 1951 saw major changes when Ralph W. McDonald was appointed the fourth president in school history , following the retirement of Frank Prout . McDonald was the first university president from outside Ohio and came to BGSU with a focus on improving teacher education and certification standards . Prior to becoming president , he served as the Executive Secretary of the Department of Higher Education of the National Education Association for seven years . Under McDonald , BGSU reorganized its three colleges to group common departments together within each college . Reflecting the Cold War era , BGSU added an Air Force ROTC program and a Department of Air Science and Tactics . BGSU continued to add programs and in the early 1950s added a Master of Education ( <unk> ) and a Master of Science ( M.S. ) in Education . The university constructed new residence halls during the decade , Prout Hall in 1955 and Founders Quadrangle in 1957 . The new student center opened in 1958 , after four years of construction at a cost of $ 2 @.@ 75 million . In the years 2012 @-@ 2014 , the residence hall was renovated and remodeled . This renovation updated the rooms , bathrooms , lobbies and outside sidewalks and walkways . 
