Together WE FLY

News for Ball State Faculty and Staff

Stories of Gratitude

October 13, 2020

At Ball State University, our mission is to prepare students to have fulfilling careers and to lead meaningful lives. A critical element of this mission is to help our students transition from the classroom and into the professional world. This work is not easy right now as our country confronts both an economic recession and a pandemic.

But our dedicated staff at the Career Center will not let these challenges prevent them from serving our students. On September 16, the center hosted the University’s first virtual job fair, and the results were impressive.

104 employers participated.
1,112 virtual video chats took place.
The number of resumés the Career Center reviewed before the job fair increased over last year by 129%.
Leading up to the job fair, Ball State career coaches conducted 534 virtual one-on-one career coaching sessions with students.

We received positive feedback from participating employers. They were impressed with our students, and many of them have shared that they plan on hiring Cardinals for jobs and internships.

I want to thank everyone involved in the job fair for their innovation, for their excellence, and for their persistence to move forward with a critical event during this uncertain time.

This is just one example of the many ways our entire community has responded to this unprecedented year with creativity, passion, and an unwavering sense of duty. I appreciate everything you have done and the many sacrifices you have made to put our students first.

Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Geoff

Ball State Response to COVID-19

Positive Tests Continue to Decline

The number of students and employees testing positive for COVID-19 continues to decline after peaking in late August and early September. This trend is encouraging, but we must continue to be vigilant.

For the latest updates and complete information about Ball State’s array of safety protocols, please visit bsu.edu/coronavirus. Our COVID-19 dashboard provides additional, relevant information to the Ball State community and to the public.

Get Your Flu Shot

As part of the University’s Return to Campus Plan, we are engaged in a campaign to expand the availability and promotion of the flu vaccine as we approach the flu season.

Public health experts have stressed the importance of getting a flu vaccine to reduce the severity of the flu and reduce hospitalizations as the health care system continues to respond to COVID-19.

Employees, spouses, and dependents can receive vaccines through the following opportunities:

Special clinics on October 15 and 16: The clinics run from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Worthen Arena. Go to Gate 1 by walking around the outside of the building. Bring your driver’s license and health insurance card or a photo of your health insurance card.
The Ball State Employee Quick Clinic: For more information and to schedule an appointment, call the Quick Clinic at 765-285-1106.
No walk-ins, please.

Learn More about Flu Shots

Athletics Added to COVID-19 Dashboard

Testing and positive case information among student-athletes, coaches, and team personnel are now available as a separate table on the Ball State COVID-19 Dashboard. Currently, the updated dashboard only reflects football. The table will be updated weekly, usually on Sunday evenings.

What to Expect After Thanksgiving

As previously communicated, classroom instruction will move to online instruction from Thanksgiving Break (November 25) through the end of the Fall semester, Friday, December 18.

During this time, the University will operate as it typically would during any traditional break and will remain open. Employees currently reporting to work at their on-campus office should continue to do so and work with their supervisors if any adjustments are necessary.

Strategic Plan Update

The University is developing a comprehensive program to improve the experiences of first-year students thanks to a $2.5 million grant from the Lilly Endowment’s Charting the Future for Indiana’s Colleges and Universities initiative.

The program, called First-Year Flight, aims to use innovative methods to enhance student engagement in the critical first year. The goals are varied and they include improving on-time graduation rates, closing the achievement gap with underserved students, and preparing more graduates for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. Read the news release.

For Your Benefit

Open Enrollment is Near

We are approaching that time of year when employees who take advantage of University-provided healthcare benefits should review their coverage needs and re-enroll.

The 2021 benefits open enrollment period is October 27 through November 12.

This year, Human Resources will provide a recorded presentation to view at your convenience and will continue to offer personal enrollment assistance. Additionally, packets will be mailed to your home.

Know the Retirement Transition

Effective November 2, Fidelity Investments will become the exclusive recordkeeping service provider for the Alternative Pension Plan (APP) 403(b), Tax Deferred Account (TDA) 403(b), and 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan. In addition, a new investment lineup will be available for all future contributions.

Please review the Fidelity transition website and transition guide to learn how your account may be affected by the upcoming changes. There is no immediate action required. Employees also can attend one of the scheduled Educational Seminars beginning on October 20, or schedule a one-on-one consultation with a Fidelity Retirement Planner.

To access the guide, see the seminar schedule, or get more information, visit the transition website.

Upcoming Events

Attend Classroom Dedication

President Mearns and Bryan Dean Stephen P. Ferris of the Miller College of Business will dedicate a classroom in the Whitinger Business Building to the Indiana Bankers Association (IBA).

