BGP Program Executive Summary – Spring 2026

Bowling Green State University (BGSU) undergraduate Student Learning Analysts (SLAs) from the Office of Academic Assessment conducted and designed this assessment project to provide insight into students’ awareness, perceptions, and experiences with the Bowling Green Perspective (BGP) Program at BGSU. The SLAs facilitated five virtual focus groups with a total of 18 participants from varying class standings and majors across four colleges. Out of the 18 participants, 61.1% (n = 11) self-identified as female, 33.3% (n = 6) self-identified as male, and 5.6% (n = 1) self-identified as non-binary. From the race/ethnicity information the participants provided, 50.0% (n = 9) self-identified as Black/African American, 38.9% (n = 7) self-identified as White/Caucasian, 5.6% (n = 1) self-identified as Asian, and 5.6% (n = 1) self-identified as biracial. Zoom was used as the online meeting platform, and the focus groups were recorded. These recordings were then transcribed and analyzed. The steps in the analysis process included: 1) open coding, 2) focused coding, and 3) identifying themes and subthemes.

Five major themes emerged: 1) Class Selection, 2) Class Style, 3) Engagement in the Classroom,
4) Experiences and Skills, and 5) Suggestions. These themes provided insight into what students think about the BGSU general education program and its value, as well as their experiences taking BGP courses.

1. Class Selection – Participants discussed how they decided which BGPs to take or not take.

a. Scheduling – Students talked about selecting classes based on the timing of courses and what fit their availability.

b. Requirements – Participants discussed fulfilling credits or graduation requirements and transfer credits for general education classes.

c. Relevancy – Students talked about choosing BGP classes that were related to their major, career, or personal interests.

A student talked about both requirements and relevancy when choosing BGP courses:

I like that I got to choose what I wanted, for each, like, requirement. Like, I could take Latino Studies, which is more relevant to me than maybe, like I think there's, like, an Asian Studies, you know. Like I mean, not that that would have been bad to do, but, like, it doesn't connect to anything I've done in the past, or, like, specifically will do in the future. So just, like, having that many options, and, like, I know my one friend, like they took mythology, like, I would rather die than take mythology, because I don't care, but they loved it. So, that's good that we had a different option. (T1, L290-296)

2. Class Style – Participants compared their major versus BGP courses and discussed how the classes were formatted.

a. Level of Difficulty – Students talked about how easy or hard BGP and major classes were, as well as the class workload.

b. Level of Effort – Participants talked about their motivation and how they and other students applied or did not apply themselves in BGP and major courses.

c. Class Structure – Students talked about the differences in the course syllabi and the varying types of instruction (e.g., group work, lecture) and assignments.

This student talked about how it is easier to obtain help in BGP courses rather than their major courses:

I think BGP courses, depending on who you have, sometimes … it's harder to get help in courses relating to your major, because there are so many people. I think it can be the same thing with BGPs. But I think BGPs are kind of, like, they're not designed to make you fail. Like, they're kind of designed to help you, so they're usually, easier, in a way. (T4, L39-42)

3. Engagement in the Classroom – Participants talked about how specific interactions or relationships with people in their BGP courses impacted their interests and class enjoyment.

a. Connections with Professors – Students noted things that professors did in BGP courses that aided or did not aid their learning.

b. Interactions with Peers – Participants discussed making friends in their BGP courses and their experiences working and connecting with other students in these courses.

This participant noted that their connections and the variety enhanced their experience:

For me, it's not only meeting the new people, but also, like, kind of adding variability to the day because otherwise, if you're taking the same subject of stuff, same subject of courses over and over and over again, it's just kind of, ‘Oh, I'm going to be doing [science] the entire day today.’ But, you get to mix it up with some different courses. That and the fact that it also kind of helps you to like, make those connections with professors, which I think is very, very important. (T3, L187-192)

4. Experiences and Skills – Participants shared what they learned and gained from their BGP courses.

a. Academic Skills – Students discussed adapting to college and study, time management, and writing skills developed in BGP courses.

b. Application to Career/Life –Participants used material from their BGP courses to aid in their communication, collaboration, adaptability, and life and noted how BGPs made them more well-rounded individuals.  

c. New Perspectives – Students expressed how they developed new ways of thinking and new ideas from their BGP courses, and how those courses helped some students decide on a major.

One participant developed multiple skills through their BGP courses to help with their career:

Yeah, definitely writing. I need to know how to write professional reports and stuff for my career, so that will be helpful for that. Collaboration, again, being able to collaborate with a group of peers that, like, I might not know much about, but still be able to create a product at the end of the day is a valuable skill. In that same area, communication, because for my career I'm gonna have to, like, take a high-level concept and basically break it down and make it understandable to a group of people. So, doing that practice in, like, the BGPs, being able to convey myself in the way that I want to, has definitely been helpful for my career. (T5, L125-133)

5. Suggestions – Participants shared their thoughts on the BGP Program and offered recommendations for improvement.

a. Feedback – Students offered their general opinions on the BGP Program, communication of requirements and class information, and the amount of BGP courses.

b. Recommendations – Participants proposed improvements to the BGP Program, including a rating system, improving communication, streamlining the registration process, involving students in the revision, and altering the program as a whole.

This student recommended more communication and advertisement of the BGP Program:

I'll [say] advertising more. Because when I first got here, all I was hearing is my major stuff, and I didn't really learn about that [BGPs] until, like, my mom had to show me. Yeah, it wasn't, like, something that they were all showing us. Like, I had to learn about it myself. (T4, L120-123)

For more information about this assessment project, contact Dr. Jessica M. Turos from the BGSU Office of Academic Assessment at jmturos@bgsu.edu.