2024 State of Our University

Thank you, Vice Chair Shore, and thank you to all our board members for your leadership. I also thank each of you in attendance, both in-person and those joining the livestream, for taking the time to be here. This is a strong community because of the people like you who are making us what we are today... engaged, committed and supportive.  

I am humbled by the opportunity to share with you the state of our University; and I can say, with certainty, the state of this University, is indeed very strong.

Today, we will reflect on the incredible momentum across every corner of our learning community.

Today, we will also look to our future. Because with great momentum, comes great opportunity, and, as a public university for the public good, it also comes with great responsibility... responsibility that is shared by each of us.

I am honored to be the person standing before you today, telling this story. But make no mistake – this is not my story. It is OUR story. 

The momentum we are experiencing today is not because of any one thing or one single individual; it is because of many things, many faculty and staff members, taking action and moving our University forward. And because so many are doing so much, I am reticent to recognize specific individuals – quite simply - we’d be here too long. But, you know who you are. So do we. And we thank you.

Because of this action, your actions...

This fall, we have, together, welcomed the single largest class in university history, and the most academically prepared, topping last year’s record. Our first-year enrollment is up 14% over last year, and up 22% from two years ago, defying national and even statewide enrollment trends.

We are, together, attracting more students from out of state, with first-year, out-of-state enrollment up 35% from last fall. Overall enrollment at BGSU Firelands is also up nearly 9% over fall 2023.

And.. For the second year in a row, we are together seeing record student success and retention rates, with the fall 2023 cohort returning at an all-time high rate of 81.6%, driving our overall enrollment up 3.9% over last year. So, not only are we attracting more new students than ever before to Bowling Green, but more students than ever are choosing to stay at Bowling Green.

What you are doing, what *we* are doing, is working. Let me be clear: this has taken work. And it has taken all of us, being ALL IN.

We have pushed ourselves. Founded as a teacher training college, we have evolved into offering a broader array of academic programs. Yet, we still had limited academic program offerings in the two areas of highest demand by society and prospective students: healthcare and applied STEM/engineering.

So what did we do, you do? We developed our own nursing program to increase the number of graduates to serve the needs of Ohioans. Today, our School of Nursing is the largest enrolled BSN program in northwest Ohio. And, we added new graduate programs in Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy.

This past year, we reimagined our longtime technology programs to create engineering programs to even better meet the evolving needs of our state’s advanced manufacturing sector.

Our new division of Student Engagement and Success is redefining how an integrated, intentional student life program adds to our students’ academic experience and career preparation, with programming that is deliberate in its offerings and aligned with their personal and professional interests. For example, the Radbill Center for College and Life Design and the Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections are redefining what students can expect from a University that is committed to their success beyond just earning a degree. We are committed to preparing them for a lifetime of careers and meaningful life.  

Our Division of Health and Well-being is enhancing our holistic approach to being part of our learning community, not only for student well-being, but for faculty and staff, as well. 

We continue to invest in our facilities to ensure we have the physical space to support our teaching and research mission. Our visitors and prospective students and families are struck by our campuses; the pride we have in our facilities and how well-kept the grounds are. This has taken a great deal of work as we concluded our Campus Master Plan. But we wasted no time in launching the next phase, and, with the input of our community, we have already begun our 2024 Campus Master Plan. 

This week, we will hold the official groundbreaking for the Technology Engineering Innovation Center, which will propel our longtime ABET-accredited programs in engineering forward, supporting our state’s need in developing career-ready talent in the advanced manufacturing field, a foundation of our state’s economic vitality. This project is possible because of both public and private dollars – donors and state legislators who recognize the importance of investing in higher education for our state’s future.

We have absolutely moved our University forward... and our students have noticed.

This fall, for the fifth consecutive time, Bowling Green has been ranked the No. 1 public university in the Midwest, and the No. 3 public university in the nation students say they would choose again.

And... we are again No. 1 in Ohio for student learning experiences and opportunities.

There are all kinds of rankings – but these rankings are particularly important because they are based on student surveys. The Wall Street Journal asked students to rate their college experience. 

Our students ranked us best in Ohio for community and social life: our sense of community, health and well-being support, campus safety and sustainability.

