Ball State had another successful One Ball State Day (OBSD) this year. We raised more than $1.1 million, and we received more than 7,200 gifts.
The success of One Ball State Day 2024 was due to the contributions of many people within our campus community and beyond. I am especially grateful to our University’s faculty and staff for their efforts, and their generosity shown, in support of our special day of giving. Going above and beyond their regular work duties, numerous faculty and staff members served as ambassadors to spread the word about OBSD and encouraged people to give.
Other colleagues found creative ways to help raise funds—including a hot sauce challenge in which Professor Sean Lovelace, chair of the Department of English, and Associate Professor Vanessa Rapatz tasted sauces of different heat intensities for each $100 gift made on OBSD. And several other faculty and staff members raced in the Dash and Splash, a friendly competition in which each participant paddled in a pool while riding on a large inflatable duck. The Dash and Splash racers competed for challenge dollars for their respective areas.
No matter how our faculty and staff contributed to One Ball State Day this year, their enthusiasm and Cardinal spirit was palpable. I know I can count on support from faculty and staff for One Ball State Day 2025, and I can’t wait to see all the different ways that support will be demonstrated.
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Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University
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Spring Commencement Set for May 4; Stedman Graham to Address Graduates, June Scheumann to Receive Special Acknowledgment
Ball State University will confer approximately 3,000 doctoral, specialist, master’s, and baccalaureate degrees at our 2024 Spring Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 4. The University’s 198th Commencement ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. in the Quad, followed by individual college ceremonies throughout the day at Worthen Arena and Emens Auditorium. Times and locations of the other ceremonies, plus additional Commencement information, are available online.
Stedman Graham, a New York Times bestselling author, educator, business advisor, and 1989 Ball State University graduate, will deliver the address to Ball State’s Class of 2024 at the main ceremony. Also at the main Commencement ceremony, there will be a special acknowledgment for June Scheumann—a dedicated benefactor and supporter of Ball State. Read more in this Ball State press release.
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Our Call to Beneficence Podcast |
Latest Episode of ‘Our Call to Beneficence’ Features Ball State Coach Brady Sallee
Brady Sallee, head coach of Ball State’s women’s basketball team, is the guest on the April 2024 episode of the monthly podcast “Our Call to Beneficence,” hosted by Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. This episode is available now.
Coach Sallee arrived at Ball State in May of 2012. In 12 seasons, he has guided the Cardinals to nine postseason Women’s National Invitation Tournaments, a WNIT Final 16 appearance, a Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division title (2014), 10 MAC Tournament appearances, and seven 20-plus win seasons—a feat no head coach at Ball State had done before him.
All episodes of the Our Call to Beneficence podcast are available on multiple platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.
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'Cardinal Compass' TV Show
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May’s Episode of ‘Cardinal Compass’ Features a Year in Review
Watch this special look-back episode, Cardinal Compass: Year in Review, featuring host, Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns, and his guests. This episode of “Cardinal Compass” airs at 6:30 p.m. May 17 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: There will be a look at some highlights from the past academic year, including how Ball State students with disabilities thrive before and after graduating, a transformation of The Village with a new performing arts center and hotel, and how Studio 165 Plus highlights Ball State's immersive learning programs.
“Cardinal Compass” is produced by Ball State students in the University’s College of Communication, Information, and Media.
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New Skills Course ‘Product Management Fundamentals’ Available
Lifetime Learning is supporting the growing demand for continuous learning in product development with its new course, Product Management Fundamentals. Learners will master essential product management skills from market research and creating a customer-centric product design, to agile methodologies and product launch strategies—while gaining hands-on insights for success in this dynamic field. Lifetime Learning is partnering with U.S. Navy veteran Dr. Jillian Zambon, CEO and founder of the Product Management Institute, to offer this program. Learn more online about this new course.
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Reminder: Review Beneficiary Information, Update If Necessary
Employees are encouraged to review their beneficiary information to ensure each policy reflects their current wishes. Several benefits are provided for beneficiaries in the event of an employee’s death, so it is crucial that the information remains up-to-date.
BenefitFocus, the University’s insurance enrollment system, is the official record of our life insurance beneficiaries. Employees may log in to the BenefitFocus portal through the Payroll & Employee Benefits web page or through Self-Service Banner to view, add, or update beneficiaries at any time throughout the year.
