University’s enrollment office continues to evolve

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The fate of Bowling Green State University rests on what seems a rather simple concept: get students to
come and have them stay long enough to graduate.
As faculty and administrators have debated the finances of the university, the discussion has always
circled back to that.
In the midst of that discussion, the university announced to university faculty as they arrived back on
campus for the new semester that a second top enrollment official was leaving.
Alberto Colom, vice provost for academic operations, has resigned and Dr. Joe Frizado, a veteran BGSU
administrator, would be leading the university’s enrollment management. Frizado came to BGSU in 1982 to
teach geology.
The university’s long-time chief enrollment officer Gary Swegan announced in October that he was leaving
to take a position at Youngstown State University.
Colom’s resignation, Provost Rodney Rogers said Friday, is effective at the end of June. "We tend
not to want to comment on personnel issues. …. My understanding is he’s pursuing a variety of
opportunities."
According to the person who answered the telephone at his office Friday, Colom was unavailable.
As vice provost for academic operations, Frizado has overseen records and registration as well as
institutional research. He worked closely with Colom on data related to recruitment and the retention of
students.
It was "natural" for Frizado "to step into this role in transition because he was very
aware of the recruitment strategies and retention strategies that have been put in place," Rogers
said.
Colom will continue to consult with Frizado.
Frizado had been interim dean of the College of Technology, Architecture, and Applied Engineering. Dr.
Venu Dasigi, who is chair of the Department of Computer Science, will take over as interim dean.
Where some functions of enrollment management will change, the major admissions and enrollment functions
will stay under Frizado’s management. "This is an opportunity to begin to think about how we’re
organized, and ask are there ways we can gain some efficiencies and not lose effectiveness," Rogers
said.
In the letter to faculty, he said the university will begin a search for Swegan’s replacement as director
of undergraduate admissions soon.
The university’s goal remains recruiting 3,600 freshmen. "Next month we’ll have a better sense of
what that class might look like."
While optimistic groups of prospective students "in some areas we seem to be a little behind,"
he said. That includes some areas of the state and out-of-state students, "There is an ebb and flow
every year."
That may help is information garnered from current students. While the current freshman class was
smaller, though better prepared academically, it appears the university keeping more of them, and those
students are doing better academically, Rogers said. That’s especially true of students taking inked
courses, a set of courses linked together based on students’ interests.
He said that was the kind of student experience that could be shared with prospective students to show
them "the value of a Bowling Green education."

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