Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green State University

Type	Public
Established	1910
Endowment	$118.7 million[1]
President	Mary Ellen Mazey
Academic staff	1,982 (1109 faculty, 873 grad assistants)[2]
Students	17,706.[3]
Undergraduates	14,807[3]
Postgraduates	2,899[3]
Location	Bowling Green , Ohio , United States 41°23′N 83°38′W / 41.38°N 83.64°W / 41.38; -83.64
Campus	Small town 1,338 acres (5.41 km2)
Colors	Orange & Brown
Nickname	Falcons
Affiliations	MAC (NCAA DI)
Mascot	Freddie and Frieda Falcon
Website	http://www.bgsu.edu/

Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The 1,338-acre (541.5 ha) main academic and residential campus is located 22 miles (35 km) south of Toledo, Ohio in Bowling Green, along Interstate 75 (I-75). The institution was granted a charter in 1910 as a normal school, a school specializing in training and education of teachers, as part of the Lowry Normal School Bill that authorized two new normal schools in the state of Ohio. Over the university's history, it developed from a small rural normal school into a comprehensive public university.

Bowling Green offers over 200 undergraduate programs,^[4] as well as various master's and doctoral degrees through eight academic colleges. It's academic programs have been nationally ranked by Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, and Washington Monthly. The Carnegie Foundation classifies BGSU as having "high research activity". Research projects in the areas of Psychology, Sociology, Education and Human Development, Energy and Sustainability are among the most prominent at the university.^[5] BGSU has a on-campus residential student population of 6,500 students and a total student population is over 17,000 students as of 2011.^[6] The university also maintains a satellite campus, known as BGSU Firelands, in Huron, Ohio 60 miles (97 km) east of the main campus. Although the majority of students attend classes on BGSU's main campus per academic year,^[3][7] the university has about 2,500 students enrolled in classes at BGSU Firelands and about a 1000 additional students who attend class at extension locations or online. 85% of Bowling Green's total enrollment is made up of in-state students from Ohio.^[3]

The university is also home to a extensive student life program, with over 300 student organizations; intercollegiate, club and recreational sports programs; nationally ranked living-learning communities and freshmen experience programs by the U.S. News & World Report; various student media organizations and publications, including the Mid-American Review- an international literary journal; fraternities and sororities; and an active student government association. Fielding athletic teams known as Bowling Green Falcons, the university competes at the NCAA Division I level (NCAA Division I-A for football) as a member of the Mid-American Conference in all sports except ice hockey, in which the university is a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. BGSU is one of only thirteen universities in the nation that plays Division I FBS football and Division I ice hockey. The campus is home to a variety of annual events, including the Dance Marathon which is one of the largest student-organized philanthropy events, Winterfest that celebrates the winter sports traditions and history of Bowling Green and Northwest Ohio, and Buckeye Boys State mock government event held in June by the American Legion for Ohio high school students. Alumni and former students have gone on to prominent careers in government, business, science, medicine, education, sports, and entertainment.

The movement for the university began in the late 1800s as part of the growth in public institutions during the Progressive Era to meet demands for training and professional development of teachers.^[8][9] During the time period, people of Northwestern Ohio pushed for a new school in their region to produce better quality education and educators.^[9] The movement argued that the existing universities: The Ohio State University in Columbus, Miami University in Oxford and Ohio University in Athens, were distant and the region lacked a state-supported school of its own.^[9]

In 1910, the Ohio General Assembly passed the Lowry Normal School Bill that authorized Governor Judson Harmon to appoint the Commission on Normal School Sites. The commission was appointed to survey the forty communities for two sites for normal schools, one in Northeastern Ohio and one in Northwestern Ohio.^[10] The commission studied major factors of each community submission, such as: population data within a 25-mile (40.2 km) radius, railroad and transportation infrastructure, the moral atmosphere of the community, the health and sanitary conditions of the community, and the suitability of proposed sites.^[9] Bowling Green offered four possible sites: a tract of land east of the city; a location north of town, east of Main Street and north of Poe Road; a location south of Gypsy Lane Road and west of Main Street; and a location on the west side of town and north of Wooster Street at the present site of Wood County Hospital.^[9] The town's available locations proved attractive to the commission and was one of four finalist locations including: Fremont, Napoleon, and Van Wert.^[9] Napoleon was the home of John Lowry but eliminated because it featured a large number of saloons, while Bowling Green was a dry town.^[9] Fremont was also eliminated, mainly due to the specific stipulations imposed by the President Rutherford B. Hayes Memorial Commission made the city less attractive to the commission.^[9] Bowling green was chosen as the location when the commission voted on November 10, 1910.^[9] The town beat out Van Wert in a 3-2 vote; the commission sited factors such as: the suitable site on the eastern side of the town on 82.5 acres (0.334 km²) of primarily rural land and a small town park;^[11] transportation facilities and the central location, and the town being dry.^[9] At the same time, the commission chose Kent as the location to establish a school in Northeastern Ohio.^[10] Over the years of 1911 and 1912, the Board of Trustees was appointed by the Governor and elected a school president on February 16, 1912.^[10] A campus plan was created and $150,000 was appropriated to develop the campus and construct the first buildings.^[12]

The school opened on September 15, 1914 as Bowling Green State Normal School in two temporary locations in Bowling Green at the Bowling Green Armory building on Wooster Street and a branch school in Toledo for the 1914-1915 academic year while construction of the first campus buildings.^[13][10] It initially enrolled 304 students from Ohio, Michigan, and New York who were taught by 21 faculty members.^[8] The school graduated its first class in 1915, consisting of 35 certified teachers. University Hall and Williams Hall opened that same year, becoming the school's first two permanent buildings on the campus. Two years later the first baccalaureate degrees for teacher education were awarded. On March 28, 1920 a tornado, part of the 1920 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak, damaged three of the schools new buildings.^[14] The tornado touched down near Bowling Green and strengthened as it moved into Ottawa County where it killed two people in Genoa.^[15]

