Dear Colleagues:
Since January 2019, Destination 2040: Our Flight Path has served as Ball State University’s strategic framework for our bright future. We continue to implement this plan, with measurable progress made toward each of the plan’s five major goals. At the same time, our University has begun the process of building upon Destination 2040: Our Flight Path by developing the next iteration of our long-term strategic plan.
So far, our comprehensive planning process this Fall has included disseminating surveys that allowed participants to provide insights and information related to the strategic imperatives guiding our work through 2030. We received approximately 5,000 responses.
Through November 8, we are also hosting a series of open forums on our campus and in our community. The planning process continues to be inclusive, involving faculty, staff, students, graduates, community partners, and many of our benefactors.
Early next year, I anticipate that we will distribute a draft plan for additional feedback. Our goal is to present the final proposed plan to our Board of Trustees at its meeting in May 2025.
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.
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Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University
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Groundbreaking Ceremony for Performing Arts Center in The Village in Muncie Set for Nov. 14 |
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Ball State
Performing Arts Center will be held at the corner of McKinley and Ashland Avenues in Muncie at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 14. The Performing Arts Center, which will be located on the northeast corner of University and McKinley Avenues, is the catalyst for the University’s revitalization plan for The Village, a commercial district immediately adjacent to Ball State’s campus. The center is expected to host more than 160 University performances and draw more than 35,000 patrons to The Village annually. Additionally, the center will connect to The Cantio, a new select-service hotel. Construction of the center is expected to be completed by Fall 2026.
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Updates on Campus Enhancements, Ball State’s Partnership with Muncie Community Schools Shared With University’s Board of Trustees |
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Paula Luff, vice president for enrollment planning and management, reported to the Board that Ball State’s total Fall 2024 enrollment is approximately 20,000 students—an increase of more than 1,100 students in just two years.
This year’s freshman class, comparable in size to pre-pandemic levels, is the most diverse and one of the most academically prepared in the University’s history, with a median high school grade-point average of 3.56. Almost 30 percent of the freshman class are first-generation students, and 91 percent are Indiana residents.
Graduate enrollment at Ball State set an all-time record with 5,920 students enrolled—a 28-percent increase over the past decade.
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The Board also heard updates on the University’s ongoing historic partnership with Muncie Community Schools—a partnership which continues to produce positive outcomes. Enrollment in MCS has stabilized for the first time in decades, and early education in the district is thriving, with a 378-percent increase in pre-K enrollment since 2018.
The district’s financial performance also continues to improve, with a reported $31.4 million cash balance. Because of this stability, MCS has been able to invest more in its teachers, with compensation increasing 40 percent over the past five years, raising starting salaries to $51,500—among the best in the region.
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The new Center for Innovation will be an important component of Ball State’s Village revitalization plan. Located at the southeast corner of Ashland Avenue and Martin Street, the Center will be a three-story, 30,000-square-foot facility that will serve as a collaborative hub for academic and industry partnerships, designed to drive innovation in emerging fields.
A group of initial partners will begin collaborating inside the building once it opens in Summer 2026. Community members also will be invited to use the building to develop inventive ideas that contribute to the economic and cultural vitality of the region.
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The Board also reviewed the design of the new Eric Foss Championship Performance Center. This new strength and conditioning facility will be located next to Worthen Arena and the Shondell Practice Center. The center is named after Mr. Foss, a 1980 Ball State graduate who contributed $4 million for the facility, which will serve 18 of the University’s 19 athletic teams. The football team will continue to use its own facility. Construction on the Eric Foss Championship Performance Center will be completed in late 2025 or early 2026.
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Ball State Awarded a Nearly $100,000 Federal Grant for Student Research on Microplastics |
Ball State University is one of just five universities selected recently to receive funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for research conducted by student teams. Ball State’s student team, led by Dr. Bangshuai Han, the University’s associate professor of water resources, has been awarded $98,870 to examine the presence and removal of microplastics in wastewater treatment.
The grant award is part of the EPA’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Program 18th Annual Phase II funding opportunity. Each of the five funding recipients in this phase previously received a one-year grant of up to $25,000 for Phase I to develop their idea—and successfully competed for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to implement their design in a real-world setting. Learn more in this EPA press release.
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Author Hena Khan Visits Ball State as University’s Writer in Residence |
The Ball State Writer-in-Residence (WIR) program will feature award-winning author Hena Khan later this month. During this weeklong residency, Ms. Khan will host numerous campus and community events in Muncie. All WIR events are free and open to the public.
Ms. Khan is an award-winning author of picture books and middle-grade fiction. Her groundbreaking middle-grade novel, Amina’s Voice, was named a Best Book of 2017 by The Washington Post, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, and others. Ms. Khan has five new books coming out this year, including Drawing Deena, Behind My Doors: The Story of the World’s Oldest Library, and We Are Big Time—a graphic novel about “an all-girls, hijab-wearing basketball team.” Learn more about Ms. Khan and this year’s WIR events online.
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Ball State Hosts 2024 Civic Learning Symposium: ‘Education, Dialogue, & Deliberation in Our Democracy’ |
The Center for Economic and Civic Learning (CECL) at Ball State hosted the 2024 Civic Learning Symposium on Sept. 27-28 at the University’s L.A. Pittenger Student Center. This annual event is a forum for faculty, educators, and community members to convene, share insights, and explore innovative approaches to civics, education, and community engagement. The theme for this year’s symposium, “Education, Dialogue, & Deliberation in Our Democracy,” highlights the importance of dialogue and deliberation within the educational system and broader democratic society. Learn more in this Ball State press release.
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