The cost for meal plans and residence halls will increase at Bowling Green State University.
The trustees voted on the increase at Friday’s meeting.
It was also reported that BGSU received a $2.5 million donation for the School of the Built Environment from Kokosing Inc.
The fiscal year 2023 rate increases, which take effect this fall, were approved by trustees at the with little comment.
Meal plans will increase by 4.6%, or $5.15 per week, for the Bronze plan, which is used by the state for comparison purposes. The Bronze meal plan in 2022 was $1,860 and it will increase to $1,945. There will be the same percentage increases for all other plans.
The residence hall average room rate increase will be 2.3%. The biggest jump in room rates will be in the tier 1 double room rate, at 3%. The 2022 rate was $2,945; the new fee will be $3,180.
The standard basic double room will cost an additional $95 per semester.
Fees were also added for some BGSU programs.
Undergraduate nursing majors do not currently have course material fees, but starting in 2023 there will be a $219 fee.
The Private Pilot Instruction I course fee will increase from $7,650 to $8,140.
In other business, BGSU School of the Built Environment is receiving a gift of $2.5 million from Kokosing Inc.
The university is undertaking a 22,900-square-foot expansion of the Park Avenue building, which will now be called Kokosing Hall in recognition of the gift that BGSU President Rodney Rogers called “transformative.”
Headquartered in Westerville, Kokosing is a family-owned construction company. It is the 53rd largest in the U.S. and one of the largest in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic.
Kokosing, which was founded by Bill Burgett and Lester Rinehart in 1951, specializes in industrial, transportation, building, pipeline, water/wastewater treatment and marine construction, in addition to owning construction material supply companies.
“We didn’t talk about construction. We didn’t talk about operations. We talked about recruiting, development and talent. We talked about culture and retention rate of employees,” David O’Brian, chair of trustees, said. “Clearly this is a cultural fit of shared values.”
The gift will support a new learning environment that converges construction management with architecture programming and provides design-build space that promotes greater insight into industry trends, academic programming and engagement leading to co-op internship opportunities.
Kokosing has been a longtime supporter of experiential learning opportunities, hosting BGSU students in co-op roles for 25-plus years. In addition, Kokosing employs 32 BGSU construction management graduates.
Upon its completion, Kokosing Hall will have a 6,500-square-foot innovation lab, a materials and soils lab, collaborative spaces and two digital labs to serve students in both the construction management and architecture and environmental design programs.
Changes in student enrollment were also presented to the trustees.
As part of the Educational and General Budget report, the undergraduate student tuition revenue for the 2022 fiscal year, through December 2021, shows a decrease of $546,000, or -0.4% compared to the prior year. It was attributed to three semesters of falling undergraduate enrollment.
Summer 2021 headcount dropped 138 students, or 672 credit hours, fall semester decreased by 487, or 8,993 credit hours, and spring has dropped 589 students, or 9,768 credit hours.
Total revenue for year-to-date 2022 was $253.6 million, or an increase of of 0.4%, or $933,000. Meanwhile, the 2022 year-to-date expenses totaled $158.5 million, which was an 8.3% increase, or $12.2 million.
Four Distinguished Professorships were also awarded at the trustees meeting.
Dwayne Gremler, Ph.D. and Annette Mahoney, Ph.D., were honored as Distinguished Research Professors, Carrie Hamady, Ed.D. was honored as a Distinguished Teaching Professor. Jayaraman Sivaguru, Ph.D., was honored as Distinguished University Professor.
