Dear Colleagues:
I write to share a few highlights from last Friday’s meeting of the Board of Trustees.
The Board approved an executive dashboard designed to allow the university community to monitor progress on the 2040 goals in our new strategic plan, “
Destination 2040: Our Flight Path.”
This dashboard will provide a comprehensive snapshot of performances across campus. We will be able to use this dashboard to identify trends that can influence future decision-making. I am grateful to the members of our team who helped us create this valuable tool.
The Board also learned that freshman enrollment for the Fall semester in 2019 is trending upward after setting a new record number of undergraduate applications for students. More than 27,000 high school seniors have applied for enrollment at Ball State this Fall, surpassing a record established in 2016 and 2017 of more than 24,000 applications. Confirmations are strong and this year’s potential freshman class continues the tradition of having strong academic profiles. The diversity of the incoming class has increased from last year as well.
In other business, the Board heard a presentation about the success of the first One Ball State Day. Members of the Ball State community came together on April 9 to contribute 4,138 gifts totaling almost $425,000. That day, 913 employees and 309 students made gifts to our University. I am grateful to our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends who contributed to the success of this inaugural event.
The Board also approved the design and construction of a new indoor practice facility for athletics. The project is estimated to cost $15 million, and it will be financed by private donations, with substantial donor support committed to the proposed project. We have already received more than $13.7 million in commitments toward this goal.
In addition to providing practice space for athletic teams during unfavorable weather, the facility will also include an additional multi-use venue for other activities, a practice area for the Pride of Mid-America Marching Band, academic programming, student recreation, the Ball State Foundation, and alumni and community events.
At the end of the Board meeting, I made a few additional comments. If you would like to read my remarks, please
visit the website.
