As published in the November 1, 2011 Toledo Business Journal
Dr. Rodney Rogers
Bowling Green State University
Work experience improving business education
BGSU plans $200+M capital investment
Toledo Business Journal recently interviewed Dr. Rodney Rogers, Interim Provost and Dean of the College of Business Administration of Bowling Green State University (BGSU). He shared the following thoughts.
Toledo Business Journal: Can you discuss changes to the College of Business curriculum that provides work experience to students in the program?
Rodney Rogers: The College of Business has been very engaged in redesigning the curriculum. Some of the key ideas to apply to and integrate into the college think around the big picture of business. Specifically, to begin around the application, we have a series of business lab experiences. Much like a chemistry course would have a lab, we have introduced courses where students are primarily focused on products. They take a specific product that is in the marketplace and dissect it, trying to figure out all the pieces, parts, and how it was manufactured. They also take the company and, in a way, dissect that too. Finally, they are required to spend time with customers.
We are trying to get our business students to think about business in an applied, real world way, so when they make it to a course discussing supply and demand, they relate it back to a deeper understanding of a specific product and how that plays out in the marketplace.
The applied business capstone course is a course where students have a choice of starting their own company. They can work on a business consulting project or work in one of the student-run businesses we have already started. They have to lead that business, and in that case, would actually be a CEO or VP of Finance.
We also continue to emphasize internships and co-ops. Approximately 70% of our students take part in at least one internship during their academic career. Bringing in lab courses, we believe students will have a more applied and integrated understanding of business.
TBJ: Can you discuss the Graduate and Executive Programs in Business area?
RR: We developed what we call the Professional MBA (PMBA), which is for working professionals who have a minimum of three years experience and are currently employed. They are usually looking to move up in their career. We began to offer the PMBA at BGSU Levis Commons in Perrysburg, a place that is convenient for more individuals. It is a two-year program where students begin with a group of people and stay with them throughout the experience. We currently have four cohorts in place in Perrysburg and there are about 25-30 students in each.
In addition, we have an Executive MBA program and an Executive Masters in Organizational Management, which BGSU was one of the first to have. We look for individuals with at least ten years work experience. It is more of a web-centric approach where materials are delivered online and once a month there is an intensive weekend scheduled for additional classes. The programs draw students from all over the nation.
TBJ: Can you share information about the Dallas Hamilton Center?
RR: The Dallas Hamilton Center was endowed by Scott Hamilton and Bill Dallas. They were neighbors and had that common Bowling Green experience. The program focuses on entrepreneurial leadership. The goal is to sponsor a variety of programs where we provide opportunities for business leaders throughout the region to engage with and learn from each other.
The center oversees our annual Bob Sebo lecture series and entrepreneurship event, which this year will be held in late April. The event attracts over 500 people to campus. Another thing the Dallas Hamilton Center does is oversees our Entrepreneurship minor. The minor is designed to be available to all students, regardless of major. Research has shown entrepreneurs come from a variety of backgrounds, not just business. They’re physicians, artists, computer scientists, or even philosophers. We’ve designed a minor that serves all the students of Bowling Green. Currently, there are approximately 300 students with that minor, half of them coming from outside the College of Business.
TBJ: What is the Supply Chain Management Institute and what opportunities exist for area businesses?
RR: Bowling Green has a long history of external recognition with respect to its Supply Chain Management program. Its graduates are highly sought after and there is virtually 100% placement at graduation with students coming out of that major. The faculty created the Institute. It has approximately 15 members and those members have all committed themselves to be involved in the program and come back to speak to students, hire BGSU students to their internships, and hold annual meetings with a variety of workshops or webinars on topics with respect to supply chain.
We’ll also do projects for companies. For example, we currently have a group of Supply Chain Management students working on a project for The Andersons. The Institute can play the role of helping area businesses with Supply Chain Management problems. We can get a team of students to begin to analyze the situation and prepare a report. That’s part of the applied experience.
TBJ: Can you discuss the school’s involvement with the Northwest Ohio Manufacturing Forum & EXPO in which TBJ is involved? What are the benefits received?
RR: This has been a terrific opportunity for BGSU and the College of Business. We feel this is exactly what a business school should be doing. When we’re given opportunities to interact and support programming that brings together companies in the region, we love to support that. Much like the Sebo event, it provides connection for that segment of the market. It’s a natural fit for the Supply Chain program. The benefits we receive are learning from the individuals out there doing the work, leading the manufacturing sector, and also making connections with those companies.
TBJ: What plans does the College of Business have for new facilities?
RR: This past year, the Board of Trustees has endorsed a plan that will lead to the construction of a new building for the College of Business. We’re beginning to work on the important groundwork that we’ve got to lay to be successful in making it a reality. BGSU has spent $200 million in the last few years on new facilities. The next phase is spending an additional $200 million on academic structures such as renovations of existing space, massive renovations of a couple other buildings, as well as the construction of a new College of Business.
Recently, the Chancellor of the State system was on our campus to announce BGSU’s newest Center of Excellence. We have had three of our proposals accepted by the state as Centers of Excellence throughout Ohio. Specifically, our “Developing Effective Businesses and Organizations” was announced as a Board of Regents recognized center of excellence. This center focuses on developing talent and ideas that lead to successful businesses and organizations.
The plan for the old Business Administration building is a massive renovation of the interior. The structure is sound, but we need the new facility because of the way we teach business now in laboratory-type courses and applied experiences. It is a different type of physical structure than we used to need. Now, we need more collaboration space, places students can go to take apart a product, and even a place where a student-run business could be housed. We have tried to retrofit some space, but it was decided it was so different we would have to shift to a different design.
TBJ: Are there opportunities for areas companies to become involved with the College of Business and are there any other issues that you would like to address?
RR: As a leading business school in our region, we’re very interested in and understand the importance of deepening our connection to the companies in our area. It could involve a variety of programs, including further connections for internships. The other aspect with the shift of how we teach business is there will be additional opportunities for student teams to work with local businesses on specific issues or problems.
When we moved our PMBA to the Perrysburg area, we did it so we could provide business leaders in the region a place that is convenient, high-quality, and somewhere they could upgrade their educational credentials. We’re interested in finding ways in which we can continue to ensure high quality education.