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President’s Opening Day Address
Friday, August 25th, 2000
Bowling Green State University
President Sidney A. Ribeau
Black colored font = President Ribeau’s remarks
Blue colored font = narratives
Purple colored font = interview clips
Seeing the BiG Picture in 2004: Meeting the Challenges
and Realizing the Possibilities
Segment Order:
1. Engaged Learners
2. Vibrant Technologies
3. Premier Discoveries
4. Principled Graduates
5. Supportive Communities
6. A future in the making
I’m glad that you could be here today. This will be the fifth time that I’ve actually presided over a welcome back presentation
and this year is probably the most exciting. As I said to some people who asked me earlier, “I feel fine but I’m a little
anxious.” Although I’ve done this more than five times before – we also have a State of the University Address – I still feel
a sense of excitement at the start of each new year. I compare it to when I used to teach. I taught for eleven years and throughout
those eleven years, no matter how many times I taught a class, that first day of the first class in the fall, I was always
excited, I was nervous, and I was pumped up. It’s the same for the Opening Day Address—it’s a very important day, a day that
is an opportunity to look at possibilities and to try to share some of the accomplishments and the achievements of the University
while talking about the serious challenges that face us in the future. So it is a very exciting day and it’s a day that I
am glad is here.
The room looks lovely. I love the banners. Marketing—Doug Smith, Kim McBroom’s area – does a lot to visually capture the
energy and character of the institution.
The presentation you see today is going to be different for a couple of reasons. One, we have just completed a five year journey
that has taken us to a very important part in the development of the institution. So what we will be doing now is talking
about the future. We will be talking about the year 2004-2005. What will we be like as an institution? What will our research
dimensions and character look like? How will technology impact our campus? How will the support of alumni and friends, and
private giving to the institution provide opportunities that add value? So we are going to be talking about things that are
really grounded in the past, but directed towards a very aggressive future. Also, today we have some of the best technology
that you could imagine. I don’t know if many of you got close enough to the front to see this wonderful monitor. It’s a bottomless
monitor. It’s free standing, it’s this thin actually and it represents some of the most recent technology—we don’t even have
these here at Bowling Green. According to the experts, this monitor was loaned to us for this presentation. So it’s an interesting
presentation. It’s an interesting time for the University.
We’re going to talk about what we have done and where we need to go. But also we are going to do that with the assistance
of technology that really will help define, in many ways, the future, not only of higher education but of many aspects of
our contemporary society. So, for those two reasons its going to be very unique.
As I look down in front of me I see an old traditional monitor and I see the Firelands College staring back at me. Welcome
to all of our friends from Firelands. Glad you could be with us today. In the middle is Bill Balzer waving to me. You know
it’s interesting, the Firelands people can hear me but they can’t talk back. So I can say anything I want. Your room’s not
crowded enough. You should see how crowded it is here at the main campus. You need a few more people in the room. Dean Balzer,
you could go out into the hall and kind of round up some people if you wanted to.
Before I actually begin the presentation, let me refer to my notes and make sure that I’ve done all the things that I need
to. One thing I’d like to do—and I will not make this like the academy awards, I will not thank everybody in the room, their
children, their mothers, and their unborn. There are some folks in the President’s Office and at WBGU in the technology area—Denise
Kisabeth, who is up there in the booth, Eileen Sullivan—who really went out of their way to make this successful. What we
do—and I was explaining this to somebody in the hallway—is conceptualize the presentation. I lay out the things that I think
are important based on what has transpired at the University, and the trends in higher education. This comes about as a result
of discussions with the Trustees, with Cabinet members, with faculty members, with Ohio Board of Regents and a lot of different
audiences. Then what we try to do is capture these ideas on a script and then turn that script into a visual presentation
that really speaks to the excitement of the institution. A number of people in Instructional Technology, Denise, I mentioned,
a number of folks in the President’s Office really are essential and critical in making this happen. I’d like to thank them.
I’m not going to list every name, because the names are far too many and that would take the entire presentation just to
do that. Probably one of the best metaphors or examples of what has happened to Bowling Green in the past five years is the
amount of cooperation that goes into pulling this presentation together. There are at least four or five different areas or
divisions in the University and literally 60 or 70 individuals from those areas that participate. Up until just the last minute
yesterday, we were in a meeting, Melody, Denise, Eileen and I. Just talking about some of the things that could possibly go
wrong. You always want to anticipate the things that could possibly go wrong. And, one other name I want to mention is—and
he’s not involved in the planning of this, he does not have a specifically defined role but he came through like a champ—and
it’s Bob Shamp from Facilities Services. We had a potential crisis with the shut down of power because of the SuperNet project.
Not knowing whether we’d get the power back up and if all the systems would be running in order to do the presentation caused
us some anxiety. Bob just took the issue head-on and ensured that things were shut down, came back up and all our systems
were working. So Bob if you’re here, we want to thank you personally. Thanks a lot for what you have done.
One of the things I believe to be important is that you don’t have to be charged with the responsibility of the project to
make a significant contribution. It doesn’t have to be your responsibility. Far too often, people will say, “Well, that’s
not in my job plan, in my job description or I don’t have to do that.” But if you are a part of a community, it’s just like
being part of a family. When something needs to be done and you have an opportunity to do it, you find a way to get it done.
