Some of our queries included the following:

 

Student Question: I know this is not about the current topic of faculty and staff expectations, but it is still something I am curious about. While home on winter break, I was asking some of the local high school seniors what colleges they are going to. I was disappointed to find out that none of the students decided to attend BGSU. I am a proud BGSU student who always tries to promote the University when talking to future college students. When asked why they chose the colleges they are going to, one recurring reason they gave was the dorms. Most of the students had taken the campus tour and told me that the dorms at BGSU seemed very old and smaller than other schools’, which made them not want to live in them. It also was mentioned that many of the colleges in Ohio, including Kent, Akron, and Toledo have all built new dorms in the past few years.

While the dorms were not the only reason the students did not choose BGSU, they were among the top reasons. After further research on the BGSU Web site, I found that our most recent dorm is Offenhauer, which was completed in 1971. My concern is that if we do not build new dorms anytime soon, we will lose more and more prospective freshmen to the schools that have built new dorms. That brings me to my question of what plans does the University have for updating and building new dorms? Is there anything for the near future?

Dr. Ribeau: I certainly appreciate your concern in this matter. Residence halls are a vital part of the University experience and contribute greatly to campus culture. The Office of Residence Life is currently conducting a study of the appearance and quality of our residence hall buildings, and details regarding these issues are being worked on. There will be major improvements in our residential facilities in the future.

 

Student Question: I'm concerned that my car will be damaged in the parking lots on campus. Many are in desperate need of repair - specifically lot 12 and the lot 6 overflow. Is the University planning on fixing this issue anytime soon?           

Dr. Ribeau: I’m very sympathetic to this issue, and would definitely like to see the condition of our parking lots improve throughout campus.

Regarding lot 12 and Lot 6 overflow specifically, however, there are no immediate plans in place for repairs on these lots at this time, and funds are not available to impact the lots’ conditions. However, there are long-term plans to increase parking capacity on campus with a parking garage and upgrades to additional locations. While specific information on these projects is not yet available at this time, we will be sure to keep you informed when more news is available.

 

Student Question: With all the talk of the elections coming up, what should students do to encourage their peers to get informed on the issues?

Dr. Ribeau: The upcoming 2008 presidential election continues to be a major focus of the media throughout the country, and I have no doubt that it is an increasingly popular topic among students here on campus. I wholeheartedly encourage our students to not only take a healthy interest in the democratic process, but also to be sure and exercise their right to vote. Being educated and interested in matters such as these is vital.

I feel that there are a number of ways in which students might encourage their peers to become more informed on the issues. One possible means of accomplishing this would be to lead by example and become informed yourself. Being able to express your opinions on important topics in an intelligent, reasonable, and considerate way may inspire others to educate themselves on issues of interest to them, and voice their thoughts in a similar manner.           

A second method is for students to form small discussion groups with their friends to talk about and debate specific candidates and issues. Each member could be responsible for researching one candidate or topic, for instance, and could subsequently lead a discussion within the group on their chosen subject. This helps to divide up the labor while generating meaningful dialogue.

Students might also more informally create viewing groups, in which they could gather to watch shows that interview candidates or tackle important issues – including the more traditional news coverage found on the networks and CNN, along with shows such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report which, while geared more toward entertainment, still attract major political figures as guests. Following the shows, discussions could be held on the candidates interviewed or the topics discussed.

One way to allow an even larger segment of our University community to become informed would be to help organize or encourage topical forums on campus to discuss the issues. After deciding on a topic, students could invite faculty and staff interested in these issues to participate and share their views.

 

 

Student Question: Why is BGSU not clearer about what the general fee is for? I’ve seen breakdowns on www.bgsu.edu before, but why is it not put in the face of every tuition-paying student at this University? What is the University afraid of? It seems to me that, in a way, we are hiding it. I think it’s time we opened the general fee to the marketplace of ideas. And I think putting it in everybody’s faces will initiate that discussion. Won’t such a decision also put us ahead of other universities when it comes to customer service?

Dr. Ribeau: Detailed information on the allocation of BGSU’s general fee is readily available by clicking on “Where Your Fees Go” or “Current Approved Budgets” on the Web site of the Office of Budgeting, or by clicking on “Basic Per Semester Fees: FALL/SPRING Rates” on the Office of the Bursar’s Web site. I invite students to review these figures, as well as all other budgetary information provided at these sites.