The dedication recognizes the IBA’s generous gift in support of a new minor in banking. You can watch the dedication on October 28 at 4 p.m. at bsu.edu/live.

Watch Cardinal Compass

President Mearns, Teachers College Dean Anand Marri, and Muncie Community Schools Chief Executive Officer Lee Ann Kwiatkowski will discuss how Muncie Community Schools (MCS) is prospering as a result of its partnership with the University in the next Cardinal Compass: Campus and Community Conversations.

The program will air on Friday, October 16 on Indiana Public Radio and WIPB-TV at 6:30 p.m. Watch the episode after it airs.

University News

R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning

Watch CAP Lecture Series Online

The CAP lecture series will be virtual this year.

Check out a presentation from Tony Elliott on October 26 at 4 p.m. Elliott, an architect and an instructor in Interior Design this semester, will present A DESIGN Career or How to Have FUN for 50 Years. Learn more about the series.

Seager Donation Supports Archive

Professor Emeritus of Architecture Andy Seager donated a generous gift to what was formerly called the Drawings and Documents Archive, resulting in renaming to the Andrew Seager Archive of the Built Environment.

The gift ensures the archive will continue to inspire the design ideas of students and provide guidance to historic preservation efforts across the state. Read more.

Miller College of Business

Economist Honored for Optimism

Economics professor Dr. Steve Horwitz earned the Julian L. Simon Memorial Award from the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI).

The award pays tribute to free-market economist and professor Julian Simon (1932-1998), who was known for his optimism about mankind and the future.

Horwitz is the director of the Institute for the Study of Political Economy and Distinguished Professor of Free Enterprise in the Miller College of Business.

“Professor Horwitz extends Simon’s legacy with an exemplary teaching career and thorough empirical investigation of labor-saving innovations in the modern economy,” said CEI President Kent Lassman.

College of Communication, Information, and Media

Ball State Public Media

The University will bring its public television under the umbrella of the newly created Ball State Public Media and collaborate with various student media.

The launch of Ball State Public Media on October 31 is part of Ball State’s strategic mission to provide meaningful learning experiences for students and to give back to the community.

Find Out “What’s So Funny?”

TCOM’s Dr. Wes Gehring will be featured in a documentary titled What’s So Funny? The program will explore the importance of humor in our lives with special attention given to Hoosiers who have brought laughter to the world

The documentary will be broadcast on October 26, 27, 28, and 30 on WFYI. View the schedule.

Computer Tech Integrates with CICS

The Board of Trustees approved the integration of the Department of Computer Technology with the Center for Information and Communication Sciences. As a result, CCIM welcomed the following faculty and staff to the college: Dr. Biju Bajracharya, Dr. Chris Davison, Dr. Vamsi Gondi, Dr. David Hua, Dr. Edward Lazaros, and Jasmine Eisinger.

College of Fine Arts

Check Out These Arts Events

The public will have four opportunities to see The Children’s Hour, a play about two teachers falsely accused of being lesbians in the 1930s, this month at University Theatre. Performances by students in the Department of Theatre and Dance are October 15-17 at 7:30 p.m. and October 18 at 2:30 p.m. Physical distancing will be observed. Learn more.
Join the David Owsley Museum of Art for a special online event at 7 p.m. on October 30. Final Friday: Persist & Resist will take place on Facebook Live with emcees Renae Mayes and Erin Williams presenting a virtual PechaKucha experience inspired by DOMA’s special exhibition 20/20: Twenty Women Artists of the Twentieth Century.

Netflix Sponsors Student Research

Students in the School of Music’s Music Media Production program will soon begin a research project sponsored by Netflix titled “Subjective evaluation of binauralizers and subject preference of binaural versus stereo listening experience.”

Students will present the findings at the Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers international conference.

College of Health

Expanding Health Services, Learning Opportunities

Northeast Indiana Area Health Education Center has partnered with Dr. Blair Mattern, Director of the Interdisciplinary Clinical Operations, to provide telehealth services. A pilot program was conducted over the summer and received a supplemental Health Resources Services Administration grant to expand the program. Ball State students will get clinical hours as required by their programs as patient services in the College of Health Interprofessional Clinics will continue through the pandemic.

Helping Keep the Peace

Dr. Larry Gerstein, George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Counseling Psychology and Director of the Ball State Peace Center, led a team providing de-escalation training for several important agencies, including the Muncie Police Department, Ball State Police, and Office of Parking Services.