And I think Bob’s work this last day or two, helping us avoid a potential crisis is a good example of that.
I want to also thank the musicians. We have, I think, the best Jazz program in the world. And we have four musicians from
our Jazz program who always do an excellent job. I walked up to the keyboard player who had his eyes closed as he was playing
and I said: “In my next life that’s what I want to be, a Jazz musician.” He’s much more tranquil. I’m sure his vital signs—his
blood pressure and cholesterol—are much lower than mine. My next time out, I’m going to be a Jazz musician. So I want to thank
you.
Before I click on the slides, there are five or six bullets that you might keep in mind as we go through this. As we look
at the future of the institution we need to be guided by the understanding that this future rests upon parts of all the things
that have been done in the past five years and the years prior to that. I always say, because I firmly believe, that Bowling
Green State University didn’t start in 1995. Bowling Green State University dates back to 1910. And there have been wonderful
faculty and staff members and initiatives that have provided the foundation that gives us the opportunity to do what we’re
doing today. And we should never forget that. One of the strengths of the institution is, in fact, our tradition and the foundation
upon which we rest. We need to always remember that. But as we move forward into the new millennium, into the challenges of
the twenty-first century, we need to keep in mind a few questions that will undergird the presentation. What will the University
look like in the year 2004? What will our University look like physically, programmatically, metaphorically and symbolically?
What will be the look, the feel, the touch and the taste of Bowling Green State University? How will we meet our challenges
and realize the possibilities that await us? The challenges that go with trying to find people in a very competitive work
force. Trying to find faculty members and start up costs and all the things that our faculty need and deserve in an environment
where everyone is looking for faculty, and the best and the brightest have many options. How will we ensure our students’
success? And rest assured, that student success is a critical factor.
A letter sent to my office about four or five days ago really speaks to the issue of student success. In fact, before I go
into the presentation, let me read this letter to you, because it’s something I think really captures what we are trying to
do at the University. It will take just a second to read this. It came as an e-mail to me and I received it on the 21st. “Mr.
President, my name is Ana and I graduated from BGSU less than a month ago. I am now in Washington D.C. where I am about to
begin working with ABC News. As I look back on my college career, I see how well I was prepared to take the demanding job
that I know I will assume as a journalist. But it wasn’t the journalism department alone that prepared me for this field or
this job that I will be assuming. It was a composite of the instructors, and classes from different departments as well as
extra-curricular activities. Unfortunately there are still people who recognize only those students who graduate with a 4.0.
I graduated with a 2.95 and two degrees in four years – in Journalism and in Theatre. I thanked Dean Cranny, for every semester
he approved my appeal to take more than 18 credit hours. I usually took 21 credits every semester plus the summer session.
I was involved in my field of journalism by taking editorial positions at The BG News and at BG News Net Channel 24. I’m now
a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.” And she goes on and talks about that—all the things she was involved
in: National Theater Honorary Fraternity, The Model UN. But this is, I think, the point. “One thing to remember is that although
I’m an international student from Brazil, I had the same opportunity as any other American student because of what BG had
to offer. I don’t know if I would have been able to attend college, had I not received a fee waiver from international programs
to attend BGSU. I don’t want any type of recognition, all I want is to thank you, Mr. President and the institution that you
represent for the opportunity that I now have in my field as a consequence of my learning experiences at BGSU. What I have
learned will stay with me always.” That is student success.
Student success is not lowering standards or watering down the curricula, it’s not making things easier for students. It’s
challenging, it’s supporting, it’s nurturing and it’s creating opportunities for those who want to achieve. Along with Ana,
there are hundreds and thousands of students who would not have had that opportunity were it not for Bowling Green State University.
So if you ever want a definition of student success, that is, in fact, student success. It’s providing opportunities for those
who want to achieve, to achieve – to take 18 units per semester, and sometimes 21 units per semester. It’s not looking for
anything easy. It’s just looking for a chance or an opportunity. So we need to look at student success in the future.
We need to look at technology and how it will assist us in meeting our academic mission. And that’s something we’ll come
back to later. The role of technology in our University is critically important. Not just because of what it will allow us
to do in the laboratory, and with teaching and learning, but also the social implications and the value challenge that technology
poses for all of us. I am not a technophile, nor do I think technology will save the world. In fact it presents many problems
and challenges. Just as we develop the technology to help us successfully manage our finances, and engage in teaching and
learning in different ways, we also need to understand what it is doing to our children, to our families, to our society,
to our cognitive social structure and to how we, in fact, view the world. All these things are critically important. So how
we handle technology—the values that it challenges as well as its uses—are things we also need to examine.
How will we endow the future of our faculty? How will we ensure that we have competitive salaries for faculty and for staff,
adequate endowments that will allow our faculty to do the best possible work they can conceive and communities that will support
our future endeavors? If we call, who will answer? If we challenge, who will respond? That’s what we need to know. In fact,
we as an institution, will never get the resources from the state to do all the things that we think are important for this
institution. So, will the federal government, will the Kellogg Foundation, will the Anderson Foundation provide the additional
resources? Who will come forward to support the quality of the academic programs here at Bowling Green State University? As
we go through this presentation, let’s keep those questions in mind.
