By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green State University keeps coming out on top of national polls for student engagement, for freshmen experiences, for student retention, for students satisfied with their education, and now for the biggest marching band in the land.
“That’s a testament to our commitment to students at this university,” BGSU President Rodney Rogers said during his State of the University address on Wednesday. “We are indeed a national leader in student success.”
But like any university wanting to stay on the cutting edge, new goals must be set.
“This university is determined to provide an incredible experience for all,” Rogers said. “That is who we are. That is who we’ve always been.”
Planning efforts earlier this year identified goals for BGSU leaders – including doing more to prepare students for careers, serving a broader range of students beyond the traditional ages of 18-22, and keeping up with rapidly evolving technology.
“I’m not worried,” Rogers said of the goals. This isn’t the first time BGSU has “punched above our weight.”
In recent years, it has been hinted that public universities like BGSU should shrink.
But BGSU balked at that suggestion. Instead, for the fourth consecutive year, the university has seen record enrollment – the past two years welcoming more than 4,000 new students.
“Get smaller? No,” Rogers said.
And these students are the most academically prepared, he stressed.
“Wait for it,” he said with a dramatic pause. The new students have an average GPA of 3.77 and an average ACT score of 25.
BGSU has helped students get degrees without dragging beyond four years or leaving them with crippling student debt, according to Rogers. In the last five years, the average college debt for BGSU grads has dropped by 13.4%, while the number of students earning their degrees in four years increased by 14%. In the meantime, BGSU became home to the largest non-endowment scholarship program in the nation.
University officials also heard suggestions that BGSU stick to being a teaching school and leave the research to richer schools. But again, Rogers saw no reason to limit the higher education institution.
“We were determined to prove it’s possible to be a teaching university and a research university,” he said. “We did it together.”
“Our research is meaningful and relevant,” Rogers said. Like the research on new fentanyl-type drugs showing up in the region, on more durable solar panels, and on satellite and drone imagery that can improve water quality.
“There’s tremendous value in this work,” he said.
It’s not an easy task, Rogers said, to balance teaching and research, but BGSU is doing it. “We are a leader in this space.”
Rogers also gave a nod to Bowling Green Mayor Mike Aspacher in the audience, and noted the city’s national ranking among small college towns.
“Our community supports our university and makes us better,” Rogers said.
Rogers talked about the challenges presented by rapidly advancing AI.
“The access to knowledge is virtually unlimited. The reality is the tech is here today and it isn’t going to go away,” he said.
That is requiring faculty to shift from content delivery dominated teaching – where memorizing information is no longer good enough. To compete, students must develop skills beyond the content. They must learn critical thinking, effective communication, and the ability to be curious.
“Those aren’t soft skills – those are the skills,” Rogers said.
“We are poised for this moment,” he said, pointing out BGSU’s start as a teacher training university. “Our focus is people. That has always been our advantage.”
The university has never strayed from its mission – “to be a great value for all who invest in us,” he said. “We are open to change without changing who we are.”
“Let’s challenge each other to achieve even higher levels of success,” Rogers said.
The university offers “true human connection” – something AI cannot offer, he said.
Rogers suggested that BGSU aim to be a role model for the nation of what public universities for the public good can achieve.
“This is our moment,” he said.
