Bowling Green State to Lay Off 43

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BGSU is cutting graduate assistantships in College Student Personnel, too.

Suite308 of OH 7:07PM January 24, 2009

It is interesting to see that the areas of first consideration of getting on the chopping block are the one's that deal in student services. Is a non-researched based faculty member or any faculty member more important to keep than a seasoned student personnel services member?

JJ of NY 12:55PM January 21, 2009

I'm a University Administrator, former corporate executive, and an alumnus of BGSU's well-regarded Master's in College Student Personnel program. Points made above (both excerpts) are valid in different contexts. What makes Bowling Green's situation unique is that they have a large staff of bright masters students (probably about 80 or so) who serve in halftime assistantship roles within most of these units (for roughly the last 20 years). While the full-time administrators are extremely necessary to carry out continuity and overall direction of BGSU's student services, the grad students have now an amazing opportunity to run the show, so to speak. This will require (I'm assuming) quite a bit of interaction with the faculty who TEACH in the CSP and Higher Education programs, as those faculty members will likely be consulted like never before on how to run BG's auxillary units. In the past, they were tasked with research and teaching (traditional roles). I have no insider insight on the matter, but I have to think this will change (informally). They are great people and will do what's right for the organization. My heart goes out to those staff who are going to lose their jobs (an avg. salary worth ~$36,000 plus benefits - faculty often make multiple(s) of this figure, btw), and I pray that they will move through this economic crisis with success on the other side.
The key takeaway is that BGSU can do something very few (if any) other colleges/universities can. Before looking at this as an example on how to save $, institutions of higher learning must think about their models of delivering service first.

BG Alum of MO 2:24PM January 07, 2009

Working as a University Administrator for 14 years, I find it trite that Bowling Green S.U. actually believes that $2M in savings is worth the cost of laying off your managerial personnel who run Financial Aid, Residence Life, etc. Who do they believe will fill their shoes? Secretaries? Maintenance Staff? Faculty? That's laughable. Faculty members still refuse to fill-out recommendations for student scholarship applications. If anyone at BGSU thinks part time faculty will pick up the slack in Registrar's Office or G-d forbid, Parking, they are sorely mistaken. The savings of $2M is not worth leaving students without proper management to handle their services need. BGSU will find their enrollment dropping with students transferring in droves to colleges/universities that have the management to process them smoothly.

University Administrator of NY 1:58PM January 07, 2009

We are getting to soft at work and productivityis lower than expected. Although the anxiety about one's future and job is stressful it is time to start placing more demands and more productivity. Since the Johnson's administration and the Great Society plans America has been procrastinating on the job, want the easy way but more money and higher standard of living. It is time now to reverse the pendulum of exacerbated wages and relazxation in the work place.
With regarfd to teaching in collefge I do not see why the average class room should be less than 30 or 40 students. Those who come to learn cn listen and those who come to teach still cn talk. Save money is not the ultimate goal, it is the hard and productive work I subscribe to. (All administrators do).
And come here and see the most unqualified personnel at OSU.Time to appeal to real scholars who should implement a scholarly life style not community friendly community of limited in ability personnel

Scotass Danqlas of OR 3:43PM January 06, 2009