at Bowling Green is work all of us do together. I get to serve in this role know it is an entire team.”
Rogers said that he and his wife, Sandy Earle, will, as they have in the past, donate the bonus to the university, with money going to scholarships and the marching band, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
Rogers said that he plans to finish out his career at BGSU. “I’m committed to Bowling Green State University. I’m committed to and our mission. I think we have the right mission to focus on our future. Bowling Green is the right size. We’re big enough to be relevant on the national stage, but small enough to make moves to ensure our continued success.”
In the resolution approving the pay raise, the trustees listed what they viewed as the university’s accomplishments under Rogers’ leadership.
- Strengthening the academic portfolio with offerings in health care and applied STEM programs particularly in engineering.
- Increasing the number of students entering, improving retention, and bringing in more academically prepared students.
- Raising funds to support these efforts, including $31 million in the past year.
But as Rogers noted in his State of the University address, this is no time to stop.
Trustees hear reports on how to keep BGSU moving forward
Trustees approved the appointment of Glenn Davis as vice president for student engagement and success. As such he will head the newly created Division of Student Engagement and Success.
Davis had been vice provost for academic affairs.
The new division brings together in one administrative unit life design, the Marvin Center for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, academic advising and planning, and initiatives on student engagement and student success, analytics, and technologies.
The division’s focus “will be on improving student success and metrics,” David told trustees during the meeting of the academic affairs committee.
Davis noted that with 14 state universities and numerous private institutions of higher education in Ohio, BGSU is in a very competitive sector.
BGSU will stand out not with amenities such as rock walls and a lazy river, but by “providing true value to our students.” And Life Design is a key.
Davis said the division will also work to get more students to avail themselves of services already in place.
Provost Joe Whitehead spoke to BGSU’s increased focus on in demand programs in health care and applied STEM programs.
“Students are coming here looking for careers,” he said. “They want a return on their investment.”
The university must operate more efficiently and effectively.
The “vitality” review of academic programs continues, Whitehead said. The review looks at what programs are in demand, and which have decreasing enrollments. He said will present a report in spring. “I have my marching orders.”
Chief Financial Officer Sheri Stoll warned that while overall revenue is up, the revenue generated by the undergraduate and graduate programs “came in under what we had budgeted.”
That’s in part because the legislature didn’t support Governor DeWine’s proposal to increase the state share of instruction by 3 percent, instead increasing it by 1 percent.
“We were expecting 3 percent increase in the pool, “ she said. “That would have been a nice pick up for us” because BGSU benefits more than other schools because of its improvements in retention and graduation rates.
While enrollment and head count have increased, as reported by Vice President for Enrollment Management Cecilia Castellano, online graduate programs are seeing a decline after they spiked during the pandemic.
Stoll said the smaller undergraduate classes that enrolled during the pandemic also continue to bring in less revenue.
The new programs such as in nursing and the Doctorate in Physical Therapy are requiring new hires. Increased enrollment also means growth in departments throughout campus. Adding a position or two in multiple departments adds up.
Given the limitations on increasing tuition, BGSU needs to grow and operate more efficiently to keep its budget in the black.