1. Engaged Learners (Segment One narrative)
Over five years ago the faculty, staff and students at Bowling Green State University began the journey to become the premier
learning community in Ohio and one of the best in the nation. Much has changed from 1995 to the year 2000. But what has remained
constant is BGSU’s need to continue on our journey, see the big picture, and create greater possibilities through the realization
of our vision. In the new century, learning will be the new form of labor; individuals will succeed or fail in the workplace
based upon their ability to learn new skills and master information. Learning to understand and appreciate all individuals,
and learning to apply knowledge for the betterment of humanity will not only be hallmarks of an educated person, but more
specifically, they will be indicators of a Bowling Green State University graduate.
Interview with Kate Newnam, Student Trustee
One of the reasons I chose Bowling Green State University is because I felt that Bowling Green State University was not only
trying to educate their students with knowledge, but also to educate the whole person by incorporating values into the educational
system here. And to really bring out the best in people, and to help teach people to lead productive lives in society. The
core values really help to articulate these goals. I think it’s one of the greatest things we can offer our students here
at this university: those specific tools- be it cooperation, respect for one another, growth and all the wonderful tools that
we give our students to incorporate not only the knowledge but also the values they learn into their lives.
Segment One narrative (continued)
To prepare students to engage in this type of learning, BGSU must retool, rethink and reinvest its resources, widening our
learning lens while retaining the core traditions of the University, capitalizing on technological innovations in teaching,
research, and service. Mindful of its rich tradition, Bowling Green State University takes pride in the past and has set its
sights on a very exciting future.
With a heightened focus on academic quality, selective enrollment and increasing expectations for student effort, BGSU takes
pride in the significant growth of the Honors program, We have admitted nearly 18% of first year students with ACT scores
of 26 or higher, and have seen an increase in high-end academic achievers. And with the new student population showing a 19%
increase in students of color from 1995-2000, academic achievement has also been enhanced by the university’s commitment to
diversity. In the past two years, the University has been proud to have had BGSU students named as winners or finalists in
the Goldwater and Truman Scholarship competitions and state finalists in the Rhodes scholarship competition. National research
supports that enhanced learning communities that connect the student to the institution have proven to contribute to student
retention, as well as their matriculation to graduation. At BGSU, with the percentage of first year students involved in such
enhanced learning communities increasing from 30% in 1997, to 50% in the year 2000, it is realistic to set a participation
goal of 100% by the year 2004. With first to second year continuation rates of students enrolled in some of these experiences
topping 93%, it is clear that these learning experiences are contributing to student success at BGSU. Another opportunity
to increase student success is through quality instructional student advising:
Interview with John Folkins, Provost and VPAA
There are many aspects of the process of advising that are a benefit both to the advisee as well as to the faculty and staff
advisors. For example, the process of schedule building goes beyond just finding the classes to register for in the coming
semester. It also will help the student become a wiser consumer of their education. It will help the advisor understand more
about the values and interests of the students. Then long term planning – when one plans out the courses for more than one
semester – can be of great benefit to the student, not just in terms of allowing a more timely planning for graduation, but
also in the process of allowing the student introspection about what they want to get for their college education. Then of
course this all leads into the process of career planning where the students can recognize what interests them most, what
stimulates them, how they would like to spend much of the rest of their lives in their careers. And the most important part
of the advising process is mentoring. The components of mentoring, the support, the advice, and the modeling of academic behaviors
we would like to instill in students. This is not just a benefit to the student, it’s also a great benefit to the faculty
members as they’re learning from the inquiring minds of their advisees.
President Ribeau’s Remarks
I’m just going to make a couple comments about each segment, but before I make a comment, doesn’t Steve Kendell, our narrator,
have a wonderful voice? It’s a voice that brings a sense of importance, an urgency to the message.
This clip really speaks to the heart of “engaged learners” but there are two things I want to say about it and one is, that
what we strive to achieve is a rich intellectual environment. I’m of the belief that if you have a rich intellectual environment
that environment will trigger intellectual discovery, it will generate research questions that will in turn lead to break-through
discoveries. Such an environment will stimulate creative activities that will lead to spectacular performances, compositions
and plays. So what we strive to achieve is a rich, intellectual environment. An environment where innovative ideas are more
important than the biases and pre-dispositions one might bring to any environment. And engaged learners thrive in an environment
that’s rich in intellectual tradition and types.
I also wanted you to note in this segment, that if you look at the profile of our students, we’re getting a richer mix of
students. We have recruited in the last five years—and looking to these last two years in particular—more top-end students,
students with the 26 and above ACT scores. In addition to that, we’re bringing in students from different socioeconomic backgrounds
and from different regions of the country. This is not a university that strives to be one that has only one type of student.
Even if we could get all students with 32s or 36s on their ACT tests, and with perfect GPA’s, I wouldn’t necessarily want
18,000 students like that.
What I think we strive to create, is an environment where students with intellectual curiosity from all kinds of backgrounds
have an opportunity to develop those skills. Ana, can come to us from another country, and she can develop, as can Joe from
Toledo and Miranda from South Texas. The idea is that we are trying to create an environment that’s rich, and in that richness
provide opportunity for students. And that’s what creating an environment for engaged learners is really all about.
