February 29, 2024

     I am happy to share that Ball State University’s accreditation was reaffirmed by the Institutional Actions Council of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) at its January 8 meeting. Our success in getting the reaffirmation is due, in large part, to the efforts of many individuals within our campus community.

     HLC conducted a site visit to our campus October 23-24, and five peer reviewers met with our numerous stakeholders—faculty, staff, students, Board of Trustees members, and others—to discuss the University’s adherence to the accreditation criteria. And numerous faculty, staff, and students participated in open sessions about each criterion.

     Additionally, various faculty and staff members, alumni, students, and Board of Trustees members participated in the writing of the assurance argument, another step in the process toward getting Ball State’s accreditation reaffirmed.

     I am grateful to everyone within our campus community, including our Board of Trustees, who was part of our successful effort that enabled Ball State to fully meet all of HLC’s accreditation criteria. Such collaboration is another example of how much our University can achieve when we work together toward a shared goal.

Sincerely,

Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University

Latest Episode of ‘Our Call to Beneficence’ Features Anand R. Mari, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Anand R. Marri, Ball State’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, is the guest on the February 2024 episode of the monthly podcast “Our Call to Beneficence,” hosted by Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. This episode is available now.

Dr. Marri became provost and executive vice president for academic affairs in November 2023. As provost, he oversees all aspects of Ball State’s academic mission and supports the leadership of all academic units. Dr. Marri plays a crucial role in the development and implementation of our University’s strategic plan and in academic innovation.

He started at Ball State as dean of Teachers College on July 1, 2020. Previously, he held senior faculty and leadership positions at Teachers College, Columbia University; the University of Rochester; and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He earned a doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a master’s degree from Stanford University, and a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College.

All episodes of the “Our Call to Beneficence” podcast are available on multiple platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Subscriptions and reviews are also encouraged to help grow the audience for this podcast.

March’s Episode of ‘Cardinal Compass’ Focuses on Studio 165+

Find out what is happening at Ball State with President Geoffrey S. Mearns and his guests on “Cardinal Compass.” The next episode airs at 6:30 p.m. March 22 on Ball State PBS, and on Indiana Public Radio. The show can also be viewed on the Ball State PBS YouTube channel.

On this episode: Ball State students are helping local organizations put their best face forward by designing eye-catching and meaningful materials. They’re part of Studio 165+, a student-led design studio focused on collaboration and learning. President Mearns will be joined by Shantanu Suman, the faculty mentor for Studio 165+; and Heather Williams, the Building Better Neighborhoods program manager and studio client, to explore how students are gaining real-world experience while helping community partners grow.

“Cardinal Compass” is produced by Ball State students in the University’s College of Communication, Information, and Media.

Accelerate Career Journeys with Lifetime Learning

For those seeking a promotion, upskilling in place, preparing for a first job, or making a career change, Ball State’s programs align with marketplace needs so students graduate with in-demand skills and credentials.

Lifetime Learning offers convenient, online, self-paced career training and career-success coaching—including resume and interview support and opportunities to earn college credits for non-credit credentials. With Lifetime Learning articulation badges, completed credentials could be applied to a degree and accelerate the journey. Five non-credit credential options are currently available for credit, including Social Media Brand Management, CompTIA A+, Leading Organizational Innovation, Registered Behavior Technician (elective credit), and Clinical Medical Assistant (elective credit).

Learning achievement is showcased with a digital badge that students can use to share their learning experience with employers and online networks. The badge verifies learning competencies and helps students speak about their skills in seamless ways, enabling a successful job search. Email lifetimelearning@bsu.edu with questions, or to enroll.

Topics of Employees’ On-Demand Learning Expanding Continuously

For employees’ on-demand learning needs, Ball State Learning and Development—in partnership with several areas around campus—will be continuously adding new courses to Udemy about Ball State systems and processes. Topics include faculty success, Chrome River and Egencia, Central Receiving and Central Mail, University Finance, and IT Security.

Learn more about the courses offered by visiting my.bsu.edu. Select “Udemy” and log in with Single Sign On located in the upper left corner (by the Ball State logo); click “Explore,” click “Categories,” then click “Learning and Development resources.”

Questions can be directed to Charity Coffman, assistant director of organizational development and learning in the Office of Engagement, Wellbeing, and Culture, at ccoffman@bsu.edu or 285-1819.

