March 19, 2021
Dear Colleagues:
Today, Ball State University will begin serving as a COVID-19 vaccination site with a clinic on campus.
The clinic is open to anyone who meets current eligibility criteria and registers for a vaccination through the state.
The College of Health Interprofessional Community Clinics is hosting the site in the Health Professions Building in collaboration with the Delaware County Health Department. The effort is supported by a grant from the Ball Brothers Foundation.
Ball State nursing students will participate in administering the vaccine under the supervision of nursing faculty or other licensed nurses. The clinic is an opportunity for our students, staff, and faculty to play a hands-on role in the effort to protect our campus and our community from COVID-19.
Vaccines will be distributed by appointment only. Individuals seeking an appointment should visit ourshot.in.gov or call 211.
I am encouraged by the progress our country is making in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, and I am grateful for this opportunity the University has to serve the Muncie community.
Below are a few more stories that I hope you will enjoy and then share. Let your friends and colleagues know how “We Fly” at Ball State.
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Sincerely,
Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University
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Ball State plans to welcome all students back to campus in Fall
President Mearns announced this month that the University plans to welcome all of its students back to campus in August 2021.
These plans will enable Ball State to deliver the premier on-campus, residential experience that our students seek—and the personal educational and co-curricular experiences that our faculty and staff are proud to provide. The campus community will abide by all of the public health regulations that are in place at that time, including wearing face masks.
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Ball State announces new Dean of College of Health
Dr. Scott Edward Rutledge will join the academic leadership team at Ball State University as Dean of the College of Health, effective July 1, 2021.
Rutledge recently served as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Public Health at Temple University. Read the full press release.
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Ball State to dedicate Esports Center, April 5
Ball State University’s College of Communication, Information, and Media has created an official varsity Cardinals Esports team, joining more than 300 colleges and universities to compete nationally in a fast-growing digital sport.
A new, 3,611-square-foot Esports Center will feature state-of-the-art computers, a gameplay platform, stadium seating with 50 seats, a lounge area, control room, office space, and more.
President Mearns and Paaige K. Turner, Dean of the College of Communication, Information, and Media, invite everyone to watch the Esports Center Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 5, at bsu.edu/live.
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Save the date for One Ball State Day 2021, April 6
Share your Cardinal pride by making a gift as a part of One Ball State Day. The University’s annual 24-hour fundraising event is on April 6. On this day, graduates, students, faculty, staff, and friends of Ball State are encouraged to show their excitement and make a gift to the area that means the most to them.
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Spring Homecoming runs April 26–May 1
Ball State University’s Homecoming 2020 has been rescheduled for Spring 2021.
The week-long celebration will be April 26–May 1, culminating with the annual Spring football game. The majority of the events will be virtual and some will be available to stream through the Ball State website or on the University’s social media platforms.
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Spring Commencement will happen May 7, 8, and 15
Ball State will hold a series of smaller, outdoor commencement ceremonies at Scheumann Stadium for all members of the Class of 2020 and for our Spring 2021 graduates.
The ceremonies will take place on May 7, 8, and 15 and will be outdoors, rain or shine. All graduates and attendees of Spring Commencement exercises will be required to wear masks. Learn more on the Commencement website.
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Watch the new Inclusive Excellence Roundtable
The University’s second Inclusive Excellence roundtable discussion is now available to watch online.
The four-part roundtable series is aimed at engaging the campus and broader community in discussions about inclusive excellence at Ball State. The second roundtable is focused on faculty and staff who represent a wide spectrum of diversity and experiences. The remaining two roundtables will be filmed and published throughout Spring Semester.
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Next Cardinal Compass airs March 19
Find out what is happening at Ball State with President Mearns and his guests on Cardinal Compass.
The next episode of Cardinal Compass airs on March 19 at 6:30 p.m. on Ball State PBS. President Mearns and Jim Lowe, Associate Vice President for Facilities Planning and Management, will discuss the future of the Village and current and planned campus construction projects.
The program is produced by Ball State students in the College of Communication, Information, and Media.
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Education doctoral candidate goes viral
Jason Smith has been the principal at Stonybrook Intermediate and Middle School in Indianapolis for two years. During that time, he’s tried to establish a culture in which discipline is not approached through the lens of, “What did this kid do?” but rather, “What does this kid need?”
That approach of trauma-informed teaching is the topic of Smith’s dissertation as a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership and Administration at Ball State University’s Teachers College.
And it’s an approach that paid dividends in a recent interaction with a student that went viral for all the right reasons. When Smith fixed a student’s haircut instead of punishing the student for wearing a hat, the internet applauded. Read the full story.
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NBA uses Ball State prof's "Elam Ending" again for All-Star Game
After breathing new life into the NBA All-Star Game last year, a Ball State University professor’s alternative scoring system was utilized by the league once again.
The NBA used the “Elam Ending” — a scoring format created by and named after Dr. Nick Elam, an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Ball State’s Teachers College — for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, which was March 7 in Atlanta.
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Freshman wins March Madness billboard design contest
A Ball State University freshman has designed a billboard that will greet March Madness college basketball teams and fans on Interstate 70 near the Indianapolis International Airport.
The Indiana Sports Corporation chose Abigail Clone’s design as the winner of its March Madness Billboard Contest. Clone, 19, of Fishers, Indiana, is a graphic design/visual communication major in the Ball State College of Fine Arts. Read the full press release.
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Ball State partners with NCAA on Mask Madness
With all three NCAA divisions conducting their men’s basketball championships in the state of Indiana in 2021, March Madness is taking on a unique look and feel.
To help promote COVID-19 safety measures, Ball State Athletics and the Muncie Sports Commission teamed up to distribute masks as part of the NCAA’s #MaskMadness initiative.
As part of this important program, the NCAA donated 100,000 masks to Hoosiers from across the state who are in need. BSU Athletics and the Sports Commission helped make free masks available at seven locations throughout Muncie and Delaware County in February.
The mask initiative is just one way Ball State is supporting the NCAA tournament. The University will also serve as the host for games played at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse.
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