Provost Folkins, making his film debut in this clip, talked about advising. That’s something you are going to hear more about
this year. One of the priorities of the institution this year is to try and find ways to support academic and non-academic
units to develop more effective advising. Advising is something that is critically important for the university and something
that consistently comes up on student surveys. In our most recent survey of senior students, the inadequacy of advising was
identified as one of the major problems that they observed with this University and universities in general. So advising is
something that you will be hearing a lot more about. Let’s move to “Vibrant Technologies”.
2. Vibrant Technologies (Segment Two narrative)
By the year 2004, the picture of Bowling Green State University will be worldwide in outreach and international in perspective.
The measuring stick of educational progress will no longer be our in-state or mid-western neighbors – we will compete in a
global village. The technological transformation that is taking place as a result of the university infrastructure project,
BGSUpernet, will establish an environment where technology and its applications enhance and improve teaching, learning, research
and university operations. Students will be able to buy books or check their bursar’s bill from their computer, many major
university service operations will be available on-line, and large databases and specialized computing resources will be accessible
to student and faculty researchers. Our increased technical capabilities will enable us to reach out to new markets through
distance education. Nearly everyone will be able to participate in live-broadcast campus events, virtual meetings, and faster,
more reliable service will enable more applications to be run from the network. The human application of the BGSUpernet project
for each unit and every individual will be critical in maximizing this most worthwhile institutional investment.
Interview with Joann Kroll, Director of Career Services.
For more than two years career services has been using the World Wide Web to assist our students in finding student employment,
professional employment, and summer internships. The students are able to complete an electronic resume on-line and provide
information for inclusion in a database that is searchable by employers. There is also a searchable job database so that our
students can identify on-campus openings as well as permanent professional openings. Other applications would include vocational
assessments on-line. Instead of waiting now two weeks for something to be computer scored we can literally have the results
instantaneously. We also have a computerized guidance system called SIGGY that is readily available in every residence hall
computer lab and we would like to have that on the World Wide Web as well, so that the students can access that from their
room. Some other projects in development, that you’ll see this fall, include an electronic portfolio. We’re excited about
this. We’re going to pilot that in our UNIV 134 career life planning courses. This gives students a vehicle for collecting
samples of academic and other work samples, and an opportunity for them to reflect on their skilled development and goals
that they’d set as students here at Bowling Green. So we’re very excited about how technology has revolutionized the way that
we do our work in career services and look forward to harnessing that technology for many other applications.
Segment Two Narrative (continued)
Technology has undoubtedly influenced our lives, however it is paramount that as “high tech” becomes the norm, “high teach”
– remains the standard for our educational endeavors, both in and out of the classroom. A university by definition is an institution
without borders, as a result of the technology infrastructure project that will become even more true of BGSU. The breadth
and depth of our international outreach and the immersion of our students and faculty in the global universe of ideas, illustrates
the advancements that our investment in technology will bring to our campus. Clearly, while the picture of our campus is in
Bowling Green, Ohio, BGSUpernet ensures that our classroom is the world.
President Ribeau’s Remarks
I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the earth moving equipment. Those of you who were here this summer, and kind of tried
to force your way through the trenches, and all the excavation that was going on as part of the SuperNet project, know it’s
been challenging, but it’s going to be extremely beneficial. Don Bell, our Project Manager and Wayne Colvin, one of our own,
have just done a wonderful job of keeping that project on schedule. It will be completed on time and the benefits to the institution
that will result from its completion are unimaginable. What I would suggest to you—and this is to everybody in this room,
to students, to faculty, to staff, to administrators—is that we have a rare opportunity. It’s not often that you have the
opportunity to initiate a project as complex and comprehensive as this on behalf of any institution, university or otherwise.
We’ve had a number or people, many of whom are not here today, who have worked really hard to give this project an opportunity,
a chance. Our Board of Trustees has aggressively endorsed this, in unanimous support to the tune or 35-40 million dollars.
What we need to do now—and this is the challenge—is to be sure that we are ready to use it. To be sure that the applications
of the technology really infuse themselves in our daily work. And this is not an easy task. To many of us, all of this is
new and it’s kind of daunting. But there are models out there. We took a group of faculty and staff members to SUNY Buffalo
earlier this year. Another group went to the University of Delaware. These are institutions that have advanced a little more
rapidly in these areas. But I’m strongly encouraging— Provost Folkins, and Vice Presidents Dalton, Dobb, Smith and Whipple—to
make sure we prepare people to use this technology. It is critically important that we take the steps to make that happen.
You will be hearing a lot more about that throughout the year. Overall, I’m very pleased to report that we are on schedule
with the SuperNet project and the most inconvenient part—hopefully—is behind us. Let’s go to the next segment.
3. Premier discoveries (Segment Three narrative)
At Bowling Green State University we adjust our lens, focusing on premier discoveries by encouraging multidisciplinary and
collaborative teaching and research efforts. A commitment to BGSU securing external research funding is evident in the growth
of grants and contracts awarded, totaling $8.5 million in 1994-95, nearly $10.4 million in 1998-99, and $11.7 million in 1999-2000.