Our students ranked us the best public in Ohio campus facilities, including our dining, housing and extracurricular activities.

Our students ranked us as the best in Ohio for career preparation. 

*Our students* ranked us higher than any other university’s students in Ohio.

So, our students have noticed the impact of your work...and so have our supporters.

This spring, we announced the largest gift in university history, with alumni Bob and Ellen Thompson sharing their intent to give, in total, $121 million, to student scholarships at Bowling Green. When realized, and with the university’s match, this will create nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in student scholarships at our University by 2035.

In addition to the Thompsons gift, we continue to see record giving. This spring, we raised a record $2.77 million during BGSU One Day, and we continue to generate additional gifts to support scholarships, facilities and programming.

Over the past five years, our research grant expenditures have increased with more than a 7% increase in the last year alone. Our faculty continue to receive external funding to move knowledge forward in the photochemical sciences, water quality, sociology, STEM education, behavioral health, advanced manufacturing, just to name a few. 

We are conducting meaningful and relevant research. Just this spring, faculty from BGSU Firelands and the College of Health and Human Services blended their areas of expertise to launch the BGSU Labor Trafficking Education and Research Initiative, and are leading statewide conversations through Attorney General Dave Yost's Human Trafficking Initiative.

We are seeing more and more opportunities to partner with organizations and industries across our region and state – not only are we going to them, but they are coming to us – wanting to leverage our faculty research and resources, strengthening economic vitality and deepening our impact.

This summer, Ohio’s governor and lt. governor announced BGSU as a lead academic partner to support the Northwest Ohio Glass Innovation Hub, funded with a $30 million grant by the Ohio Department of Development to build upon the region’s existing industrial and research capabilities. It is expected to create 1,600 jobs and a $284 million economic impact during the next five years.

This is a direct reflection of our ability to work collaboratively, and absolutely a reflection of the strength of our research and its ability to drive innovation for our region’s glass industry.

We continue to engage more members of our community through the arts and athletics. Our programs in the arts with their performances and exhibitions are driving the cultural vitality of our community and state. This fall, the Falcon Marching Band is garnering national attention, now the second largest college marching band in the nation.

Our athletics programs are drawing larger audiences than ever before. This past weekend, BGSU Volleyball set a University and MAC record for the highest single game attendance, with 4,201 fans at the Stroh. And not just once, but twice this month, our football team took nationally ranked teams, including top 10 ranked Penn State, to the final minutes of the game. During the halftime performance at Happy Valley, when BGSU was up 24-20, a Penn State fan leaned over to me and said – your marching band is beating us, too.

This past spring, we welcomed thousands to the Doyt to share in the Total Solar Eclipse, the culmination of months of planning and community programming highlighting this once-in-a-lifetime event. This is a great example of how a few faculty members brought an idea to life, leveraging the intellectual and physical resources of BGSU to the broader community. That’s what public universities should be doing.

There is much to be proud of. I am, perhaps, most proud of the learning community we have created.

We have been bold in our focus on what a 21st century public university does; we are redefining student success, working to ensure we are a great value and empowering our students to take advantage of all Bowling Green has to offer from day one.

We have been curious, asking, what if; taking risks in developing new programs and delivering them in new ways... defying what others think we are capable of.

And we have been kind, focused on our why: our students, and our mission as a public university for the public good. Across our learning community, led by the Division of Inclusion and Belonging, we have been intentional about encouraging dialogue to further our knowledge, rooted in respect for one another. We have absolutely created a learning environment where all can belong.

Bold...

Curious...

Kind.

The state of our university is strong because our people, because *you*, have made it so. We are a midsized, Midwest, hardworking public university that simply won’t quit – and that is how we have built the momentum we are experiencing today.

I’d like to focus on *momentum* for just a moment.

Momentum is defined as the quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity. *Mass* and *velocity*...

Because of your work, more students are choosing BGSU, we are a growing university, adding more faculty and staff who believe in our mission.

We are seeing more alumni and supporters giving in record amounts. I am excited to share that we will announce not just one, but two, significant gifts this fall, which will result in millions of dollars to support the Thompson Working Families Scholarship, and other student learning experiences and opportunities.

