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Firelands Master Plan takes shape The plan for future growth at BGSU Firelands is in place following the BGSU Board of Trustees’ recent approval of a 15-plus year Master Plan for the 216-acre campus. The three-phase plan accommodates future expansion to serve a growing student population. Firelands Dean William Balzer pointed out that the campus population has almost doubled in the last 10 years. Part of that growth is attributed to workers seeking more education to be competitive in the workplace. Firelands has also attracted more students since adding eight bachelor’s degree programs and expanding college access programs for local high school students. Expansion is critical to meet the needs of these students and a projected 4-percent annual growth in enrollment in future years. The Master Plan, prepared in collaboration with the consulting firm Tsoi/Kobus & Associates, projects the need for up to three new academic buildings. Work has already begun on the first phase of the plan–identifying laboratory, classroom, and other program needs that would be incorporated in a proposed allied health science building. “There is a growing demand from health-care employers in our community for a college-educated work force, and student interest and enrollments in nursing and allied health careers have also increased,” said Balzer. “Regional demographic and employment trends support the expansion of health-care programs.” Representatives of the Office of Design and Construction at the Bowling Green campus and the Bostwick Design Partnership are working with representatives from the college to complete a building program statement that will specify the requirements of the new allied health building. Funding options will then be reviewed to identify a timeline for the design and construction. “Our community helped bring BGSU Firelands to the area more than four decades ago to ensure access to a college education,” Balzer said. “With the continued support of our community, our Master Plan will provide a blueprint for the campus to evolve to meet the higher education needs of future generations of students.”
20 BGSU Magazine