We must continue in our efforts, setting a goal of $15.3 million in grants awarded by the year 2004, an amount that would
double total sponsored projects received in academic year 1997-98. Graduate education and research at BGSU plays a vital role
within the university community and more globally contributes to advancing knowledge and benefiting society. Faculty with
significant research agendas attract colleagues and students of the same caliber, which contributes to creating a richer more
stimulating intellectual campus climate.
Interview with Doug Neckers, McMaster Distinguished Research Professor of Photochemical Sciences:
Research is part and parcel of the academic mission of any good institution. Teaching students through learning to do work
in a field is what research really is. Research in the photochemical sciences means that students work with mentors and with
teachers or experts in the field to prepare the students to enter the generations that are going to post date us. Research
students will enter the industries that will make the digital and technical revolution grow from what we know today. In the
Center for Photochemical Sciences, research at the forefront is done to train the students who will provide the scientific
research at companies like DuPont, Eastman Kodak, Hewlett-Packard, Polaroid… those companies that make the display devices
for your computers, the optical fibers which translates the information, the digital cameras which are going to take film
out of the hands of the public, and all those things we know of or call, in its own sense “technology”. Our students are carrying
the technical revolution to even greater heights in their current capacities in industry and in universities.
Segment Three Narrative (continued)
At BGSU we are committed to our university, as evident in our shared vision, commitment to our students, and loyalty to our
colleagues…all of which are entirely compatible with outstanding research benchmarks including: standards of academic excellence,
prominence as scholars, and national recognition of departments.
Many undergraduate and graduate students experience first-hand the thrill of being part of a research team. They help run
laboratories, participate in field research, co-author research papers, and attend scholarly conferences with their faculty
mentors. Still others benefit because they are taught by faculty who are energized and rejuvenated year after year by being
a part of exciting advances within their disciplines. Research is real life, and for students, suddenly the classroom theories
and exercises take on meaning and relevance.
Interview with Peggy Giordano, Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology
Well, I think sometimes we have a tendency to position research against teaching. And sometimes students actually internalize
that as well – that the two are opposite poles. But I found that if you work them into your own research that they actually
love being involved. And I’ve been at Bowling Green since 1974, and I think in every single research project that I’ve done,
undergraduates have been involved in, I think, a meaningful way. We interview a lot of problem youth in our work – and they’re
out there in the prisons with us or in the homes of these young people and they really are, I think, influenced by these experiences
that they’ve had. And when they talk about them afterward, I think sometimes they say things that make you know that they
feel that they are part of something larger, that they are part of something that matters, that will actually be used in an
active way. And I think, for me, this is really the best way to kind of combine the research and the teaching missions that
we have. It’s not opposing them at all.
President Ribeau’s Remarks
I think Peggy said it quite well, as did Doug Neckers, we don’t need to buy into this false dichotomy about research or teaching.
I think what they say so eloquently is that teaching and research are intertwined. The discovery process, dissemination process
and the activation of ideas in a way that ignites one’s imagination, are not mutually exclusive. They are all intertwined
in very exciting kinds of ways. I once worked for a person, a Provost who said he had never seen—and this is hyperbole but
the point was well taken—the award winning teacher who wasn’t also creatively, or intellectually, or professionally alive
through the process of discovery in the laboratory, in the archives, on the theater set or in the music conservatory. This
is an important idea because if we are not careful we can fall into the age old trap of one, or the other. You know, what
are we? Are we a research institution or are we a teaching institution?
To show you how meaningless that is, the Carnegie Foundation--- that came up with the research one and doctoral one classifications---
has changed their classifications as of this year. Those research one, research two classifications, don’t really even exist
any more. There’s a whole new conceptualization of what an institution is based on such as mission and other drivers or indicators.
So, this is an opportunity for us—and I say this for all of our faculty members, our deans, our new faculty members—to ensure
that we don’t fall into that age old trap of this versus that. Peggy was referring to a multi-million dollar grant that she
has and yet she has undergraduate students actively involved in that process learning about the content, but also learning
how to do research. Likewise, Doug’s labs have consistently engaged graduate students in very stimulating kinds of work that
will contribute to the knowledge-based economy through discoveries, through patents, and through commercialization of those
products. So it all goes hand in hand—research, discovery, commercialization and economic development. These are all things
that this University is well positioned to do.
4. Principled Graduates (Segment Four narrative)
Our journey to becoming the premier learning community in Ohio and one of the best in the nation leads us down a unique path
that integrates knowledge and values, where character is inseparable from intellect, and where academic excellence and values
exploration are intertwined and mutually supportive. Once we admit students to BGSU, we have a responsibility to do everything
within our power to ensure their success. We must work to support the success of faculty and staff during all stages of their
careers and we must mentor graduate students as they begin their research efforts and their teaching careers within the academy.
