BGSU President Rodney Rogers shares the university’s Forward Strategic Plan.
Bowling Green State University is redefining student success with their Forward Strategic Plan.
BGSU President Dr. Rodney Rogers spoke about the strategic plan in September in front of a large crowd. The event took place on BGSU’s campus at the Bowen-Thompson Student Union, inside the Lenhart Grand Ballroom.
Launched last school year, the strategic plan has focused on its mission to create public good during the academic year by:
• Achieving record-breaking enrollments and student success rates (14% increase over fall 2023 and up 20% compared to fall 2022, according to the 15th day census reporting, also achieving nearly 82% retention of the fall 2023 cohort).
• Continuing to scale Life Design, a comprehensive effort to redefine and diffrentiate the undergraduate experience to ensure students are positioned to be successful in college and their careers in life.
• Leveraging the region’s research and industry strength in glass to secure $31.3 million in state support to establish the Northwest Ohio Glass Innovation Hub to focus on workforce demands and bolster economic growth.
• Achieving historic fundraising success, securing more than $110 million in gifts and pledges in FY24, the first time BGSU has raised nine-figures in a single year.
• Serving in critical leadership roles such as chair of the Inter-University Council of Ohio and other external organizations to advance the mission and brand of the university and advocate to strengthen the public’s trust and value in higher education.
The strategic plan is broken down into four main objectives:
• Enrollment: Meets the students where they are and inspires them to be prepared for opportunities and life after graduation.
• Relevance, Impact and Alternative Revenue: Creates public good through the relevance and significance of research, scholarship and creative activities.
• People: Challenges the community to be more diverse, inclusive and curious in a student-centered learning community, with a focus on decision-making.
• Efficiency and Effectiveness: Provides students with an educational experience that is of great value professionally and personally.
“Redefining student success means that we are an institution that is more than just getting a degree. What we think we should be held responsible for is making sure that every student is ready for a lifetime of careers and a meaningful life,” Rogers said. “What that means is that it can’t just be coming and taking a bunch of courses. How are we helping every student think about the life they want to lead with the career they want to have? We want to do that for every student. That is how we are redefining success.”
The plan, which emphasizes engineering, healthcare, and science, was finalized in April and will take approximately 10-15 years to complete.
“The 2024 Master Plan invests in a lot of our science corridor, STEM fields, engineering, and healthcare. It will better allow us to meet the needs of students and research for our faculty in those spaces, which tends to be one of our fastest growing areas in terms of enrollment at the institution,” Rogers said. “The plan also upgrades some of our housing and dining facilities, which will be appropriate amenities we need today to make sure that we can recruit the very best and highly motivated students in the country.”
