BGSU Board of Trustees commits to keeping education affordable, attends groundbreaking for state-of-the-art facility at June meeting

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - For the fourth year in a row, Bowling Green State University is ensuring that tuition and fee rates for incoming freshmen will be locked in for their next four years with the University as part of the Falcon Tuition Guarantee plan.

Under the direction of new Chair David O'Brien, the BGSU Board of Trustees during its June 24 meeting set tuition and fee rates for the upcoming academic year, adopted general and operating budgets for fiscal year 2022 and attended a groundbreaking for an updated School of the Built Environment facility.

Falcon Tuition Guarantee locks in rates for next four years

First introduced in 2017, the Falcon Tuition Guarantee provides all undergraduate, first-time students and their families the certainty that their tuition and fees will not increase over four academic years, or 12 consecutive semesters, at BGSU.

"As a public university for the public good, BGSU continuously strives to make higher education affordable for each student," BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers said. "Even with the small increase to our incoming students only, the Falcon Tuition Guarantee ensures they will not see increase during their four years at the University. BGSU works to remain an education of great value, and with the Falcon Tuition Guarantee, we are the lowest cost of any selective, public university in Ohio.”

Trustees approved a 0.95% increase per year to in-state, undergraduate instructional and general fees for the fourth cohort of the BGSU Falcon Tuition Guarantee, which equates to $19.10/credit hour.

Students not covered by the Falcon Tuition Guarantee, including fourth- and fifth-year students, as well as part-time, eCampus or distance and extended campus undergraduate students, will see only 2% increase to the in-state undergraduate instruction and general fee, an increase of $9.20/credit hour.

Students at BGSU Firelands are also covered by the Falcon Tuition Guarantee and will see the same percentage of changes. The increase approved by trustees for first-year, full-time, four-year degree-seeking students at BGSU Firelands equates to a cost of $8.60/credit hour.

BGSU Firelands students not covered by the Falcon Tuition Guarantee will see a 2% increase in instructional and general fees, an increase of $4.25/credit hour.

Trustees voted not to increase the out-of-state surcharge for undergraduate and graduate instruction fees.

Trustees attend groundbreaking for state-of-the-art School of the Built Environment facility

Alongside University leaders, trustees attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the new, state-of-the-art School of the Built Environment facility located in the Park Avenue building.

Set to be completed during the 2022-2023 academic year, the facility will foster collaboration between the architecture and environmental design and construction management programs by housing both under one roof for the first time in BGSU history.

The $10.4 million project will include a 22,900-square-foot expansion featuring a 6,500-square-foot innovation lab that will serve as a collaborative fabrication and construction area for students in both programs. The innovative building will also house two digital labs and a materials and soils lab along with new classrooms and other spaces for students, faculty and staff from the architecture and construction management programs.

"Having the architecture and environmental design and construction management programs co-located in a newly renovated facility will provide tremendous opportunities and experiences for students, faculty and staff," said Dr. Joe B. Whitehead Jr., BGSU provost and senior vice president for Academic and Student Affairs. "Bringing both programs and their resources together will enhance collaborative opportunities that will undoubtedly drive student success and prepare BGSU students for greater opportunities."

With advanced learning space, students in the School of the Built Environment will gain a better understanding of the diverse elements in their respective industries. The expanded facility will also provide new spaces for student engagement with corporate partners and alumni and afford opportunities for growth in new programs, such as facilities management, sustainability and landscaping.

The only one of its kind in Ohio, the newly founded School of the Built Environment at BGSU offers a transformative experience for students who seek to engage in design-build innovation and the creation of exemplary places, structures and systems. With an emphasis on hands-on, applied learning, graduates enter the workforce career-ready for positions in project management, on-site management, estimating and pre-construction, safety and quality control.

Board of Trustees elect David O'Brien '89 as new chair

Trustees recently elected David O'Brien '89 of Lakewood, Ohio, as its new chair. O’Brien assumes the role after serving as vice chair under Betty Montgomery, who served nine years as a trustee and has had a storied public service career, including roles as the first female auditor and attorney general of Ohio. O’Brien has served on the Board of Trustees since January 2015 after being appointed by former Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

“As president, I am so appreciative of the service and leadership of former Chair Betty Montgomery. She is an icon and a trailblazer for Ohio. During her nine years on the board, she has had an immeasurable impact on our students and our alma mater,” BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers said. “We are so fortunate to have alumnus David O’Brien as our next chair of the Board of Trustees. Since 2015, he has provided such valuable leadership and perspective to the Board of Trustees, and I am confident he will help move BGSU forward.”

Chair O'Brien’s term as trustee ends in 2024.

BGSU welcomes Willa Ebersole ’90, Joshua Auten as new trustees

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently appointed Willa Ebersole ’90 of Blacklick, Ohio, to the Bowling Green State University Board of Trustees. Ebersole fills the trustee seat of former Chair Betty Montgomery.

Ebersole is a 1990 alumna of Bowling Green State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in journalism. Ebersole’s term ends in 2030.

In addition, DeWine appointed undergraduate student Joshua Auten of Pickerington, Ohio, to the BGSU Board of Trustees. Auten fills the student trustee seat of Remington Schneider.

Auten is an incoming junior who is studying finance and accounting in the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business. Outside the classroom, he serves as an assistant leadership coordinator for the Ohio Department of Education. Auten’s term ends in 2023.