Foundation Unveils Third Annual ‘Top 100 Student Awards’ List

On Feb. 12, the Ball State University Foundation announced the recipients of the University’s third-annual “Top 100 Student Awards.” This annual awards program recognizes 100 outstanding junior and senior undergraduates who represent the spirit of Beneficence, Ball State’s institutional statue and icon that symbolizes the generosity of the five Ball brothers whose land donation to the State of Indiana allowed the University to flourish. The complete list of Ball State’s 2024 Top 100 Students can be found on the Foundation’s website.

Alley House Earns More Acclaim

Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning (ECAP) students, and faculty co-leads Pam Harwood and Tom Collins, won a 2024 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Indianapolis Design Excellence Award for the Alley House—a net-positive, sustainable, high-performance two-family home they designed and built for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® 2023 Build Challenge. ECAP was named the 2023 Build Challenge Overall Winner in this international competition.

The jury for the AIA Design Awards noted the following: the site planning of the Alley House on a confined site was successful; the interior planning was well executed; and the architect’s mission of designing for equitable community, integration, ecosystem, and affordability was achieved and well done.

Located on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis, Alley House has been leased to two families. The two units in the house were designed to be very energy efficient and to have low electricity bills for residents. The house was designed to use materials, and efficient heating and cooling systems, that create less waste and pollution.

MCOB Announces Bryan Dean Forum Speakers

Stuart Hart, professor-in-residence at the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, will speak at Ball State as part of "Reimagining Business Education"—the inaugural series of the Bryan Dean Forum. Mr. Hart’s presentation, “Beyond Shareholder Primacy: Reinventing Business Education” will be held at 3 p.m. on March 20 in Room 144 at the Whitinger Building. A reception will be held immediately following the event. RSVP online. Mr. Hart is also a Steven Grossman Distinguished Fellow in Sustainable Business at the University of Vermont and S.C. Johnson Professor Emeritus at Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management.

Entrepreneurial Experience Lecture Series Scheduled for This Spring

This Spring, entrepreneurs will share their experiences during a speaker series offered by the Entrepreneurship Center. The center hosts provocative entrepreneurs, from all walks of life, who are changing the world economically and socially. Each lecture—which includes a presentation on the entrepreneur's story, lessons learned, and advice—will be held at 11 a.m. in Room 144 at the Whitinger Building. Lecture dates and additional information about the speakers are available online.

Lessons Learned Shared in Leadership Speaker Series

The Leadership Speaker Series has three speakers remaining this semester. Each lecture will be held at 11 a.m. in Room 142 at the Whitinger Building.

Registration and Submission Periods Open for Outreach Programs

Submissions for the College of Communication, Information, and Media’s (CCIM) student contests and registrations for the JDAY+/CCIM+ Conference, and CCIM Summer Workshops, opened Feb. 1. The conference will bring middle and high school students and teachers to campus April 26 for a day of learning from leading industry and media professionals. Student contest winners will be announced during the conference. From late-June to mid-July, Summer workshops will be in full swing with a variety of course options including speech camp, online and in-person esports camps, film production, student media leadership, digital storytelling and production, and more.

CCIM Students Continue Projects Locally and Abroad

Across CCIM, students and staff have been engaging in a range of hands-on learning opportunities:

Trumpet Ensemble Moves to Semifinals in National Trumpet Competition 

One of the smaller trumpet ensembles from the School of Music made it through the preliminary round to compete in the semifinals for the 2024 National Trumpet Competition. The septet is performing Associate Professor Stephen Campbell’s arrangement of the overture to “The Wasps” by Vaughn Williams. Ensemble membership includes Jason Villarreal, Shawn Collier, Nancy Thompson, Caden Miller, Jason Frosch, Chase Wampler, and Landon Heynis. The ensemble members mostly self-rehearsed on their own time, outside of their rigorous School of Music duties. The live competition begins March 8 in Kingsville, Texas.

Moonlit Mansion CD Album Released

The captivating CD album Moonlit Mansion—featuring enchanting art song selections of Li Qingzhao poetry sung by Professor of Voice Mei Zhong—has been released. The CD was

published under ISBN 978-7-7999-2697-1, © 2023 by China Record Group Co. Ltd, CCD-3870, Beijing. “Plum Blossoms” is one of the songs from the CD album, with two different versions. “Plum Blossoms” (Piano Version (鋼琴版) and (Instrumental Version (樂隊版)) are available on YouTube.