Radiography Program Recognized

The Nutrition and Health Science Department’s Radiography Program was named a semifinalist among 13 Best Radiologic Technologist Training Programs in the country, and the only program from Indiana to receive this honor, from auntminnie.com.

College of Sciences and Humanities

Read the Latest CSH Investigates Blog

Faculty and students in the Department of Sociology dig into the COVID-19 pandemic in the latest CSH Investigates blog post.

Dr. Chadwick Menning and Dr. Fang Gong describe how sociologists are uniquely qualified to study the virus; Dr. Richard Petts probes into the inequalities of parental leave policies; and undergraduate students share why they chose to study sociology.

Big Questions Moves Online

The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies will host its series, BIG Questions, BIG Ideas this year on a virtual platform.

Assistant professor of religion Travis Proctor of Wittenburg University will present Environmental Collapse and Its Aftermath: Some Lessons from our Ancient Religious Past on November 11 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Find more information and join virtually.

New Faculty Members

The College of Sciences and Humanities welcomes new faculty to the college in several departments. See who they are.

Teachers College

Ed Studies Prof Earns Fulbright

Dr. Michael Ndemanu, an associate professor of multicultural education, earned a prestigious Fulbright Award from the U.S. Department of State and will travel to Cameroon in January. Ndemanu will set up a Center for Teaching Excellence at the public University of Ngaoundéré, founded in 1993. See the news release.

Prof’s Book Wins Acclaim

Congratulations to Dr. Thalia Mulvihill, a professor of social foundations of education and higher education, whose book Arts-Based Educational Research and Qualitative Inquiry: Walking the Path, received the 2020 Critics’ Choice Book Award by the American Educational Studies Association.

Honors College

Undergrad Fellowship Program Accepting Proposals

The Honors Undergraduate Fellowship application information and forms are now available.

The Honors Undergraduate Fellowship program supports partnerships of Honors College undergraduate students and faculty mentors. Such collaborations have mutual benefits: the student moves into previously unexplored academic areas, and the faculty member has the unique opportunity to share the enjoyment of research and learning.

Immersive Learning

Pitch Your Immersive Project

The Office of Immersive Learning is looking for faculty interested in pitching Spring 2021 Immersive Learning projects to students. Instructors will have up to seven minutes to present project ideas and encourage students to enroll in their Spring class. There will be time for Q&A following each pitch, and, after the presentations are complete, students and faculty will go into virtual breakout rooms to discuss projects in more detail.

The Immersive Learning Class Project Pitch night is Wednesday, October 21, at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Faculty who participate in this event are asked to join a virtual practice run on Zoom, Monday, October 19.

For more information, contact the project manager assigned to your college, or contact the Office of Immersive Learning.

Athletics

Football is Coming Back

Football is coming back this fall in the Mid-American Conference.

The league's Council of Presidents, on the recommendation of the Medical Advisory Panel, voted unanimously to resume the season with a six-game, conference-only schedule beginning Wednesday, November 4, when Ball State plays Miami University of Ohio away. The season was postponed in August because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

No general public attendance or tailgating will be allowed at games, but all games will be broadcast locally on 104.1 WLBC.

See the Ball State football schedule.

Faculty/Staff Spotlight

Dr. Lenny Kaminsky thinks we could all use a little more stress in our lives.

Not mental or emotional stress. But the kind that comes with walking, running, swimming, cycling, and dancing.

“When stress is applied as exercise, it can cause the body to adapt and improve,” Kaminsky said.

At the College of Health’s Fisher Institute for Health and Well-Being, Kaminsky is the John and Janice Fisher Distinguished Professor of Wellness. In 2015, he received Ball State University’s Outstanding Faculty Award honoring excellence in teaching, research or creative endeavors, plus service.

As a professor of clinical exercise physiology in the School of Kinesiology, Kaminsky has been part of a program that’s grown into one of the best of its kind in the world.

Kaminsky himself is recognized as a worldwide authority on how cardiorespiratory fitness can prevent and treat chronic disease. Contributing over 100 research articles to peer-reviewed journals, Kaminsky presents regularly at health symposiums and serves in a leadership role for several health-related professional organizations’ committees and boards.

“Exercise physiology is a relatively new field, about 100 years old or so,” Kaminsky said. “So, there are a lot of things we haven’t learned yet. And that makes it an attractive area to study and learn.”

Connect With Us

Ball State University
2000 W. University Ave.
Muncie, IN | 47306 US

This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.