Interview with Rob Smith, Graduate Student Trustee
My experience here has been wonderful. I’ve had the opportunity to study exactly what I want to study and research exactly
what I want to research. I’ve also had the opportunity to be in the classroom teaching and working closely with students in
an effort to prepare me to become a faculty member in the future. I’ve also had the opportunity to work in a number of areas
throughout the University that’s given me a wide range of knowledge about the University culture itself, which will of course
be beneficial to me in the future as well. I’ve had the opportunity to be involved with Springboard. I’ve had the opportunity
to work in the Chapman Learning Community and all these things are very, very influential as students develop and grow and
I’m glad to be a part of that.
Segment Four narrative (continued)
In educating students, combining character development and intellectual and spiritual growth makes the educated person sensitive
to greater possibilities. Joined together, intellect and character empower individuals to achieve change for the betterment
of humanity. This focus on the holistic education of our students is underscored by the establishment of the New University
Committee on Vision and Values…
Interview with Don Nieman, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Chair of the University Committee on Vision and Values
The University Committee on Vision and Values was established late in the Spring of 2000 by the President. It consists of
a group of faculty, staff and students who will explore the role of values in BGSU’s education. One of the principal responsibilities
of the committee is to get a wide ranging discussion going across campus about the role values play in education. Not simply
in the classroom, but in co-curricular settings, in residence halls and living groups as well. It seems to me that the real
importance of values in higher education is that we’re really concerned with our students as citizens. We’re concerned not
only with what they know, but ultimately what they do with what they know. The kinds of choices that they make about their
own lives, the kinds of citizens that they become when they leave Bowling Green State University. The kinds of leaders they
become in their professions. And those are all questions that are determined not simply by technical expertise, by the content
of knowledge that our students take away, but by what they do with that knowledge. And that’s why I think this discussion
of values is particularly critical.
Segment Four narrative (continued)
It is intellect and character that have together combined to create the resurgence of community service and philanthropic
endeavors among today’s college students. Today in America, more than two-thirds of all college students are involved in volunteer
activities. And during the 1990’s, three-fourths of all institutions of higher education reported increases in student participation
in community service and philanthropic activity. BGSU is no exception. During the last five years, ten new service organizations
for students have been founded, and since it’s inception in 1996, the BGSU Dance Marathon has raised over three-quarters of
a million dollars for the Children’s Miracle Network and the Medical College of Ohio. It is the combination of intellect and
character that leads individuals to volunteer service, sound decision making, principled interaction with others, and civic
responsibility. Our students’ increased efforts toward responsible behavior as members of the learning community illustrates
the growing level of civic responsibility among our student body. With the number of on-campus violations of the student code
of conduct dropping 13% from 1998-99 to 1999-2000, and with a 2.5% reduction in the binge drinking rate from 1997 - 1999,
BGSU has preliminary data that supports that civic responsibility of our BGSU students is on the rise.
President Ribeau’s Remarks
Don Nieman said it quite well, there is a connection between intellect, character and what we do as an institution. I don’t
care how you turn the issue, our students are a reflection of this institution. Just as children are a reflection of their
family, good or bad, right or wrong, our graduates are a reflection of us. And while we have the students here—for four years,
for five years, for six years—it is our challenge and opportunity to provide them with a place and a space to grow intellectually,
personally and spiritually. This growth should prepare them so that when they in fact leave here, they are prepared to lead,
to motivate, to work constructively, to take their career or profession or their little small space in the world to the next
level of achievement. That’s something that is central to what great universities do, be they private or public, be they in
the north or the south. For far too long higher education has abdicated that role in pursuit of other kinds of models.
I think what the nation is saying, and what the public is saying, and clearly what parents and alumni are saying when you
meet with them, when you talk to them about the institution is: “Where do we line up with developing leaders and the principled
citizens of the future?” Again, I think Don did an excellent job of capturing that and I’m very pleased that he has agreed
to chair this committee and work along with a group of distinguished faculty members, students and staff members who have
also agreed to serve.
5. Supportive Communities (Segment Five narrative)
Bowling Green State University is developing good stewardship and fostering a spirit of entrepreneurism. The state-funding
situation for higher education has challenged the University to do more with less, but it has also taught us to be self-reliant.
To achieve our expected level of excellence and continue to envision our picture for the future, we must continue to generate
the support of the private sector.
Over the course of the past five years, private giving at BGSU has increased from $4 million in 1994-95 to $5.4 million in
1998-99, representing a 35% increase. With giving levels topping $7.6 million for the 1999-2000 year, external funding for
BGSU continues to rise. The family campaign for faculty, staff and retirees, initiated in 1998-99 resulted in a 35% giving
rate and nearly $355,000 raised. The 1999-2000 campaign raised over $503,000 and the giving rate increased to 42%. Alumni
support of the institution indicates a strong loyalty to BGSU with the latest three-year average of alumni who give to BGSU
registering at 17%, which compares to an average of 13.5% for six regional peer universities during the same period. While
we have achieved success in garnering private support for the university in the past few years, we must continue our efforts
if we are to investigate, develop and implement methods of generating additional revenue through increased institutional visibility
and a coordinated resource development plan for the University. As we look to the future, we must ask salient questions that
will help us bring into focus the picture of Bowling Green State University in the year 2004. How do we ensure our students’
success? How do we endow the future of the faculty? How do we enhance the physical environment? And how do we pursue future
ventures that will create greater possibilities for the exciting programs and initiatives found at BGSU today… as well as
those that will define the university in the year 2004? As we ponder these questions, one answer remains clear. The experiences
of our alumni and our distinguished faculty speak volumes of the impact BGSU has made on countless individual lives. It is
this impact that creates an unprecedented loyalty to the institution in the hearts and minds of our valued friends of the
university. And it is this powerful experience that will continue to touch the lives of all who experience BGSU.