Aside from the University life insurance plans, several other benefits have beneficiary designations, including health savings accounts, critical illness, accident insurance, and retirement accounts. Employees will need to visit each of these vendors to add or update beneficiaries for those programs, also.
For assistance with updating beneficiary records, call the benefits office at 765-285-1834 and ask to speak with a benefit specialist.
Reminder: Tuition Remission Requests for Summer Classes Due May 13
Ball State supports employee professional development with a tuition remission benefit for eligible employees, their spouses, and dependent children. A request for tuition remission must be completed every semester after registering for classes. The online request form is available via the ServiceNow system and can be accessed through the PEB website. The deadline to submit requests for tuition remission for all Summer classes (First Summer Session, Second Summer Session, and Summer Semester) is 5 p.m. on May 13, 2024. Review the eligibility guidelines and instructions. Questions can be directed to HumanResources@bsu.edu or call 765-285-1834.
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Outstanding Immersive Learning Faculty Winners Announced
The 2024 Outstanding Immersive Learning Faculty were recognized at the Immersive Learning Showcase on April 19. Many faculty members were nominated for their extraordinary work teaching Immersive Learning classes. From that impressive group of nominees, a committee of faculty and students selected the following winners:
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Prof. Chin-Sook Pak of the Department of Modern Languages and Classics, for Heritage Language Maintenance and Recruitment
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Prof. Wendy Soltz of the Department of History, for Jennings Center Oral History Project
- Prof. Kelly Fischer of the Department of Psychological Sciences, for The Prism Project at the Center
- Prof. Pamela Harwood and Prof. Tom Collins of the Department of Architecture, for the Solar Decathlon
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Each winner received a plaque and a $1,000 prize in appreciation for the high-impact experiences they created and led for Ball State students.
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Office of Community Engagement
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Ball State United Way Campaign Raises More than $130,000
Ball State faculty, staff, and retirees achieved yet another successful outcome in this year’s Ball State Employee Heart of Indiana United Way campaign, raising a total of $133,684 to benefit the Heart of Indiana United Way. The funds will support individuals across Delaware, Fayette, Henry, Madison, and Randolph Counties.
The campaign received donations from approximately 820 campus employees, equivalent to 27 percent of the total workforce—a two-percent participation increase from last year. The campaign also benefited from the generosity of the Ball Brothers Foundation, which matched nearly $41,000 in gifts made by first-time and existing donors. Leadership Donors, representing areas all over campus, provided $58,842 of the total—and several departments had 100-percent participation.
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R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning |
Achievements, Accolades, and an Initiative
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Interior design student Jenelle Rogers earned a silver medal in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships March 8 in Boston. Ms. Rogers scored a program-record 4,430 points en route to a second-place finish nationally. She became the highest finisher at the annual indoor competition in program history and is one of four Ball State Cardinals ever to earn NCAA Indoor All-American honors.
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Michael Burayidi, professor of urban planning, led a team of students who helped with the cleanup efforts in Union City following a tornado last month. Using ATVs, the group collected building materials scattered across farm fields to prevent damage to local farm equipment.
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Architecture students Ben Fusco and Ricardo Ayala were selected as finalists in ICON's Initiative 99, an international architecture competition. Their project, “The Continuous Home: A Multigenerational Framework,” was aimed at designing a home for less than $99,000. See their project online.
- Genevieve Zircher, a 2023 Master of Urban Design graduate, received an honorable mention in the 2024 Hoosier Planning Award competition. Her project was “Bird-Friendly Indianapolis: Developing a Guide to Supporting Urban Avian Populations for the Benefit of Birds and Humans Alike.”
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Miller College of Business |
Ball State’s Institutional Winner of MAC Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success Announced
Dr. Rebecca VanMeter, associate professor of marketing, has been named Ball State’s institutional winner of the Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success, presented by the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The award is distinguishable from academic or research-based awards because it celebrates the MAC’s commitment to a holistic student experience and creating an environment that supports success in school and life.
Miller College of Business Bestows Alumni Awards
On April 5, Miller College of Business honored the following alumni award recipients at a luncheon held in their honor:
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- Jennifer J. Budreau, ’84, FORUM Credit Union
- Distinguished Partner Award
- James Champy, Analog Devices, Inc.
