Bowling Green, President Rogers, selected for national conference on public-private partnerships

University partnerships strengthen academic programs, expand access and meet critical workforce needs 

Bowling Green State University continues to earn national recognition for its innovative and successful public-private partnerships in higher education, setting a proven model for other institutions. 

As a leader in advancing these initiatives, BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers was asked to present to a national audience of more than 200 universities and colleges, as well as industry leaders, at the Innovation and Public-Private Partnership in Higher Education conference in Atlanta, on how higher education can launch successful partnerships with industry.

“At Bowling Green, we recognized early on the value in collaborating with industry partners to support our mission as a public university for the public good and create opportunities for our students,” President Rogers said. “Over the last several years, we have launched mutually beneficial partnerships with regional and national organizations, supporting our work in developing industry-first programs and elevating the student experience. Students deserve a relevant and meaningful educational experience, and Bowling Green has been willing to work with any organization that shares our goal of preparing students for great careers and great lives.”

Through collaborations across multiple industries, BGSU has strengthened academic programs, addressed workforce needs, aligned curriculum with employer expectations and enhanced campus infrastructure and technology.  

For example, when Six Flags Entertainment Corporation identified a need for more employees with a deep understanding of the complex structures of the entertainment industry, Bowling Green partnered with the industry leader to develop the nation’s only bachelor’s degree in Resort and Attraction Management.

The partnership extends beyond the academic program to include infrastructure investment, work-based learning projects for students, and opportunities for students to complete co-ops at their 40 parks across North America. Today, the program, launched through this partnership, attracts students from across the nation to Bowling Green, with more than 100 students now enrolled. 

Bowling Green was also able to answer the call when the Ohio Attorney General’s Office expressed a need for a crime lab in the region. The University identified space on campus and enhanced its forensic science education through a partnership with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, becoming the only university in Ohio with a professional crime lab on campus. Nearly 300 students are now enrolled in the University’s undergraduate and graduate forensic science programs. 

In response to a growing demand nationwide for aviation professionals, Bowling Green partnered with North Star Aviation to expand its nationally recognized aviation program, now one of the nation’s largest. The partnership provided the necessary capital needed to grow the University’s aviation program, which now includes a modern fleet of 28 planes and four simulators, critical training equipment for the more than 650 students enrolled in the program.

Based, in part, on its innovation and willingness to launch new partnerships, Bowling Green was recently selected as the only university in the Midwest to participate in a groundbreaking national career-readiness initiative, the first-ever National Work-Integrated Learning Accelerator.

“Bowling Green has long been a leader in work-based learning, establishing co-op programs nearly 60 years ago, and work-integrated learning is the next innovative step in elevating student learning, experiences and opportunities for the 21st century,” President Rogers said. “Bowling Green is uniquely positioned to continue to lead in this area – not only in Ohio, but the nation – with a proven ability to implement transformational programs and bring them to scale university-wide.”

An additional partnership highlighted at the P3 Conference was the University’s innovative partnership with Evidence in Motion, a leading provider of hybrid healthcare education solutions. 

Together, Bowling Green and Evidence in Motion developed and launched Ohio’s first and only hybrid, accelerated Doctor of Physical Therapy program, launched in 2021 in response to workforce needs. 

The program’s flexible, hybrid design increases accessibility for learners nationwide and allows students to enter the workforce more quickly. Its success led to the creation of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, launched in 2024, which follows a similar model.