Interview with Ralph Wolfe, Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient and Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus, English
Well, I grew up in Wood County and so there was never any question that I would come to Bowling Green State University and
I enrolled in 1948. It was a much smaller school then, but I fell in love with it and got my master’s degree here. Would’ve
gotten my Ph.D. here, but they didn’t offer one so I had to go somewhere else to get that. But then, I was invited back later
to teach. And of course teaching was my pleasure. I enjoyed the students very much and hope that I had some impact on them.
And I also was interested in film so I got the idea of a film theater, and then naming it for Lilian Gish, who was a native
of Ohio. And with those acquaintances we were able to establish an endowment. So I always thought the University had done
so much for me that I needed to repay the University. So that all has been a great pleasure to me. And I agree with Lilian
Gish’s notion that “what you get is a living; what you give is a life”. And my mother said once, that if I had gotten married,
I would have been divorced, because my wife would have sued the University for “alienation of affection” because I had given
so much of my time to the University and will continue to do so.
Segment Five narrative (continued)
We will define ourselves from other public institutions by providing an educational environment where values exploration,
civic engagement and character development are integrated throughout the academic and co-curricular experience. We must keep
our contract strong with students, parents, alumni and citizens to ensure that the university remains focused, relevant and
dynamic—and is a resource in the enhancement of individuals, the strengthening of communities, and the flourishing of the
economy.
President Ribeau’s Remarks
Is Dr. Wolfe here, by any chance? Okay, I can tell a story then.
I think this clip captures the essence of a lot of what we’re talking about. Dr Wolfe was a recipient of the distinguished
alumnus award about three weeks ago, right here on campus. Larry Weiss has an annual dinner that usually precedes the summer
commencement ceremony. And those of you who know Ralph Wolfe know he is just, as in the clip, passionately committed to the
institution as he ever was and has given a lot. While we were at the dinner, he noticed that (he’s really a stickler for details)
next to his seat there weren’t any nametags and so, he asked about that. We said, “Ah, we’re going to get to that.”. What
happened was, Eva Marie Saint and her husband, Jeffrey Hadden—Eva Marie Saint is one of our distinguished graduates, the only
Academy Award winning graduate of our University—came and surprised him. And they were in fact going to sit next to him at
the event. So they walked up—Ralph was there and he was very happy to be recognized as distinguished alumnus and he saw Eva
Marie Saint, and Jeffrey Hadden and he gasped and almost passed out. It was a great moment and that, I think, actually Ralph
himself, captures the idea of supportive communities.
In order to have the edge of excellence we need as an institution, we need the support of alumni, friends and others who
believe in our mission. I think our mission is a sound one and I think there are people that believe in it. But we need to
take our message to people. So far we have been successful in this effort. The figures that you see in fund raising or giving
to the University, the four million to the seven and a half million, represent a lot of work, and a lot of effort on the part
of the people in Advancement, and a number of faculty and staff members who have worked in conjunction with them to try and
make this possible. We will see those numbers increase and double and quadruple. The money is for labs, and endowed chairs,
and new buildings, and support for our essential academic programs.
6. A future in the making (Segment Six)
Interview with Mike Wilcox, Board of Trustees, and CEO, Wilcox Financial.
We’re very excited about what’s happening today at Bowling Green State University. We’re developing students for their life
and their leadership skills into the future and we’re very proud of this. The end product will be productive, functioning
human beings that we place in society for the betterment of everyone. I believe our students are learning both inside and
outside the classroom. And I’d like to give you a couple of examples of that. Number one research. Wonderful research done
with and by faculty members side by side with a student. Number two, the idea of teaming with fellow students on collaborative
projects. We do a lot of that. And the word leadership may be used often, but I don’t think it can be used enough in how we
are developing leaders through our campus organizations. Activities and athletic teams are a big part of this campus. And
the last example is teaching responsibility by being a vibrant part of the University community. I feel “our type” or “our
style” of education is a very well rounded one to prepare these students to become responsible adults. Again, preparing leaders
for the future, future citizens… our industry and education benefits, Ohio benefits, the United States and really the globe
benefits from that. We’re excited about what’s happening here at Bowling Green and I commend Dr. Ribeau, his faculty, staff
– his whole team for what we’re doing in taking a lead in higher education in the state of Ohio.
Segment Six narrative
As we continue on our journey to becoming the premier learning community in Ohio and one of the best in the nation, we look
forward to the next four years. For Bowling Green State University to prevail in the century to come, we must not simply graduate
students, we must change their lives. We must prepare our students to be the next generation of leaders, both in their disciplines
and in their communities. We must return to one of the timeless truths about higher education, that the purpose of a college
education remains the cultivation of character and mind, of instinct and ability, of leadership and service.