Over the next decade the school expanded academic facilities, athletics and student life, and enrollment grew to over 900 students.^[16] On October 28, 1927, the nickname “Falcons” was originated by the sports editor of the Daily Sentinel-Tribune.^[17] He thought the Falcon was fitting because it was indicative of a powerful bird that was small in stature, its coloring represented the Bowling Green school colors, and like the athlete, the falcon is a bird that goes through a long period of training before battle.^[18] At the time the school was still named Bowling Green State Normal College, Common nicknames, used by sports writers throughout the state, were “B.G. Normals,” “Teachers,” and the “B.G. Pedagogues".^[18] Bowling Green State Normal School achieved the status of college in 1929 when the Emmons-Hanna Bill passed and changed its name to Bowling Green State College (BGSC).^[19][9] At the same time, the college expanded its curriculum through the addition of the College of Liberal Arts, now known as the College of Arts and Sciences.^[8][20]

The university was briefly in danger of closure in 1933 during the Great Depression, despite enrollment levels maintaining steady,^[9] when the Ohio State Senate Welfare Commission proposed to the state legislature the idea of converting the school into a mental health institution.^[21] As word spread about the proposed closure and conversion, many students, faculty, and administrators worked together with the Bowling Green community to protest such a move by the state.^[9] The Student Protest Committee, coordinating with the faculty and administration, orchestrated a campus rally and subsequent march through the heart of Bowling Green. Members of the Protest Committee then engaged in a letter writing campaign to different community leaders in northwest Ohio, which helped convince the state legislature that the closure of the school would be counterproductive and the measure was easily defeated by a 14-5 vote.^[9] A few years later, in May 1935, the college was granted university status and changed its name to Bowling Green State University. the new university added the College of Business Administration to the existing College of Education and College of Liberal Arts.^[22] As a university, Bowling Green was then granted the ability to award master’s degrees and within a year BGSU added master’s degree programs in education, English, history, social science and mathematics.^[9][22] In 1939, the university established The Committee for Gifts, Endowments, and Memorials. It was BGSU's first venture in a private endowment fund for financial support from sources other than student fees and state appropriations.^[23]

Although the 1940s brought an end to the Great Depression, BGSU saw large-scale changes, like many other universities of the time period, as World War II increased in size and scope. The war caused a drastic decrease in male enrollment and by 1943, the university canceled dances and formals, citing the lack of male students.^[24] Despite the drop in male enrollment the university continued expanding facilities with the addition of the first student union, The Falcon’s Nest, and new cottage style dorms for social groups and learning-living communities, and dedication of the airport.^[25][24] Bowling Green was one of 240 colleges and universities in the United States that took part in the V-5 and V-12 Navy College Training Programs to supplement the lower enrollment during the war.^[26] The programs offered students a path to a Navy commission where cadets enrolled in regular college courses as well as specialized naval training.^[9] Additional faculty were added to accommodate the military training programs at the university.^[27] Student life adapted to the wartime era with efforts such as the War Relief Committee, blood drives and War Bonds initiatives.^[27]

In the post-war era, BGSU constructed temporary structures following World War II to keep up with increased housing demands for veterans and their families.^[28] BGSU added 40 trailers to house male and married students in 1945, known as "Falcon Heights".^[28] In 1946, the university added 15 steel buildings to house male student in the area near the football stadium that became known as "Tin Pan Alley".^[28] By the late 1940s, the student house shortage became so severe that the nearby National Guard Armory and ODOT garage were converted to house male students.^[28] The Federal Housing Authority also provided two wooden barracks, ten trailers, and more steel buildings^[28] The BGSU Army ROTC was established on campus in 1948 as enrollment increased dramatically in the post war era.^[29] The university also increased academic programs such as the formation of the Graduate School by Dr. Emerson Shuck in 1948;^[29] and by 1950 enrollment grew to over 4,000.^[9]

1951 saw major changes to the university when Ralph W. McDonald was appointed the fourth president in school history, following the retirement of President Frank Prout.^[9] McDonald previously served seven years as the Executive Secretary of the Department of Higher Education of the National Education Association and also had strong interests in national movements to raise teacher education and certification standards. He was the first university president from outside Ohio.^[9] BGSU reorganized its three colleges to group common departments together within each college.^[9] Reflecting the Cold War era, BGSU added an Air Force ROTC program and a Department of Air Science and Tactics.^[30] BGSU continued to add courses of study and in the early 1950s added a Master of Education (M.Ed.) and a Master of Science (M.S.) in Education.^[9] The university constructed new residence halls during the decade, Prout Hall in 1955, Founders Quadrangle in 1957^[31] BGSU celebrated the opening of its new student center in 1958, after four years of construction at a final cost of $2.75 million.^[32]

BGSU was visited by a number of political figures in the early 1960s. First in 1960, when Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Senator John Kennedy visited the university as a campaign stop;^[33] followed two years later, in 1962, when the prince of Thailand visited the university and toured the art department and met with university administrators and students.^[34] The university added specialized programs during the 1960s, especially in the rapidly growing College of Education.^[9] BGSU added various programs in special education, school psychology, guidance and counseling and vocational rehabilitation counseling during the 1960s and expanded arts and music programs when the music department became the College of Education's first school, renamed the School of Music in 1961.^[9] In 1964, the Master of Arts (M.A.) and M.Ed. options were offered in Guidance and Counseling and added a new department in the College of Education for students pursuing college administrative positions.^[9] By 1965, BGSU's College of Education enrolled 5,470 students and was ranked the 16th largest producer of teachers in the United States.^[9] The university continued to expand its facilities during the 1960s. Memorial Hall, later known as Anderson Arena, opened in 1960.^[35] The new Administration Building opened in 1964 and the William T. Jerome Library opened three years later, in 1967.^[36][37]