- Kirby A. Cuniffe, ’92, Aegis Worldwide
- Michele P. Dow, ’81, Eli Lilly
- Danny M. Spindler, M.A. ’14, Given and Spindler Companies
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Gretchen A. Coffman, ’88, James Hardie Building Products
- Zach F. Hartley, ’13, UTA
- Sara M. Maddox, ’11, DMJPS PLLC
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Read more about the Miller College Alumni Awards online.
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College of Communication, Information, and Media |
Student Experiences and Outreach, and Accolades
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Students traveled across the globe over Spring Break, with some participating in the L.A. Experience—where students visited sets, networked, and saw firsthand what jobs look like in their chosen fields. Other students traveled to Wales for the 2024 Transatlantic Storytelling immersive learning experience—a storytelling partnership with a university in Wales that will result in a documentary.
- For multiple weeks, eight communication studies students worked with Tech Foundation high school robotics to sharpen their interview/communication skills. When it came time for the Indiana State Robotics Competition, the communication studies students served as judges.
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Ball State was named News School of the Year, Sports School of the Year, and Emerging Media School of the Year at the Indiana Association of School Broadcaster’s awards luncheon in March. There were also 26 student entries that placed first, second, or third across this competition’s other categories. Read more about these accolades and view a full list of the recipients in this College of Communication, Information, and Media (CCIM) blog.
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Exhibit, Presentation, and Accolade
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Assistant Professor of Art Rachel Cohn’s solo exhibition, Mem, is on view at Tube Factory Artspace in Indianapolis through June 16. The exhibition includes a new large-scale sculptural installation with translucent paintings and projections, as well as works on paper.
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Barbara Giorgio-Booher, teaching professor of art, presented with Tom J. McConnell, professor of biology, about the Art Immersive: Conservation Tales at the Third World Conference on Transformative Education, April 4-6. The conference was held at the University of Puerto Rico-San Piedras in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The presentation was titled, “Student-Scientist Collaborations to Develop Culturally and Linguistically Relevant Educational Materials: The Conservation Tales Project.”
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The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) announced six finalists for the 2024 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, which recognizes playwrights who produced the best scripts that premiered professionally outside of New York City in 2023. Jennifer Blackmer, director of the Virginia Ball Center for Creative Inquiry and professor of theatre, has two plays on the finalist list: I Carry Your Heart With Me, and Predictor. The awards will be presented on May 4 as part of the annual Pacific Playwrights Festival.
- School of Music faculty members Mihoko Watanabe, professor of flute, and Michael Seregow, assistant teaching professor of piano, along with Jessica Raposo, associate professor of music at Indiana University East, performed a J-pop-influenced piece for two flutes and piano at the College Music Society Great Lake Chapter Conference on March 9 at the University of Indianapolis.
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Interprofessional Community Clinics Open After Spring Semester Ends
The Interprofessional Community Clinics (ICC) will continue to offer services after this semester concludes. The ICC will maintain general hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m.-noon on Fridays—with the Counseling Practicum Clinic open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. For more information, or to make an appointment with any of the clinics, Speech Pathology, Audiology, Counseling Practicum, and the Healthy Lifestyle Center, visit ICC’s website.
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Free Exercise Classes Available
Cardinal Wellness has the following programming at Harvest Christian Church, 1010 E. Centennial Ave., and one type of class at Tuhey Pool in Muncie:
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- Zumba: 6-7 p.m. and 7-8 p.m.
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Sh1ft (a strength and conditioning workout): every Monday and Thursday
- Aqua Zumba at the Tuhey Pool: 3 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday—beginning May 28
- Water Aerobics: 6 p.m. every Wednesday and Friday
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College of Sciences and Humanities |
Associate Dean Patrick Collier to Retire in July; Retirement Reception Scheduled for April 30
Dr. Patrick Collier, associate dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities and professor of English, is retiring in July after 24 years of service at Ball State. The dean’s office of the College of Sciences and Humanities is holding a reception in Dr. Collier’s honor from 5-7 p.m. on April 30 in the Terrace Lounge of the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. All are welcome to attend.