We continue to see more businesses and companies who want to partner with BGSU; more legislators visiting our campuses, seeing, firsthand, the impact of our University and its importance to our region, state and nation, with BGSU the largest employer in Wood County, estimated to create a $3.1 billion impact in Ohio, and more community members engaging with our athletics and arts events.

Simply put... more people who believe in the power of BGSU. But, we are not just dreaming, we are *doing*, and there is urgency in this work.

This is our velocity... we are introducing new academic programs in ways that have never been done before; we are redefining student success for the 21st century, differentiating our university; we are conducting research and leading creative activities that are shaping our communities; we are forging new partnerships; and we are aggressive in seeking funding to continue to transform our campus and make education accessible. Our velocity.

Mass, times velocity. Our momentum.

But the thing about momentum is that as challenging as it is to create, it is even easier to lose. All you have to do is pause. That’s it. Just stop moving, even for a moment, and it’s gone.

I know it has taken a lot of hard work to get here. And, it may be tempting to think, now, now we can take a break, we can slow down. We have done it....

Record enrollment...

Record student success... levels that seemed unheard of just a few years ago...

Record giving.

Of course, we should reflect upon and celebrate all the achievements that have been accomplished by each of you and your colleagues. So let’s take a moment to do just that….. 

Okay... now let’s look to the future. Because as good as these successes feel – and make no mistake – we should absolutely be proud – we can’t pause here – we cannot think we are at the top of the mountain... we have just hit the timberline. We face continued challenges on many fronts, several of which were identified last spring in our strategic planning sessions with our faculty and staff.

There is a looming enrollment cliff, and a growing distrust of higher education.

According to Gallup, only 36% of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in higher education... down from 57% in 2015.

Some say there is a liberal bias on college campuses. While we say we teach students to think critically about the world around them, some say we teach students *what* to think, not *how* to think. We hear people question the value of certain degree programs we offer or any degree programs at all. They believe degrees lead to underemployed graduates, and mounting student debt. Some say that universities are not able to change, we resist new ideas and are losing our relevancy in the 21st century.

We also continue to experience financial limitations at the state level, with limited investing in the State Share of Instruction that does not keep up with the cost of living, and the capping of our ability to adjust tuition in order to offset rising costs.

We are in a highly bureaucratic and regulated industry, but also in an extremely competitive market.

Because of accreditation and State of Ohio requirements, our academic courses and the curriculum of our programs are, by design, like most of our peers.

So, how do we differentiate ourselves in this highly competitive market? 

Certainly, a university must provide opportunities. And, even with record enrollment and retention, we must never outgrow our ability to provide a personal and engaged learning experience for each of our students.

But, universities cannot simply think students will arrive, take the required courses, and graduate... and that’s enough... we’ve done our part. Unfortunately, many do.

The annual Gallup-Purdue University Index Report tracks college graduates from across the nation, measuring their long-term career success and satisfaction with their lives. Year after year, they reach the same conclusion: It isn’t *where* you go to college (the Ivys and want-to-be Ivys don’t like to hear that), it is *how* you go to college.

If graduates had a professor or staff member who cared about them as a person, made them excited about learning, and encouraged them to pursue their dreams, their odds of being engaged at work more than doubled, as did their odds of thriving in their well-being.

If a graduate had an internship or job where they could apply what they were learning in the classroom, were actively involved in extracurricular activity and organizations, worked on projects and understood the relevance of their studies, their odds of being satisfied at work dramatically increased.

In short... feeling supported and having deep and relevant learning experiences means everything when it comes to long-term outcomes for college graduates. The problem is that the survey found that only a very small percentage of graduates of U.S. universities had these types of experiences.   

As a public university for the public good, isn’t it our responsibility to ensure every student can know “how” to go to college to maximize their future success?

Isn’t it our responsibility to ensure our students can fully take advantage of their college experience from day one, and prepare them for a lifetime of careers?

Isn’t it our responsibility to approach our students’ education holistically, with intentionality, so they can graduate on time, with less student debt?

I believe it is our responsibility, and, opportunity to differentiate our educational experience from other universities.