Students engaged in various political and social activities during the decade. In the late 1960s student-lead Vietnam War protests were common in downtown Bowling Green and on the campus.^[38] In 1969, Black Student Union formed to encourage unity, scholarship, leadership, culture and political awareness of African Americans students.^[38][39] The majority of student activism at BGSU was peaceful and Bowling Green was the only public college or university in Ohio to remain open in the spring of 1970, following the Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970 when four students were killed by National Guard troops at Kent State during anti-war protests.^[40]

Bowling Green added two new colleges in the early 1970s, starting with the 1970s, the College of Health and Human Services in 1973. The new college was created to offer degree programs in a variety of health and community services.^[41] In 1975, the School of Music was elevated to the College of Musical Arts.^[41] In addition to the new colleges, the BGSU Popular Culture Center opened in 1970 as one of the first pop culture centers in the United States;^[42] and in 1978, the university established the University Honors Program.^[40] Throughout the 1970s undertook various new construction projects starting with the Mathematical Sciences Building, a science lecture hall that was the first building to be completed in the decade,^[42][43] followed by the Offenhauer Towers in 1971 and Industrial Education & Technology Building in 1972. Business Building and the Industrial Arts Building opened in 1973 and University Hall received renovations in 1974 that included new seating, an improved sound system and air conditioning in the auditorium..^[44][45] In 1979,the Student Recreation Center and the Moore Musical Arts Center opened.^[40] In 1970, the Board of Trustees ruled against an alcoholic beverage ban on campus. Soon after the Cardinal Room, an on-campus eatery, began serving beer.^[42] Despite the rules being loosened, a growing trend in the late 1960s and early 1970s was the developed when large apartment complexes that were constructed adjacent to the campus.^[42][46] By 1970s approximately 4,000 students lived in non-university, off-campus living.^[42] On campus, Darrow Hall became the first co-ed dorm in 1972 with men and women assigned on alternating floors.^[47]

The School of Technology was given college status in 1985 and renamed the College of Technology. The university expanded many of the technology and science facilities during the 1980s, including constructing the Planetarium and Physical Sciences Building.^[48] In 1985 Ronald Reagan became the seventh president or president to-be to visit the university after Warren G. Harding, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford.^[8][9]

During the 1990s the university renovated and constructed a number of buildings on campus. The BGSU Fine Arts Center received a $9.8 million addition in the early 1990s. Founders Hall was reopened in 1994 after extensive renovations at a cost of $15 million, that same year BGSU opened Olscamp Hall.^[49] In 1997 The university began construction on East Hall, which opened in 1998. All residence halls received wiring for Ethernet connections.^[49] Following seven past presidents, Bill Clinton made two campaign stops at the university in 1993 and 1997.^[49]

In 2008, the university began the first phase of a $200 million campus renovation project, as part of the master plan. BGSU first announced plans for the Stroh Center, a new 5,000-seat arena to replace the aging Anderson Arena.^[50] The $36 million arena opened in September 2011 as the new home of Falcon basketball and volleyball games; in addition to being used for graduation ceremonies, concerts, and other events.^[50] The arena was named for Kermit Stroh and Mary Lu Stroh, who donated $7.7 million for the project, the largest single private gift in BGSU's history.^[50] In 2009 the university began construction on the Wolfe Center for the Arts.^[51] The 93,000-square-foot (8,600 m²) facility opened in 2011 with performance space, as well as work and classroom areas for art studies of the School of Art, the Department of Theatre and Film, and the School of Musical Arts.^[52] The facility was designed by Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta, the firm's first American project.^[51] That same year, BGSU began construction on a $40 million residence hall project that included two new residence halls,^[53] one a traditional-style dorm and a second suite-style designed for upperclassmen.^[53] The residence hall project added more than 800 beds to on-campus living.^[54] In July 2010, BGSU broke ground on The Oaks dining hall facility.^[55] The building opened in the Fall 2011 semester;^[56] The Oaks was constructed with sustainable designs that included a hybrid solar and wind power system to fulfill Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), an electric-powered truck to distribute food on campus, and a rooftop garden. Additionally, plans called for the building to use sustainable and recycled construction materials.^[57]

Presidents of BGSU have included Homer B. Williams (1912–1937), R.E. Offenhauer (1937–1938), Frank J. Prout (1938–1951), Ralph W. McDonald (1951–1961), Ralph G. Harshman (1961–1963), William Travers Jerome III (1963–1970), Hollis A. Moore, Jr. (1970–1981), Michael R. Ferrari (Interim) (1981–1982), Paul J. Olscamp (1982–1995), Sidney A. Ribeau (1995–2008), and Carol A. Cartwright (2008–2011), and Mary Ellen Mazey (2011–present).^[58][59]

The main academic and residential campus of Bowling Green State is located on the Northeast side of Bowling Green, Ohio. The campus is laid out in a rectangle roughly one and a half miles long and a mile wide and includes over 116 buildings on 1,338 acres (5.41 km²).^[41] The main portion of campus is bordered by Wooster Street to the South, Thurstin Ave to the West, Poe Rd to the North, and I-75 to the East. The university also owns a number of other buildings and parking lots throughout Bowling Green and the Bowling Green Research Enterprise Park just east of I-75. Ridge Street and East Merry Street run East-West through campus and Mercer Street bisects campus on a North-South axis. Oak Grove Cemetery is located in the North-central portion of campus.