It is important to note that students at the University do have a say in the allocation of the general fees through the Student Budget Committee, better known as the SBC. According to the document Approved 2006-07 General Fee & Related Auxiliary Budgets, available on the Office of Budgeting’s Web site, the SBC, which received an allocation of $686,364 for the current academic year from the general fees, “is responsible for establishing and reviewing student organization funding eligibility criteria, administering the funding application process and making recommendations for all student organization funding.

The SBC additionally presents its recommendations to the University Budget Committee and Faculty Senate Budget Committee “prior to the adoption of the overall general fee budget.” Clinton M. Stephens, coordinator of Student Organization and Community Service Programs for the Office of Campus Involvement, noted that the SBC is itself co-chaired by the respective treasurers of the Undergraduate Student Government and the Graduate Student Senate, and that the committee’s current membership includes one sophomore, four juniors, two seniors and three graduate students.

 

Student Question: Why does my University not offer domestic partner benefits to same-sex faculty and staff, like all the other state colleges in Ohio? I find this discriminatory and against what the student body wants. After all, the Undergraduate Student Government did vote FOR the benefits.

Dr. Ribeau: The position of Bowling Green State University’s Board of Trustees on this issue is that no action will be taken until the constitutionality of same-sex domestic partner benefits is concretely decided in the state of Ohio. A recent case questioning the constitutionality of Miami University’s domestic partner policy was dismissed in the Ohio courts, but without rendering a decision on the constitutional issue itself, noting that other legal options might be subsequently pursued. As a result, the question of same-sex domestic partner benefits’ constitutionality remains open until a final legal decision is issued.

 

Student Question: Wouldn’t the parking situation on campus improve if our lots were tiered, so that students could buy two different kinds of commuter/long-term passes?

Dr. Ribeau: According to Stacie Enriquez, manager of BGSU’s Parking and Traffic Division, the University Parking Committee is interested in examining a tiered parking program. She notes that the committee hopes to conduct research in upcoming years among our peer universities to determine if and how they utilize tiered parking systems, while still attending to the elements of the Campus Master Plan.

 

Student Question: Whatever happened to the hybrid bus that was greatly talked about in the beginning of 2005 (my freshman year)?

Also, do you think that the daily graffiti/trash at the bus stops are persuading potential students away from BGSU by making them think our school is not clean?

Dr. Ribeau: According to Dr. Barry Piersol, Director of the College of Technology’s Electric Vehicle Institute, the hybrid bus, which is a prototype vehicle, was used on a University bus route during the summer of 2005 for research purposes, but is currently out of service due to lack of funding. He notes that the institute is in the process of soliciting research and development funds for the hybrid bus project, as well as seeking out marketing partners who would be able to license the bus’s technology. A University news release dated June 21, 2005, pointed out that the hybrid bus saved on fuel costs at a rate of up to 30 percent.

I would also like to thank you for broaching the subject of graffiti on this campus. It saddens me that some individuals, whether they are students or not, would choose to deface University property. Our students, faculty, and staff take great pride in the inviting and well-kept appearance of the campus, from our buildings to our grounds, and I hope that the beauty of our University’s setting will continue to contribute to the atmosphere of learning and community throughout BGSU.

Bryan Benner, our Associate Vice President for Administration, has noted that graffiti and other defacements to our shuttle stops are continually seen to by our Shuttle and Grounds staff, who inspect the stops. He further stated that one particularly vandalized glass panel on one of the stops will be replaced in the coming weeks.

 

Student Question: I find that drinking alcohol is a staple of college life for many, many students at universities across the country. In fact, I think it would be impossible to stop it, as we found out with Prohibition.

 I also feel most students remain quiet about the things that annoy them most about college life. Many of them discuss among themselves and have “BGSU Bashing” sessions without ever mentioning their concerns to their student leaders, faculty or staff.

 I think one issue that students have remained too quiet about is the need for a comprehensive shuttle service that would provide them an easy way home after a night at the bars or house parties. Instead of leaving them with few options (Supercab, walk or designate a driver), why doesn't the University offer them a shuttle service to provide them a ride when they need it most? For what reason do the more than 20,000 students at this University not get something they want, deserve, and have no problem being billed for?

 Issues of funding and legal liability are small hurdles for the massive amount of support this issue has among the student body. Ask the next student you see if they would have a problem seeing their general fee increased by $100 for such a service. You might be surprised by what you find out.

