Grade card season came and went, and the University has passed with flying colors.
In the annual ‘America’s Best Colleges’ report by U.S. News, the University was noted in three categories of excellence: a strong commitment to teaching, first-year experience programs and learning communities.
Universities and colleges are ranked within four main groupings: National Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Universities-Master’s, and Baccalaureate Colleges.
Bowling Green State University falls under the National Universities category, which U.S. News described as the ‘262 national universities in the country (164 public, 98 private) … that offer a full range of undergraduate majors, as well as master’s and doctoral degrees.’
The University was ranked 11th, along with eight others, in the group of National Universities with a focus on undergraduate education. BGSU was listed among private and public institutions such as the University of Chicago, University of Michigan and Yale University.
In the ‘Programs to Look For,’ the University was listed for both first-year experience programs, as well as its learning communities.
Joel O’Dorisio, an instructor at Chapman Community in Kohl Hall, said the learning communities at the University provide students with many opportunities and experiences.
‘What is great about our curriculum is that they’re taking the material they learn in class and using it in real life applications in the community,’ he said.
Most students are familiar with BGeXperience, the first-year experience program at the University that introduces students to campus life and the values of education. Director of the BGeXperience Program George Agich said the program is effective because it challenges both faculty and students to think in a new way.
‘What we’ve done is taken faculty out of their disciplinary home and challenged them to think about what they’re doing in their freshman courses.’
O’Dorisio said while the ranking is great, the University is just trying to serve its students.
‘I think whether we were or we weren’t [recognized], each of us puts in 100 percent,’ he said. ‘We are teaching because we enjoy working with the students, so having that recognition is sort of the icing on the cake, but the cake tastes good already.’