This portion of the BGSU campus is located in the southwest corner of campus. It contains the oldest buildings on campus and the historical location of the entire university. The part of campus has vast green space with many large trees and a number of historic buildings built in the early 1900s and original to the university. A number of administrative services occupy the buildings in old campus as well as classroom space. Although not part of the historic section, Founders Hall, a large residence hall is located on the Southwest corner of campus. Hanna Hall houses The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Film Theater and Gallery. Dedicated to BGSU in 1976, it features film memorabilia that honors early film history and the careers of both Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish. Ralph Evan Wolfe currently oversees The Gish Film Theater and Gallery and contributes films, movie posters, and funds to the collection. It was renovated and rededicated in 1990. It seats 168 and is home to Tuesdays at the Gish, International Film Series, and Sunday Matinee Series], which are all free and open to the community.^[60]

The Science Research Complex is located on northwest side of campus. The buildings of the science research complex are much newer, built in the mid 1960s. They include the Mathematical Science Building, Life Science, Psychology Building, Physical Science Building, and Technology Building(engineering), are all located in this portion of BGSU.^[61][43] In addition The Geology, Chemistry, and Earth Science Departments are located in Overman Hall on the Northwest portion of campus.^[62] Three large residence hall occupy the Western edge of campus. The Offenhauer Towers consist of a 10 story tower and an 11 story tower, connected by a first-floor lobby.^[63] Offenhauer is one of many places on campus featuring a small grocery store called Outtakes Quick Cuisine.^[63] McDonald Hall houses over 1,200 students,^[64] and recently gained a new, eco-friendly dining facility known as The Oaks. A new residence hall, located across the street from the Offenhauer Towers, is known as Falcon Heights and was added in 2011.^[56]

The Bowen-Thompson Student Union opened in 2002 and is located in the west-central part of campus.^[32] It houses a number of places to eat: The Falcon's Nest food court, The Bowling Greenery, Starbucks, Wendy's, and The Black Swamp Pub, an on-campus pub. Other facilities include the Campus Bookstore, The Peregrine Shop (a convenience store), an on-campus post office, computer labs, meeting rooms, a 250-seat movie theater, ball rooms, and various student lounges.^[65]

Central Campus is made up of a number of large lecture halls and classroom buildings. One of the most prominent is the 95,000 sq ft (9,000 m²) Olscamp Hall, which contains 28 classrooms and lecture halls capable of seating a total of 2,000 students. Other large lecture halls include, The Business Administration Building, The Education Building, The Math Science Building, and Eppler Complex, home to the Sport Management department. Anderson Arena is a 5,000-seat arena and the home for BGSU Men's and Women's basketball and women's gymnastics and volleyball. Memorial Hall is connected to Anderson and houses the college's ROTC programs.^[66] Jerome Library is the main library on campus and the second tallest building at nine stories.

The building for Student Health Services is located along Ridge Street next to Oak Grove Cemetery. The BGSU campus police station as well as parking counseling services is located in the College Park Office Building on N. College Ave on the southern edge of campus. Kohl Hall is a dormitory exclusive to members of the Chapman Learning Community and Partners in Context & Community for Urban Educators.^[67] Conklin North, previously known as Rodgers Quadrangle, is another residence hall located along Wooster Street in the central portion of campus.^[68] A new, predominately Freshman dormitory known as Centennial Hall was established in 2011 and is equipped with its own Dining Hall, known as Carillon Place Dining.^[69][70] Located along Wooster Street is a complex of individual on-campus fraternity houses as well as a few sorority houses, although the majority of sorority living spaces are near the Student Union on the western edge of BGSU's campus.^[71]

Arts programs are located to the East of Anderson Arena and Jerome Library in the East-central portion of campus. The Fine Arts Center is home to the School of Art and houses classroom, studio, and workshop spaces, art galleries, and faculty offices. In the Fine Arts Center, there is a glassblowing studio. BGSU is one of a few notable schools that offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in glassblowing. The Moore Musical Arts Center is located along Ridge St and is the home to the College of Musical Arts. Moore includes classrooms, recording studios, rehearsal halls, and Kobacker Hall, a large theater where many performances on campus are held.^[72] The MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music, a national center with a focus on the study, performance, creative work and promotion of contemporary music is housed within the Moor Musical Arts Center.^[73] Construction the Wolfe Center for the Arts began in April 2009 and opened in December 2011.^[74] The Wolfe Center is new centerpiece for the Arts portion of campus, located between the Fine Arts Building and the Moore Musical Arts Center a. The 93,000 sq ft (9,000 m²) building houses the School of Art, the Department of Theatre and Film, and the School of Musical Arts.^[52] It includes classrooms, rehearsal space, performance/theater space, as well as design and office space, the 400-seat Thomas and Kathleen Donnell Theatre,^[75] and also contains a black-box stage, editing and digital laboratories, classrooms, studios, faculty space, and choral rehearsal rooms.^[52][76]

On the east end of the BGSU campus are two identical residence halls known as the Harshman Quadrangle and the Kreischer Quadrangle, and are separated by a large field with benches, plant life, and space for sport or leisure activities.^[77][78] Harshman is located on the corner of E. Wooster and Mercer streets. Kreischer is located on the corner of Ridge and Mercer streets. Each quadrangle contains four connected halls that operate as separate units. In the Harshman Quadrangle, these units are identified as Anderson, Bromfield, Chapman, and Dunbar.^[79] In Kreischer, the separate halls are known as Ashley, Batchelder, Compton, and Darrow.^[80] Kreischer features a popular dining hall called The Sundial as well as an Outtakes store located in Kreischer-Ashley.^[81] Kreischer-Compton is also home to the Arts Village Learning Community, where students of any major that are interested in dance, art, creative writing, theater, or music may join.^[82] Students in this learning community are encouraged to participate and explore all areas of the arts while living and communicating together in Kreischer-Compton. This learning community also offers exclusive classes available to members only and are all conducted within the dormitory itself.^[82]