Dr. Collier came to the Ball State’s Department of English in 2000 and served as chair from 2018-2021. Over the course of 21 years in the English department, he taught more than 15 different courses on topics including film studies and British literature.
His time at Ball State includes serving as associate dean in the College of Sciences and Humanities from 2021-2024, with responsibilities focused on student success, student affairs, inclusive excellence, and admissions. Learn more about Dr. Collier online.
Applied Anthropology Lab Presents Temporary Exhibit
Ball State’s Applied Anthropology Laboratory will present the temporary exhibit St. Clair’s Defeat Revisited: A New View of the Conflict at several off-campus sites. The exhibit introduces the complex history of St. Clair’s Defeat during the Northwest Indian War on Nov. 4, 1791, and its context and aftermath with respect to the nine Tribal Nations who orchestrated this great defeat of the U.S. Military. This exhibit was co-created with 11 Tribal Humanities Scholars. More information about the St. Clair’s Defeat Revisited exhibit—including exhibition dates and locations—is available online.
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Faculty and Grad Students Selected for Artificial Intelligence Explorations Program
Professor Jon Clausen, Lecturer Cresta Hancock, and Assistant Teaching Professor Alisa Slavens, all from the Department of Educational Studies, along with graduate students DeAnne Taggert and Rachel Dokich, were selected to participate in the 2024 International Society for Technology in Education and General Motors (GM) AI Explorations Program. The program is a groundbreaking K-12 STEM Education collaboration to promote artificial intelligence explorations and their practical use in school environments. Learn more in this blog published by Ball State’s Center for Economic and Civic Learning.
National Recognition Bestowed on Ball State in Campus Democracy Challenge
Ball State has been awarded the Highly Established Action Plan Seal by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for its outstanding efforts in developing a nonpartisan democratic engagement action plan. Ball State is one of only 93 campuses nationwide to receive this prestigious recognition for the 2024 election cycle. Abby Haworth, director of the Office of Student Life, and David J. Roof, director of the Center for Economic and Civic Learning and associate professor of educational studies, spearheaded the development of Ball State’s action plan, which focuses on enhancing voter education, promoting civic responsibility, and cultivating an informed and engaged electorate. Learn more in this blog published by the Center for Economic and Civic Learning.
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New Scholarships Established
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Alumni from the first class of Honors Whitinger Scholars came to campus (or participated via Zoom) to announce the Warren Vander Hill Student Opportunity Grant. This scholarship will provide students with funding for enhanced experiences, such as internships and paid research opportunities. Dr. Vander Hill founded the Honors College in 1979.
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This year, the Arno Wittig Endowed Honors Scholarship was created in honor of Dr. Arno Wittig. In 1986, Dr. Wittig was named as the first dean of the Honors College. This scholarship will be offered to students alongside the Whitinger Scholars Program.
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Integrate On-Demand Information Literacy Tool into Your Canvas Course
University Libraries encourages faculty to integrate the University Libraries Canvas module into courses. This module has topics that can be included anywhere in a course to instruct students on how to get help from the library, identify good information sources, evaluate those sources, and use information ethically.
To download this module into your courses, log in to Canvas, search for “Ball State University Libraries” in Canvas Commons, click “Import/Download,” check the box for the course that you want to import the module into, and click “import into course.” Questions about this can be sent to libemail@bsu.edu.
Plan to Reduce the Cost of Course Materials Through Reading Lists
Faculty can contact Laura Suman, head of access services and open education, at lsuman@bsu.edu this Summer to discuss how to utilize Reading Lists to make courses more affordable and resources more accessible. Reading Lists is a system that gives students simple access to resources selected by their instructors. Faculty may want to be on the lookout for Reading Lists workshops offered this Summer.
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Cardinal S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Hosts Campus-Wide Discussion on Equity and Student Success
As part of University College’s Cardinal S.U.C.C.E.S.S. (Sustained University-wide Campus Conversations on Equity and Student Success) Program, there will be a review of and discussion about the book, Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College by Peter Felten and Leo M. Lambert. The discussion—scheduled for 8:30-10 a.m. on May 3 in the Multicultural Center—will provide a path for the campus community to have ongoing conversations about equity and student success. This event is free and open to the campus community, Learn more about the book at: Relationship-Rich Education | Hopkins Press (jhu.edu).
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