Because of nearly $15 M of private gifts from two alumni donors, we are, today, offering a proven program to all of our undergraduate students. While Stanford University developed this program using design thinking to help their students navigate their college experience, our Geoffrey H. Radbill Center and Michael and Sara Kuhlin Hub have taken it and adapted it to meet the needs of Bowling Green students.

Today, every student who wants to engage in this program can work with coaches to build a path for their college experience and consider career paths beginning on day one of college. This helps students understand why they are in college, leading to them graduating on time, with less student debt, and getting the most out of their investment in college... going to College with focus, intentionality, and purpose.

At Bowling Green, we call it Life Design. We are the only university in the nation offering it at scale – and it is absolutely a differentiator for us. The program is a “proof point” to prospective students that we are committed to a holistic and intentional approach to their education.

Yes, we are experiencing great momentum, but my ask is that we keep going.

My ask is that we recognize our opportunity to build upon this momentum.

My ask is that we recognize, even further, our responsibility, as a public university for the public good, to continue to move forward.

We will need to continue our laser-like focus on the student experience and outcomes.

We will need to be more efficient, not to fill a budget deficit, but to give us the resources to fund our continued growth mindset, and we will need to optimize and monetize our physical and non-physical assets to support the core functions of our work.

We will need to ask ourselves hard questions....

Are we confident our general education curriculum truly prepares students for the 21st century, or is it a smorgasbord of classes that we ask students to take? Are we confident the curriculum each major is truly designed for the 21st century?

Are we confident our academic portfolio is right for our University, our region and state? What are the new programs we still need to explore, and what about programs that are no longer serving our students and the public?

Are we confident that our research and creative activities are relevant and meaningful to the

academy and the public?

Are we confident that we are fully leveraging the resources of a research university for the public good?

Could we provide a more efficient management of course enrollments and a more equitable faculty workload?

Where can become more efficient to create innovation funds?

While we are continuously looking to reduce the net cost of delivering a BG education by reducing administrative costs with recent examples including new organizational structures in the College of Education and Human Development, the College of Technology, Architecture and Applied Engineering, and University Libraries, are we confident that we have done enough, or do we have extra layers of bureaucracy that are driving the cost of education higher?

Are we teaching in a way that leverages technology, embracing tools like AI?

And... are we confident each person, regardless of their socioeconomic class or background, can truly belong, and find success at this University?

These are just some of the tough questions that we absolutely need to be asking ourselves... I am most confident in our ability to continue to improve because this is a learning community that shows up, again and again.

After hearing about the many successes at BGSU, people often ask me, what is going on at BGSU? What’s the secret? The secret is... there is no secret. We have doubled down on who we have always been: a public university for the public good. We have focused our work in doing what it takes to create public good. To ensure a BGSU education – a college degree – is available to anyone who wants to earn it...

What we do, what you do today, matters. We have the opportunity, the responsibility, to create opportunity.

It is so hard, impossible even, to predict which 17- or 18-year-old, or military student, or post-traditional student will be the one to make the discovery, launch the business, inspire the student, treat the patient. That is the ripple effect of what we do, the ripple effect of education - and the foundation of innovation that has long been paramount to our nation’s success. That is public good.

As a public university, we must cast a large and wide net, keeping education accessible, doing our work to ensure ALL our students can be successful. Let us be defined not by those we exclude, but rather by the success of those we include. Let us be defined not by those we exclude, but rather by the success of those we include.

This is absolutely a time of great momentum and excitement at Bowling Green, but let’s be clear,  we also know that our successes today were only possible because of the individuals who came before us.

Today, we each have an opportunity – and a responsibility – to do the same for those who will follow us. We cannot waste this moment. We cannot lose this momentum.

Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

The success we are experiencing is not final. The mistakes we make along the way will not be fatal – it is the courage to continue that counts.

Never forgetting our foundation as a teacher training college, we have long embraced our responsibility to serve the needs of Ohio, and we have taken risks – doing what others were unwilling to do, doing what others said was impossible.

It is action that counts, and we must continue to push ourselves, always focused on how our university improves our communities through education, research and outreach, in short enhancing the public good.

I am proud of our learning community, and I am deeply grateful for all you do to support our students, move forward knowledge, improve the human condition and drive our University forward.

For our students, for society... our momentum, our opportunity, our responsibility – we must not waste it.