The majority of Athletic and recreation facilities are located on the Eastern half of campus along and to the East of Mercer Street. The Student Recreation Center is a 185,000 sq ft (17,000 m²) facility that includes two swimming pools, four weight rooms, a cardio room, an elevated running track, an Activity Center for aerobics and a large Sports Center which accommodates basketball, tennis, volleyball, and badminton and other sports.^[83] To the north of the Rec Center lies the Perry Field House is a 127,000 sq ft (12,000 m²) athletic facility with a 100 x 60 indoor synthetic turf, four batting cages, and a 200-meter track encircling four courts for basketball, volleyball, or tennis.^[84] The BGSU Ice Arena is a 5,000-seat ice hockey arena that is used by various teams and clubs as well as public use.^[85] In addition to the main ice surface the arena also includes a smaller ice sheet for curling, figure skating, youth ice hockey, and public skating.^[86] The Eppler complex is oldest building on campus for athletics and is main practice area for cheerleading, gymnastics, dancing and fencing. At one time it housed the original natatorium.^[87] Doyt Perry Stadium is a 28,600 seat college football stadium located on the Eastern edge of campus along I-75.^[88] The Stroh Center is a new on-campus venue for athletics, concerts, commencement, lectures, and numerous campus and community events. The facility serves as the home for the Falcons men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball programs. Notably, the new structure is one of the most environmentally friendly buildings on campus, designed to achieve challenging Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.^[89]

The campus fare-free bus transit system began in 1990 and runs throughout the campus and surrounding neighborhoods.^[49] In 2005 the university began testing Hybrid buses on service's main route.^[90]The first hybrid bus on the system used a proprietary diesel/electric propulsion system, known as a Hybrid Booster Drive (HBD), and was developed by the Electric Vehicle Institute (EVI) within the BGSU College of Technology.^[90]

The system is made up of four routes (not including the special shortened Sunday-only route).^[91] The main route, designated the Orange and Brown Route, operates 7:30am-1:00am Monday to Wednesday, 7:30am-2:30am Thursday and Friday, 7:00pm-2:30am Saturday, and 5:00pm-1:00am Sunday.^[92] It includes major stops at various residence halls, academic buildings, and athletic buildings around the BGSU campus and buses run every 10 minutes.^[92] Off Campus North Route, Green Route, operates 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30am-5:00pm on Friday; it runs the bus stop at the Offenhauer/Falcon Heights bus stop near the Science Research Complex before leaving campus and running north to the local Kroger grocery store before heading back southeast with stops at major apartment complexes and the Wood County Hospital.^[92] The Off Campus South Route, Blue Route, operates on the same schedule as the Green Route and runs through the southern portion of campus and the Jerome Library then stops at the Centrex Building, South College/TV Station, various streets and apartment complexes in the neighborhoods south of the university.^[92] The Downtown Route, Red Route, operates on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings from 7:00pm-2:30am and runs along the southern portion of campus with stops at Harshman Hall, the Conkin Building and the Centrex Building before leaving campus and making stops in downtown Bowling Green.^[92]

The Orange Bike program began in 2008 as part of an increase in campus sustainability. The program operates as has a community bikeshare system to reduce the carbon footprint of students' commutes across campus.^[93] Riders register once and have the option to ride an Orange Bike anywhere on-campus, lock it up at any university bike rack where it is free for another user.^[94]

The Bowling Green State University Police Department is staffed by 24 full-time, state certified police officers who have full police authority by the state of Ohio.^[95][96] In addition to the police officers, the BGSU Police Department also includes a student safety services staff that provides services for the university community, such as crowd control and the campus escort service.^[96] The BGSU Police Department provides 24-hour law enforcement and security, campus escort service, motorist assistance, educational programs, and crime prevention information for the BGSU campus and surrounding areas.^[96] The department uses uniformed officers to patrol the campus in marked police cars, bicycles, and on foot and has a mutual aid agreement with the Bowling Green City Police and with all other state university police departments in Ohio.^[96]

The college is located in Huron, Ohio, and about 60 miles (97 km) east of Bowling Green.^[97] BGSU Firelands is a non-residential, commuter school and accommodates approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students served by 51 full-time faculty members, as well as a number of part-time faculty.^[97] BGSU Firelands has a 20:1 student-faculty ration is made up of 32% of Fireland's student population is nontraditional (over age 25).^[97] The college offers fifteen associate degrees in 22 areas of study and prepares students for transfer to bachelor’s programs or for entry into the job market in a technical or paraprofessional area.^[97] The college also offers nine on-site bachelor's degree programs in Early Childhood Education, Criminal Justice, Business Administration, Liberal Studies, Visual Communication Technology, Applied Health Science, Nursing, and Advanced Tech Ed..^[97] Students can take general education classes towards BGSU majors at the main campus classes or transferring to another four year institution.^[97]

First offered in 1946 in the Sandusky, area and later expanded to serve Erie, Huron, Lorain, and Ottawa counties, extension programs established a foundation for BGSU Firelands, the university's regional campus.^[98] The college was established at a site located near Lake Erie in Huron, Ohio when the first building (now Foundation Hall) at the Huron location was opened.^[98] In 2003, the Cedar Point Center opened its doors on the Firelands campus to serve constituents of the university and the community.^[98] The facility houses a 450-seat divisible public meeting area, smaller conference rooms, a cyber cafe, multimedia classrooms, and two distance learning classrooms.^[99] In March 2011, BGSU Firelands unveiled a new master plan^[100] The master plan called for the construction of three new buildings to meet the demands of increased enrollment and expected enrollment increases at the college; increased college and community partnerships; and expand James H. McBride Arboretum to the entire campus.^[100]

