BGSU to hold community town hall focused on dialogue and democracy in the region

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Supporting dialogue in democracy, Bowling Green State University will hold a community town hall to gain insight and feedback for future University-facilitated public forums and policy discussions at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the Wood County District Public Library.

Open to the public with a free continental breakfast, the town hall will focus on how BGSU can continue to serve as a catalyst to drive civic and open dialogue for the public good in the region and beyond.

BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers will lead the community conversation with insight from Randy Gardner, current BGSU Democracy and Public Policy Network chair and former state senator and chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and Dr. Robert Alexander, professor of political science at BGSU and founder and director of the Democracy and Public Policy Network.

 "As a public university for the public good, Bowling Green is absolutely a resource and facilitator of advancing public dialogue and engaging citizens," President Rogers said. "We look forward to engaging with the community at this town hall as we encourage continued discussions."

Feedback from the town hall will also help the Democracy and Public Policy Network at BGSU develop future community-focused programming and events, like its first-ever leadership luncheon with former Ohio governors Richard Celeste and Bob Taft in April, where over 500 people from across northwest Ohio, including college and high school students, registered to attend.

Founded in Fall 2024, the Democracy and Public Policy Research Network at BGSU conducts nonpartisan research, polls and policy briefs that educate and inform the learning and greater community and policymakers in Ohio and beyond.

The network also provides BGSU students with real-world, hands-on experiential learning opportunities and creative activities, including faculty-guided research projects, podcast productions, speaking engagements and workshops.