Dear Colleagues:  

     I am pleased to share that Ball State University has earned the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. This national designation recognizes colleges and universities with a deep, institution-wide commitment to reciprocal partnerships that strengthen communities and enhance student learning.

    This recognition is especially meaningful because it completes Carnegie’s “Triple Crown” of classifications for Ball State. In the 2025 Carnegie Classifications, our University was also named an Opportunity College and University (OCU) and designated a Doctoral University with High Research Activity (R2). Ball State is one of just 11 institutions in the country—and the only one in Indiana—to hold all three Carnegie recognitions.

    Together, these distinctions reflect Ball State’s commitment to student success, academic excellence, and real-world impact. The Opportunity College designation is grounded in whether an institution reflects the demographics of its state—and whether graduates, years after earning their degrees, earn at least 50 percent more than people without a college degree. The Community Engagement classification honors the sustained partnerships that strengthen our communities and enrich the educational experience of our students.

    I am grateful to our community partners for their trust and collaboration, and to our faculty and staff whose work advances our mission of preparing students for fulfilling careers and for meaningful lives.

    You can read more about our Carnegie recognitions in this Ball State press release.

     Below are a few more stories I hope you will enjoy and share. Let your friends and colleagues know how “We Fly” at Ball State.

Sincerely,

Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University

Ball State University has again been recognized among the nation’s best for online education, with six programs ranked in the top 25 of U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 “Best Online Programs” listings. The University’s nationally ranked online programs include:

The University also earned additional national rankings in the 2026 listings, as noted in this Ball State press release.

Ball State Online stands out for its student-focused approach, offering individualized advising and robust support services to help students balance their education with work and family responsibilities. Students also benefit from competitive tuition rates, making a nationally recognized education accessible and affordable. For more information about Ball State’s online programs, visit bsu.edu/online.

The annual U.S. News & World Report rankings evaluate nearly 2,000 online programs nationwide and consider factors such as student engagement, faculty credentials, class sizes, and technology integration.

Ball State University’s College of Sciences and Humanities (CSH) is launching Humanities in Action, a new initiative that will connect humanities students with paid internships in nonprofit organizations—strengthening career readiness, supporting community partners, and highlighting the value of humanities education across Indiana.

Ball State’s Humanities in Action program is supported by a $2.5 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The initiative is designed to support at least 75 students per year in paid nonprofit internships, with program funds covering student wages. A pilot cohort is planned for Fall 2026.

Humanities in Action will serve majors across the humanities, including English, classical cultures, French, history, Japanese, multi-language, philosophy, religious studies, and women’s and gender studies. Eligible students will generally be juniors or seniors who have completed at least 12 credit hours in their major and are in good academic standing. Students will apply to the program and receive support through placement—rather than being expected to secure an internship on their own.

CSH’s Drs. Richard Petts and Melisa Ellis Stevens are serving as co-principal investigators for the initiative. Nonprofit organizations interested in exploring partnership opportunities with Humanities in Action are encouraged to contact Dr. Petts at rjpetts@bsu.edu.

Read more in this Ball State press release.

Throughout the 2025 United Way Employee Campaign at Ball State University, Sept. 15–Nov. 21, employees and retirees donated more than $125,700 to support the efforts of Heart of Indiana United Way.

Ball Brothers Foundation once again generously awarded matching dollars for funds raised through employee campaigns across Delaware County. Thanks to a large number of early, undesignated donations, Ball State was awarded $40,758 of this funding for the 2025 cycle, bringing our total contribution to Heart of Indiana United Way to approximately $166,000. More than 800 active employees chose to donate this year, holding our participation rate steady at 25 percent.

Funds raised through Ball State’s employee campaign will help continue programs across East Central Indiana that support the community in meeting urgent needs, ensure that children are reading at grade level, and give individuals the tools to build stronger financial futures. Read more online.

The 2025 campaign marked 100 years of impact for Heart of Indiana United Way, and the Ball State community’s generous participation has helped set the foundation on which to build the next generation of change.

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