Academic rankings
National
Forbes[101]	481
U.S. News & World Report[102]	177
Washington Monthly[103]	162

Bowling Green State University offers more than 200 undergraduate majors and confers degrees from its eight colleges.^[104] BGSU has full accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.^[105] Bowling Green has been fully accredited by the North Central Association of the Higher Learning Commission since 1916 and received its ten-year renewal in 2002-2003.^[105] In addition, BGSU has accreditation from the HLC to offer full degree programs online.^[105] The university offers bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees through its eight colleges:^[106]

• College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Business Administration
• College of Education and Human Development
• Firelands College
• Graduate College
• College of Health and Human Services
• College of Musical Arts
• College of Technology

For the 2011-12 academic year, the university was ranked 177th by U.S. News & World Report's National University Rankings of America's Best Colleges 2012, 162nd by The Washington Monthly's rankings of , and 481st by Forbes'' rankings of America's Top Colleges. In addition, BGSU was ranked 97th on the Top Public Schools ranking by U.S. News & World Report.^[107] BGSU remains a leader in teacher preparation institution and was ranked 127th among America's Best Education Schools by the U.S. News & World Report.^[108] Students enrolled in the College of Education and Human Development may choose majors from among several teacher licensure areas, including early childhood (grades Pre-K to 3), Middle Childhood (grades 4 - 9), Adolescent-Young Adult (grades 7 - 12), Special Education (grades K - 12), and foreign language (grades K - 12). In addition, BGSU continues to have one of the top four programs in the United States for Industrial & Organizational Psychology per U.S. News & World Report.^[109]

BGSU's degree programs include the nation's first Ph.D. program in photochemical science, one of the first undergraduate programs in neuroscience, the first masters degree in Organizational Development and the first executive MBA program in the State of Ohio.^{[citation needed]} The college of Business recently opened a facility at Levis Commons in Perrysburg Ohio for its Professional MBA program.

BGSU has a student-faculty ratio of 18:1.^[110] The university currently has 1,982 total academic staff, including: 797 full-time faculty, 312 adjunct faculty, and 873 graduate assistant and research staff.^[2]

In 1979, American author James Baldwin taught at BGSU for one quarter as a Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Ethnic Studies Department, after a month-long stint as writer-in-residence in 1978.^[111]

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education classified Bowling Green State University as a Doctorate-granting Research University with high research activity.^[112] In the first quarter of fiscal year 2012, BGSU spent received about $8.1 million in research funds from various federal funds for research, the university, and other private donations and research sources with over 52% from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Energy United States Department of Health and Human Services]], and the United States Department of Education.^[5] Research projects in the areas of Psychology, Sociology, Education and Human Development, Energy and Sustainability, are among the most prominent at the university.^[5]

The BGSU Center for Sustainability and the Environment was named as one of Ohio’s Centers of Excellence in advanced energy by the Ohio Board of Regents in October 2009.^[113] The center conducts research on renewable energy such as solar energy and wind generation on Lake Erie, energy conversion, and using algae to generate biofuel.^[113] Researches at BGSU in conjunction with the University of Toledo researchers created new ways to effectively determine capable sites in Ohio for windmills.^[113]

In 2010, BGSU's Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan Center was named as a Center for Excellence by the Ohio Board of Regents.^[114] The center became the second Center for Excellence at the university, following the Center for Sustainability and the Environment, which was designated October 2009.^[114] The Center of Excellence for Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan primarily focuses on research pertaining to areas such as physical health, substance use and abuse, mental health, voice and speech science, family and marriage research, and health communication. It houses the first National Center for Family & Marriage Research, established at BGSU by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the Center for Family and Demographic Research, that has received long-term funding by the National Institutes of Health for voice and speech science research.^[114]

Bowling Green's athletic teams are known as the Falcons. The university participates in NCAA Division I (Division I-A for football) as a member of the Mid-American Conference and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association for ice hockey. BGSU is one of only 13 universities in the country offering NCAA division I-A football, division I men's and women's basketball, and Division I ice hockey.^[115] The Falcons' main rivals are the Rockets of the University of Toledo. Separated by just 20 miles (32 km) on Interstate 75, the two schools celebrate a heated rivalry in several sports.^[116] The most well-known of these games is the Battle of I-75, a football game held each year in which the winner takes home the Peace Pipe, an American Indian peace pipe placed upon a wood tablet.^[117] The university sponsors 18 athletic teams: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross county, football, men's and women's golf, women's gymnastics, men's ice hockey, men's and women's soccer, softball, women's swimming, women's tennis, women's track and field, and women's volleyball.^[118]

The Falcons women's basketball teams has had recent success in the postseason, the team won three conference championships in a row in women's basketball in 2005, 2006, and 2007.^[119] In advancing to the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship each of those years, the Falcons lost in the first round in 2005 and 2006, but then won their first two games on their way to the "Sweet Sixteen" in 2007.^[120] The 1984 Falcons hockey team defeated the University of Minnesota Duluth in the longest college hockey championship game in history, to win the NCAA National Championship.^[121] Former BGSU head football coach Doyt Perry lead the Falcons to a NCAA "Small College" Football National Title and undefeated season in 1959.^[122]

Former BGSU coaches have gone on to prominent careers after their tenure at the university. Former head football coach Urban Meyer went on to great success at the University of Florida, earning two BCS National Championship Game appearances in a three year span, winning in both 2007 and 2009.^[123] Former BGSU head hockey coach Jerry York went on to become the winningest active coach in NCAA hockey and win three NCAA National Championships at Boston College in 2001, 2008, and 2010 after his first at Bowling Green in 1984.^[124]