 And why not make our shuttle service the best in the nation? Why not bill our students $100 a semester to provide us with a way of saving gas and getting around town any time of the day or night? Is it possible? I think it may be. An expanded shuttle service, for me, is useless if it doesn't offer all students another way out of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. As long as they are in town, they should be able to get a ride.

 I've estimated, with some help from a city prosecutor and the clerk of courts, that one out of 65 students in this city will be convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated this year. Why do we have to wait so long for something we want so badly? Why does this dangerous situation continue?

Dr. Ribeau: This question raises a number of important points regarding our students and the impact of alcohol on their lives here at the University. The question of added shuttle service to bring students to and from downtown Bowling Green’s drinking establishments is certainly a question tied to this issue.

According to BGSU’s Dean of Students and Interim Vice President for Student Life, Jill Carr, the question of creating such a service has been under examination by the Undergraduate Student Government’s Student Welfare Committee. The committee, she noted, has looked into a similar shuttle program at the University of Toledo, which provides students shuttle service to drinking establishments for one dollar each way on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Dean Carr explained that there are certain liability issues that may be attached to such a service, including the possibility that each shuttle might need to include an additional individual on board, aside from the shuttle’s driver, for purposes of safety and security.

According to Nate Wiedenhoft, chair of USG’s Student Welfare Committee, USG is currently conducting meetings with campus administrators, Bowling Green city officials, and representatives of the business community to discuss the financial possibility of establishing such a downtown shuttle route. He additionally stated that there are plans for a meeting in which all parties involved will be brought together to discuss the matter.

In terms of whether student fees ought to be levied for such a program, Dean Carr indicated that a pay-to-ride option, rather than a flat amount added to each student’s fees, would no doubt be preferable: a new fee for additional shuttle service would mean an added expense for students, and student fees, she noted, are not increased by more than six percent each year. I feel that the issue of student fees and whether or not they might be increased, and for what purpose, is a subject best presented to, and debated by, the members of USG and GSS. In matters that directly impact student life such as these, it is vitally important that the representatives of the student body be involved in discussing the issues at hand.

 

Student Question: I’m currently a sophomore here at BGSU and I have a lot of money left over on my meal plan from my previous year here. I know we have rollover, which is great, but recently I’ve been hearing that the University is planning on taking that away and pocketing whatever money we may have left over. My concern is that the school is keeping that extra money, which is technically ours since we paid for our meal plans in full. Why can’t we get that money back in a refund check?

Dr. Ribeau: Gail Finan, Director of University Dining Services, notes that, while at present there is no system in place to refund meal plan money, recommendations relating to this issue have been made to Dr. Edward Whipple, Vice President for Student Affairs, by the University’s Food Advisory Board, which includes representatives from Undergraduate Student Government, Graduate Student Senate, the Resident Students Association, and faculty and staff.

The FAB recommendations include the suggestion that meal plans carry over funds from fall semester to the spring semester, but not from spring to the next fall. If a student had money in a rollover account prior to fall 2007, however, those funds would be honored until 2011 (when rollover is slated to be canceled) or until the student graduates.

An additional recommendation made by the FAB would allow meal plan funds over and above the Bronze Meal Plan to be refunded, minus an administrative charge. This means that, for example, if a student purchased a Silver Meal Plan ($1,545), but later determined that this plan would leave too much unspent money left over, the balance of the excess meal plan funds could be refunded down to the level of the Bronze Meal Plan ($1,300), with an administrative charge subtracted from the balance. This policy, however, would not apply to the Bronze or BG-On-The-Go meal plans.

Dr. Whipple has noted that he will share these proposals with me and Dr. Chris Dalton, BGSU’s Senior Vice President for Finance, and that they will also be reviewed by the Faculty Senate Budget Committee and the University Budget Committee before being forwarded to the University’s Board of Trustees.

 

Student Question: I no longer play soccer, although I’d like to, but at this point I’m 25 and do not have the available time. However, I would like to hear how BGSU does in the sport, or get highlights or player profiles. I just thought that would be fun.

Dr. Ribeau: Taking an interest in and supporting BGSU’s athletic teams is a vital and exciting part of campus life. There are a number of different ways to keep track of our University soccer teams, and our other athletics teams as well, including logging onto the BGSU Athletics Web site at http://www.bgsufalcons.com, or reading sports coverage in The BG News, either in hard copy or online at http://www.bgsufalcons.com. You can also listen to BGSU sporting events broadcast on our WBGU radio station, located at 88.1 FM.

