Bowling Green State University Friday afternoon confirmed plans to reduce its faculty by
approximately 100 full time positions for Fall Semester 2013.University Spokesperson David Kielmeyer
said the move will save an estimated $5.2 million “which will be reallocated to other university
priorities.”Kielmeyer said the top priority is to provide competitive salaries for faculty and staff.
BGSU now has 932 full time faculty members.The university is negotiating a first contract with the
Bowling Green State University Faculty Association.Plans for the faculty reduction were apparently
revealed earlier this week at the monthly BGSU Faculty-Senate meeting during a report by Senior Vice
President for Academic Affairs and Provost Rodney Rogers.“All of these positions will come from
attrition, retirements and the expiration of some one-year teaching contracts,” the statement said.
“Over time, students’ interest in areas of study changes, and the university must adjust to meet these
evolving teaching needs.Kielmeyer said Rogers would be meeting with the deans of the respective colleges
over the next few weeks to determine where the faculty reductions will be made.The statement indicated
the university benchmarks its staffing levels against similar institutions across the state,
particularly Kent State University, Ohio University, and Miami University.“Our priority is ensuring the
success of our students, and we are constantly evaluating staffing to meet their needs and operate as
efficiently as possible,” Rogers said Friday in the statement.“This will not impact the quality of a
BGSU education or a student’s ability to graduate on time,” Rogers said.Kielmeyer said the university
has no plans to offer retirement incentives.Kielmeyer also said the university is anticipating a higher
than normal number of retirements in the next few years because of changes being made to the state
retirement programs.BGSU President Mary Ellen Mazey sent an email to faculty and staff on the move his
afternoon.