The Falcon Marching Band is the largest student organization at BGSU, with over 220 members and is open to all BGSU students.^[125] The band performs at all home football games and various other university functions; the band has also performed at select road football games and various bowl games including the Raisin Bowl in Fresno, California, Silver Bowl in Las Vegas, Nevada, Motor City Bowl in Detroit, Michigan, and the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.^[125] In 2007, the band was invited to perform at the Bands of America Regional in Indianapolis, Indiana.^[125] The Athletic Band is auditioned group that at most basketball and hockey games, as well as other university events.^[125]

The university's student body comes from various locations across the United States, Canada, and other worldwide locations. Bowling Green has an on-campus residential student population of 6,500 students as of 2011.^[6] Approximately 85% of Bowling Green's total enrollment is made up of in-state students from Ohio.^[3] Out-of-state students come from all 50 US states and 70 foreign countries attend classes on BGSU's main campus per academic year.^[3][7] The majority of students attend classes on BGSU's main campus per academic year,^{[3] [7]} In addition to the main campus enrollment, 2,500 students enrolled in classes at BGSU Firelands as of 2011, 300 students attend classes at BGSU extension locations, and over 600 students attend classes via distance learning.^[126][127]

The university is has an extensive student life program, with over 300 student organizations; club and recreational sports programs; nationally ranked living-learning communities and freshmen experience programs; various student media organizations and publications; and Greek organizations.^[128] Bowling Green State University has been recognized for excellence in first-year experience programs and residential living/learning communities by the U.S. News & World Report since 2003,^[129] however the university did not fall in the top 10 in the 2011-12 edition of the publication.^[130] In BGSU's residential learning communities, students with similar interests, majors, cultural connections, and goals live and study together. In the academically based communities students work closely with faculty members who teach classes and have offices right in the residence hall.^[129] BGSU offers eight residential learning communities: Arts Village, Global Village, Honors Learning Community, La Comunidad, La Maison Française, Natural and Health Sciences Residential Community, Partners in Context and Community, Chapman Community at Kohl; eight residential theme communities: Army ROTC, Aviation, Batchelder Music Community, Construction Management, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Wellness, and SEARCH; and one non-residential learning community known as Honors Scholars.^[131] BGSU has been included U.S. News & World Report's rankings for First-Year Experience Programs since the 2006-07 edition of the report.^[129] The university was again ranked in the top ten in the 2011-12 edition.^[132] In addition, Bowling Green has redesigned its undergraduate curriculum, creating an interdisciplinary program known as the BGeXperience (BGeX),^[133]that places a focus on personal growth and development, social connections, critical thinking, problem solving and diversity. First-year students begin the BGeX program the during the BGeX Introduction Weekend prior to the start of the semester and continue taking courses designed to meet BGeX criteria throughout the four years of the undergraduate programs.^[129]

GeoJourney is a special academic program conducted by School of Earth, Environment, and Society and features s a nine-week field trip/camping trip/road trip across the United States to many national parks and monuments for a full semester of college credit.^[134] The course content taught as a part of the GeoJourney field program includes geology, environmental studies and Native American studies and are applicable towards satisfy the BG Perspective general education requirements.^[134] Students on the journey conduct interdisciplinary field investigations at many of parklands and gain first-hand experiences in a wide range of geographic environments.^[134] In 2004 the first GeoJourney trip went to 24 states 30 national parks and covered over 14,500 miles across the United States. Since then the GeoJourney program has run every year and taken 24 students around the country for BGSU course credit.^[134]

From its beginning in 1999 as a student run organization under the University Activities Organization, the BGSU Outdoor Program has evolved into a valuable additional to campus life as a part of the Department of Recreational Sports.^[135] The program offers outdoor trips, an indoor climbing wall, team-building, and an outdoor equipment rental center to BGSU students, faculty, staff and surrounding community members.^[135] In August 2008 the BGSU Outdoor Program introduced the Freshman Wilderness Experience. This program couples a week-long backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail with a monthly class to assist students in transitioning from high school to college life.^[136] In 2009 The Outdoor Program won the David J Web Award by the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) for being an outstanding non-profit outdoor program by AORE.^[137]

Bowling Green is home to many fraternities and sororities. In 2010, 13% of all undergraduate men and 15% of undergraduate women are members of Greek organizations at the university.^[138] Fraternities and sororities are apart of one of four councils: Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC), Panhellenic Council (Panhel), National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), or Multicultural Greek Council (MGC).^[139] IFC members include: Alpha Sigma Phi, Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Chi, Delta Tau Delta, Kappa Alpha Order, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and Tau Kappa Epsilon.^[140] Panhel members include: Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Phi, Alpha Xi Delta, Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, Delta Zeta, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Mu, Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Kappa.^[141] NPHC members include eight of the Divine nine: Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Iota Phi Theta fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, & Zeta Phi Beta sorority.^[142] MGC members include: Delta Lambda Phi fraternity (Gay, Bisexual and Progressive Men), Delta Xi Phi sorority (Multicultural), Omega Phi Alpha sorority (service), Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity, Sigma Lambda Beta International fraternity, Inc, and Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority.^[143]

BGSU has a variety of campus media outlets. The independent student newspaper operated, The BG News has been published since 1920.^[144] It was known as the Bee Gee News before the publication assumed its current name on September 21, 1951.^[144] The paper is available for free at 135 newsstands across the campus and in the local community and since 2009 the paper is so available on an upgraded web portal known as BG Views.^[145] The paper prints 7,000 copies of the paper Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters, and prints on Wednesday during the summer.^[145] The university's independent, student operated yearbook was first published in 1918 but stopped after its first edition for six years and in 1924 the yearbook resumed production and was published every year since 1924 as a comprehensive record of students, activities, and events for a given year.^[146] In 2008, the yearbook was replaced with a magazine format, The Key Magazine, and is published biannually, in fall and spring semesters.^[146]