 

Student Question: I agree that winter break is a time of reflection. Indeed, the whole time at college is when students decide what they want to do with their lives. I have noticed that a lot of the time people end up doing things other than what they studied in college. 

Since it is entirely possible for this to occur, what other traits and skills are important to learn so that one can be adaptive and apply what they have learned at BG to areas outside their expertise?

Dr. Ribeau: It is vital that students work to acquire a well-rounded education during their college experience, and part of this process is discovering how to handle new and sometimes unfamiliar tasks and assignments. To this end, I think there are a number of related skills that students should learn and practice throughout their time at BGSU, and beyond:

Developing problem-solving ability is one of these. This means understanding the nature of the situation at hand and developing novel methods of arriving at a solution, even in situations where the answer is less than obvious. It also involves knowing and understanding the resources at your disposal and being able to use these resources to your best advantage in working on the problem at hand.

Another important skill is priority setting. This is necessary in nearly every profession, especially ones in which multiple tasks frequently come up at once. Prioritization means understanding the importance and time-sensitivity of each task, making accurate estimates of what resources and how much time will be involved in completing them, and developing a game plan that will help you work effectively.

Creating and maintaining an intellectual balance is yet another important skill. To paraphrase an old proverb, it is important to hold onto and use information that you have already learned, but also to be open to new and different information – even if it changes what you feel you already know. Education and the acquisition of knowledge cannot happen when one is unwilling to entertain new ideas; however, we must additionally be keenly aware of how this new information accentuates, and cooperates with, the old.

A final skill I would like to mention is the ability to draw conclusions based on evidence. It seems that more and more frequently opinion, and not fact, dominates discussion in our society. It is important, therefore, to move beyond voicing opinions or making decisions offhand, and to go on to find evidence to support these actions, so that knowledgeable opinions can be voiced and knowledgeable decisions can be made. Education is, perhaps, at its most powerful when it can aid us in our daily lives, and this skill may help in melding the information we learn with the activities we take part in every day.

 

Student Question: It would be nice if the students of our University cared enough about their tuition costs to lobby the state government for more higher education funding. It seems to me that the politicians are not the problem, but the students who never say anything to any person of authority about what they want.

Might it be helpful if the University encouraged them to speak up to their government (maybe even protest)? Maybe the University should encourage the Undergraduate Student Government to do more than the occasional letter to representatives/senators in Columbus. Maybe the adults around here, who aren't afraid to speak their mind, could encourage us to stop allowing our country to deteriorate around us.

This is, after all, in the best interest of the students and this country. This is, after all, education.

Dr. Ribeau: With costs rising at public universities across the state of Ohio, it is not hard to see why college tuition is a critical issue for students and their parents alike. It is certainly important for students to make their voices and opinions heard by their representatives on matters that they care about.

Larry Weiss, BGSU’s Associate Vice President for University Relations and Governmental Affairs, notes that there are a number of ways that students may now and in the future express their views to their legislators on college tuition and other issues. Mr. Weiss meets periodically with the Undergraduate Student Government and Graduate Student Senate to discuss pertinent state issues and how legislators may be contacted, and additionally meets with the new Ad Hoc Committee on the State Budget, created early last semester. This committee consists of representatives of eight constituent groups with vested interests in Ohio’s state budget: BGSU undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, staff, parents of BGSU students, retirees from the University, members of the local business community and members of the local community at large. The group receives updates on the budget deliberations in Columbus, and gives Mr. Weiss feedback to take back to the Statehouse. The Ad Hoc Committee also affords students the opportunity to go to Columbus and speak with legislators. The Faculty Senate’s Committee on Professional Affairs is also involved in this way. Each budget year, a group of faculty, staff and students trek to Columbus and attend meetings scheduled by Mr. Weiss where they are able to discuss the issues important to them.

Students are certainly encouraged to become more involved and lobby their representatives and legislators. However, Mr. Weiss stresses that legislators look for clear, focused messages in the communications they receive and contacts they make with their constituents, and proper protocols should be followed. He additionally notes that it is important for the messages delivered by BGSU students to be coordinated and stated in such a way that they are consistent with those of the University and don’t send mixed messages. This enables students and University representatives to be more effective when discussing our shared goals with legislators on issues regarding higher education. In his capacity as Associate Vice President for University Relations and Governmental Affairs, Mr. Weiss serves as the point of contact for just this sort of coordination.

