BGSU Firelands to offer new 4-year bachelor's program

HURON TWP. — A new bachelor's degree program will soon be available at BGSU Firelands. Last week, Bowling Green State University's board of trustees approved a new accredited bachelor's degree program in respiratory care at the Firelands campus in Huron Township. Right now, the campus offers an accredited associate's degree in that program.When implemented, possibly this fall, the program will be BGSU Firelands' first bachelor's degree offered exclusively on its campus, officials said."With its extensive programs in allied health and its many longtime connections to health care sites throughout the community, BGSU Firelands is well situated to offer this enhanced opportunity to students," BGSU president Rodney Rogers said. "This is also another opportunity for BGSU to meet the workforce needs of the state while providing highly trained healthcare professionals for its citizens."BGSU Firelands officials agreed with Rogers' sentiment. "It is very much aligned with our strategic mission to provide applied bachelor degree opportunities to students in our region that will lead to careers in high-demand areas, such as healthcare," BGSU Firelands dean Andy Kurtz said. "This is true for respiratory care, and will be true for all future bachelor degrees."The new bachelor's program awaits approval by the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. If the program gets the green light, officials hope to offer it as soon as possible, program director Rod Roark said.Roark said the two-year and the four-year programs will overlap the first two years. The final respiratory care associate's degree class will be admitted in fall 2019 and graduate in December 2020."We're excited to move our program to the bachelor's level as the role and scope of practice for respiratory therapists has expanded and advanced," Roark said. "For many years, we expanded our curriculum to meet these advances within the associate degree.This resulted in a bulging of degree requirements and an increase in the time it takes for a student to graduate."The American Association for Respiratory Care desires a bachelor's degree as a minimum to start their career, and more employers seek candidates with four-year degrees as well, Roark said. Many university officials, including respiratory faculty and BGSU administration, supported this recommendation."The bachelor's of science in respiratory care degree will prove advantageous to our graduates in the job market today and in the years to come," Roark said. "Our graduates can work locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally as the credentials they earn are recognized nationally and in many parts of the world."For the new program, many changes will need to occur, like hiring another full-time faculty member, adding more equipment, and the completion of a renovation project, which will have a lecture and lab space. Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood and on Facebook.com/CaitliNearhoodBowling Green State University board members approved a 4-year respiratory care program for BGSU Firelands students last week. Officials hope to offer the program by this fall.