It is by continuing along this journey that Bowling Green State University will achieve the reputation we seek and will realize
the great possibilities that lie before us in the next four years. And in so doing, we will become more than an educational
institution… we will become the premier learning community in Ohio and one of the best in the nation.
President Ribeau’s Remarks
I’d like to recognize the technical people who captured this presentation, the staff members, and the faculty members who
made these things possible. Too often, we forget that in a half hour series of clips and tapes, hundreds and hundreds of hours
of work and dedication were required in order to bring us to a particular point. So thanks to each and every one of you for
all the work that you’ve done on behalf of Bowling Green State University.
There are many faculty and staff members who have retired and moved on to other challenges in their lives who are part of
this picture—or part of this success. And it is in fact success. Every indicator that one can use to measure the success of
an institution is pointing in a positive direction for Bowling Green State University. Now my hope is that on September 2nd
in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where our football team plays Michigan, we’ll see the athletic personification of this right on the
football field. But don’t hold your breath on that. There rest of the stuff I can guarantee. I can guarantee that we’ve done
these things. And in all seriousness, if you look at the graduation rate of our student athletes, you look at the fact that
we’ll be on national TV—our football team, five times this year, the first time in the history of the University or the MAC
(now what we do on national TV is going to be the challenge but we will be there)—our athletic program can be measured among
our successes. But the fact is that a lot of people made this happen.
I want to mention something in closing, when we were talking about supportive communities I meant to note the appreciation
that all of us feel—the administration and the Board of Trustees—for the success of the Family Campaign. You saw those numbers.
You saw the significant and dramatic increase in giving from our very own faculty and staff members. And it’s important for
many reasons, I’ll just mention two. One is that it says to others who look at Bowling Green State University that you believe
in what’s happening here. You don’t just work here, but you’re willing to invest in it because you believe that good things
are happening or have the potential to happen. And the fact is, that’s a critically important indicator. It’s analogous to
being a coach, or being a conductor, or being a father, or mother, if you don’t believe in your children, their achievements
will be compromised. You have to believe because they take your belief and that motivates them to achieve. It’s a very delicate
balancing act and for the psychologists among us, you understand it much better than I, but if you believe and demonstrate—if
you believe and keep it to yourself that’s wonderful, but its not going to have that contagious effect as if you demonstrate
it in visible ways. And I think the Family Campaign clearly illustrates that and—for Doug’s area, for Marcia, who really spearheaded
it, but each and every one of you who gave I think it’s a critical indicator of a turning point in the institution. On September
the 9th, after we do away with the Wolverines in Michigan, we play the University of Pittsburgh right here at Bowling Green
State University. I’ve been talking with Paul Krebs, the athletic director, and we’ve designated that day “Donor Recognition
Day”. So for, I think we set up, for anyone who has given a hundred dollars or more to the Family Campaign, they get two free
game tickets and other stuff for the University of Pittsburgh game which is at 12:00 noon on the ninth. And everyone who has
given to the Family Campaign will get some kind of recognition at that game. It should be a great afternoon. We’ll have tent
city out there. The last time we did that we had over 50 tents. But its our way of publicly recognizing our own who have contributed
in many ways, but in particular in a financial way to this institution. So September 9th is going to be “Donor Recognition
Day” for the people who supported the Family Campaign.
In closing, I think that the path is very clear. In many ways the course has been set and it was set many years ago. But
the journey is not complete. I am encouraged that we will be able to complete the journey because of a couple things. Last
Saturday out at Hillcrest where I reside, we had a picnic for new faculty and there were over 120 or 130 new faculty members
and their families. And if our future rests in some part with the quality of our new faculty members, I can sleep well at
night. Their intelligence, their energy, their commitment and in addition, this is off the record, they had some of the cutest
kids. I mean—a lot of them brought their kids with them. They had just some of the most darling kids that you could ever imagine.
But the make-up of our new faculty bodes well for the institution. Likewise, the sustained interests and enthusiasm of our
returning faculty members and staff members, some who have been here five years, ten years, twenty years, thirty years. I
continue to be in awe of the dedication and commitment that our faculty and staff really have for this institution. And other
people are beginning to notice. That’s why our enrollment is up. That’s why we’re getting more students with ACT scores of
26 or higher. That why we’re getting recognition for our programs and we’re able to attract individuals to our graduate programs,
faculty members and students that we might not have been able to get in the past, because the word is out.
Thank you all so much for all that you do for the University, starting with your attendance here today. It’s going to be
a great semester. I’m going to be kind of quiet and low-key this semester and stay out of sight a lot and let Dobb and Folkins
and Dalton and Whipple and Doug Smith kind of run the operation but my spirit will be always in the background. Thank you
and I hope it’s a great semester.
We have a least one of our Board of Trustees members here, Mike Wilcox, right here in the front. Say hello Mike.
(Audience applause)
Mike is a BG Grad! In addition to being a successful business man and one of board members, he is one of our very own and
was an athlete at Bowling Green State University. Any other Trustees here? Mike Marsh often sneaks into the back of the room.
Did he? No? I don’t see him. I think that’s it. We have a few minutes, if you have any questions or comments, please feel
free to speak up (pause). Okay, nothing else? Have a great semester.
(Audience applause)
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