Electronic media include two radio stations and one public television station, as well as student-produced television shows. BGSU's Public Broadcasting Service affiliate, WBGU-TV, broadcasts to nineteen counties in northwestern and west central Ohio and hosts various educational television PBS programming, local programming, as well as the BG24 News, a student-run television newscast airing live at 5:30pm three days a week. The campus is home to two student-operated radio stations as part of the Department of Telecommunications. WBGU 88.1 FM and WFAL Falcon Radio. WBGU-FM serves as an independent radio, non-commercial educational (NCE), FCC-licensed college radio station that focuses mostly on Independent music programming and serves as the flagship station for women's basketball and hockey;^[147] while WFAL Falcon Radio, formerly WFAL 1610 AM, is a student-run commercial radio station that broadcasts a variety of music programming including Modern rock, Top 40, Hip hop and talk shows.^[148] Both radio stations also host news and sports talk shows and BGSU athletic events through partnerships with other student-media organizations. The Bowling Green Radio News Organization (BGRNO) provides radio news coverage Monday-Friday through student-produced shows;^[149] while the Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization (BGRSO) broadcasts various BGSU athletic events on WBGU-FM and WFAL as well as local high school sports on WFAL.^[149]

The Mid-American Review is an international literary journal published through the BGSU Department of English. The Mid-American Review showcases contemporary fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and translations.^[150]It was created in 1980 when the format was changed from a student-published literary magazine, known as the Itinerary, to an international publication.^[151] Prairie Margins is a national undergraduate literary journal published by students in the Creative Writing Program at BGSU. The annual journal features literary work by both BGSU students and undergraduate creative writers from other institutions.^[152] The Projector is a peer-reviewed electronic journal on film, media and culture published twice a year by the Department of Theatre & Film.^[153]

SICSIC is an official spirit organization at BGSU that began in 1946 by President Frank J. Prout.^[58] SICSIC routinely attends major BGSU sporting events and other campus activities promoting school spirit. The organization is secret and contains six members, two each for sophomore, junior, and senior classes. Two new members chosen at the end of their class's freshman year to replace that year's two graduating seniors.^[58] The group is characterized by their use of gray jumpsuits and masks of famous pop culture and political figures to hide the identities of the member, which are not revealed until the last home basketball game of their senior year.^[154]

BGSU's official mascots are Freddie and Frieda Falcon.^[155] Freddie Falcon began appearing at athletic events in 1950 with Frieda's first appeared on February 25, 1966 as Mrs. Freddie Falcon.^[155] Nearly 20 years later, Frieda re-emerged for the 1980-81 academic year as Freddie’s little sister.^[155] 1980 marked the first official female Frieda after the 1966 version was played by a male cheerleader.^[155] Freddie and Frieda routinely make appearances at BGSU athletic events and other major events around campus and the community.^[155] In a similar tradition to SICSIC, the identities of the students who play Freddie and Frieda are not revealed until the end of the basketball and hockey seasons.^[155]

BGSU currently is the home of Ohio's largest student-run philanthropy, Dance Marathon.^[156] Dance Marathon is run entirely by college students nationwide to benefit local children's hospitals, and is one of the largest and most active Dance Marathon organizations in the nation.^[156] Funds raised through BGSU's Dance Marathon benefit ill or injured children at the Mercy Children's Hospital in Toledo via the Children's Miracle Network.^[156] 2011 marked the 16th year the BG has conducted the Dance Marathon.^[157] Since the event began, it has raised over $2.2 million for the Children's Hospital.^[157]

Bowling Green hosts an annual event for three days in February similar to other winter cities to celebrate winter, snow, and cold weather activities.^[158] Winterfest was first held in 2009 and centers around the rich ice skating and ice hockey traditions of the town.^[159] Winterfest events are held all over Bowling Green, and on and off campus.^[160] Many of the on campus events are held at the BGSU Ice Arena, curling, skating, BGSU ice hockey and figure skating exhibitions are just a few of the events held during the weekend on campus.^[161]

Bowling Green is the has been the home for the American Legion event known as Buckeye Boys State since 1978.^[162] Buckey Boys State gathers high school juniors from all over Ohio for a nine day program in June. At Buckeye Boys State, the students operate a full government modeled after the Government of Ohio.^[163]

Alumni of Bowling Green State University have become notable in a variety of different fields including politics and government, business, science, literature, arts and entertainment, and athletics. A number of Bowling Green Falcons have excelled at the collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels sports, including: Kevin Bieksa,^[164] Rob Blake,^[165] Scott Hamilton,^[159] Orel Hershiser,^[166] Mike McCullough,^[167] George McPhee.^[168] Ken Morrow,^[169] Don Nehlen,^[170] Jordan Sigalet,^[171] and Nate Thurmond.^[172] Alumni involved in government and politics include: former Israeli ambassador Daniel Ayalon,^[173] Ohio state senator Kevin Coughlin.^[174], Ohio state senator Randy Gardner,^[175], and current Ohio congressman Tim Ryan.^[176] Other notable alumni include: author Philana Marie Boles,^[177] TCU Chancellor Dr. Victor J. Boschini^[178] actor Tim Conway,^[179] ESPN sportscaster Jay Crawford^[180] NYU economic professor William Easterly,^[181] CBS News Correspondent Steve Hartman,^[182] Colonel Brenda Joyce Hollis prosecutor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone by the United Nations Secretary-General.^[183] ESPN sportscaster Jason Jackson,^[184] Adobe Systems President and CEO Shantanu Narayen,^[185] Group President for Discovery Communications Eileen O'Neill,^[186] and actress Eva Marie Saint.^[187]

• Official BGSU website
• Official Falcons Athletics website