School of Art Graduate Named Communications Manager for College of Fine Arts

Lexi Musselman, ’17, an alumna of Ball State’s School of Art, has taken on the role of communications manager for the College of Fine Arts.

‘Habits’ Podcast Season 2 Episode

Season 2 Episode of “Habits,” a Healthy Lifestyles Center (HLC) podcast, includes interviews with Cardinal Wellness Director Shannon Powers, and Tiffany Norman, a social work graduate student who works within the Healthy Lifestyle Center. Director Powers and Ms. Norman highlight how the HLC can help people with health, wellness, and fitness goals. Find this and all episodes of this podcast online.

Speaker Series Planned for March

The Research Speaker series includes the following presentations:

Community Dinner and Healthy Food Demonstration on March 23

Join the Nutrition and Health Science senior dietetics majors for their community dinner and healthy food demonstration, from 2-4 p.m. on March 23 in Rooms 102 and 103 at the Health Professions Building. The students will prepare and present food under the supervision of nutrition and dietetic Instructors. Although registration is not required, this is a first-come-first-served event with the capacity to serve 100 participants. Email questions to Grace Adegoye, assistant teaching professor of nutrition and dietetics.

Planetarium Plans Events Related to the Total Solar Eclipse

The Charles W. Brown Planetarium has a variety of events relating to, and leading up to, the April 8 Total Solar Eclipse. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays throughout March, everyone can enjoy the show, “Eclipse: The Sun Revealed,” to learn about the scientific, historical, and cultural significance of this rare celestial event. Toward the end of March, the planetarium will

host special lectures and activities as anticipation builds for the big event. Learn more about these events and other eclipse-related activities using the Ball State eclipse calendar category.

This Year’s In Print Festival of First Books Scheduled for March 19-20

The 2024 In Print Festival of First Books—a two-evening celebration of literary writing and publishing—will be held 7:30-9 p.m. on March 19-20 in the Student Center Ballroom at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. The first night features readings by writers, from fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction genres, who just published their debut books. For the second night, these writers are joined by an editor or publisher from a small press or literary journal for a panel discussion on editing and publishing. This event is free and open to the public; no registration necessary. Details about each event are available online.

Incoming Freshmen Honored at Cardinal Basketball Game

Seven Indiana high school students—all of whom attended Ball State’s first Flight Path to Teaching Adventure Camp last Summer—were honored at the Jan. 20 Ball State Cardinals men’s basketball game. Having already committed to attending Ball State to pursue a degree in teaching, starting in Fall 2024, the seven students participated in a signing ceremony prior to the basketball game. Read more in this Teachers College blog.

Publishing and a Presentation

Virginia Ball Center Holds a Variety of Seminars This Semester

Office of Digital Scholarship Advances Open-Access Research, Digital Scholarship

The Office of Digital Scholarship (ODS) offers key services to the Ball State academic community, allowing faculty to create low-cost and innovative course materials. ODS resources also support the creation and preservation of a wide range of original scholarship:

Learn more at the ODS website.

University College Launches New Program and Quarterly E-Magazine Focused on Student Success

As a complement to ongoing student success efforts to support educational opportunities and close opportunity and outcome gaps, University College will facilitate a program that offers sustained cross-college, interdisciplinary, cross-role, evidence-based, professional development and learning opportunities that extend university-wide conversations on equity and student success.

The program, “Cardinal S.U.C.C.E.S.S.” (Sustained University-wide Campus Conversations on Equity and Student Success), strives to support meaningful connections across campus, and within colleges and units, that bridge professional roles and responsibilities in support of student success outcomes. One of the components of the Cardinal S.U.C.C.E.S.S. program is Cardinal Success Quarterly—a new e-magazine that is a one-stop shop for all the latest student success news and is designed to keep the community informed of the latest trends and developments in the world of student success. The inaugural edition of the e-magazine is available now

Cardinal Success Quarterly includes three components:

For additional information on the Cardinal S.U.C.C.E.S.S. initiatives or to contribute to the e-magazine, contact Laura Pittman, University College director of student success initiatives at University College, at lpittman@bsu.edu.

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