Students can find a number of helpful resources on the Office of University Relations and Governmental Affairs’ website at http://www.bgsu.edu. By clicking on “Advocate for BGSU” on the Office’s homepage, students and other members of the BGSU community can learn who their representatives and local elected officials are, register to vote, and even join an “Action e-List.” By joining this list, individuals can become a part of the Governmental Advocates List and will receive a “Call to Action” email discussing what the current issues are and what stance is being promoted by BGSU, and have the chance to send an automatic message to their home representatives on the issue. (In signing up for this list, students should use their home address; while students’ Bowling Green addresses may be used, using their home address will help get the messages regarding these important issues out more broadly.) Additionally, Mr. Weiss has said he is willing to come and speak to student groups interested in these issues and efforts. It is my hope that our students will take advantage of these opportunities and let themselves be heard.

 

Student Question: What impact has the new BGSU Success program had on attracting out of state students this year versus last year when the program was not in effect? Are there any plans to expand the Success program next year to include current (and qualifying) BGSU out of state upperclassmen?

Dr. Ribeau: The BG Success scholarship has been in existence since fall 2004, when it was first created so that qualifying students from the state of Michigan could receive funding to cover 50% of their out-of-state costs. As of fall 2006, this scholarship is now available to students coming to BGSU from throughout the United States, and is renewable. It is also available to transfer students. However, upperclassmen enrolled at BGSU before this scholarship went into effect are ineligible to receive it.

Gary Swegan, BGSU’s director of admissions, believes that the Success scholarship has had a significant impact on the number of out-of-state students coming to BGSU. He notes that, in 2003, the year before the scholarship went into effect, out-of-state freshmen made up less than 10% (9.28%) of the entering freshman class. As of this fall, two years after the scholarship went into effect, out-of-state students make up nearly 14% (13.81%) of the freshman class.

You may find additional information on the BGSU Success scholarship through the BGSU Scholarship Guide, available online at http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/sfa/scholarships.html.

 

 

Student Question: I was just wondering if BGSU pays attention to the number of times a student takes a course with a specific instructor when evaluating that instructor for raises, tenure, etc.?

 

Student Question: What was your first car?

Dr. Ribeau: My first car was a gray, two-door 1957 Plymouth. My mother discovered it at a gas station and bought it for me for $100. What was distinctive about the car was that only the passenger-side door opened, and so that was the only way in or out. Today that would definitely be a safety hazard. My Plymouth served me well throughout my junior and senior years of high school, and it acted as sort of a community vehicle – in my group of friends, it was the only car we had.

 

Student Question: From the point of view of a student majoring in Disability Studies, being a parent of a child with multiple disabilities and a student whom attends BGSU with other students with disabilities, why there are no students with disabilities on the BGSU website also? I think that BGSU needs to represent all students and all populations regardless of disability and be the university of change and face of students with disabilities. Will you make a change to the introduction of the website?

Dr. Ribeau: There have been many positive comments regarding the new BGSU web site, as well as some suggestions for additions to the site. The suggestion above pertains to the absence of students with disabilities on the homepage itself. These students are valued members of our community, and their representation in University messages is important to us. This suggestion, I feel, is one that should be seriously considered for the future.  All web comments and questions are forwarded to the Office of Marketing and Communications for more specific discussions and answers.

 

Student Question: How does globalization fit into BGSU's vision of becoming a premier learning community in Ohio? In what ways will BGSU become more of a global University?

Dr. Ribeau: As Americans continue to discover that the world’s concerns are theirs as well, BGSU’s commitment to lead students towards international awareness, and offer them a global education, continues to thrive on a number of levels. Indeed, BGSU was among the first universities in the United States to add introductory International Perspectives courses to our BG Perspective requirements. We also offer more than 18 study abroad opportunities in such locales as Italy, France, Africa, and Japan, as well as majors and minors in important areas like International Business, Africana Studies, Ethnic Studies, and International Studies.

Furthermore, a number of student organizations, from the World Student Association, to clubs fostering interest in cultures and languages throughout the globe, are open for membership on campus. Our many wonderful international faculty, as well as the University’s more than 660 international students, also contribute their wonderfully rich cultural backgrounds, talents, and intellects to the successful flowering of BGSU as a site of international education and exchange.

BGSU’s devotion to these ideals will be additionally demonstrated in August of 2007, when the Global Village, a new residential learning community, makes its debut on campus. Taking its place alongside such successful communities as La Communidad and La Maison Francaise, Global Village will be a further step towards our goal of becoming a truly “universal” community of learners.

Thank you all for participating; I look forward to future questions and comments.