News for Ball State Faculty and Staff
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Stories of Gratitude
August 31, 2021
With our Fall semester now in full swing, I want to express my gratitude to Ball State University’s custodial staff. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, these women and men continued taking care of our buildings. Every day, they sanitized all 180 of our general-purpose classrooms, 11 residence halls, and each corridor, stairwell, elevator, and restroom on our campus.
Although it is a big task, I know we can count on our custodial staff again this year. They are dedicated to fulfilling their duties so we can keep our residence halls, dining facilities, and all of our building interiors clean and sanitized for our students, faculty and staff. I am confident they will continue to do all they can to keep our entire campus community as safe as possible.
I shared my appreciation for our custodians, and many other Ball State faculty and staff, during this year’s Fall Opening Convocation. We also celebrated our campus community’s achievements over the past year, and set goals for the 2021-2022 academic year.
I encourage you to watch highlights from our Fall Opening Convocation, if you were unable to attend or watch it live.
Sincerely,
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Ball State Response to COVID-19 Indoor mask protocol in place at Ball State
All Ball State University employees, students, and campus visitors—irrespective of their vaccination status—are required to wear a mask while inside any University building, with very limited exceptions as described in our FAQ.
The COVID-19 pandemic presents a constantly-evolving and dynamic situation, and the University’s policies and plans will be reviewed and appropriately updated as more information becomes available. Accordingly, all employees are strongly encouraged to get a COVID-19 vaccination, and then attest to their full vaccination using our online form.
On-campus vaccine clinic days in September
Ball State’s vaccine clinic days and hours at the Health Professions Building in September are Wednesdays and Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Walk-in appointments are welcomed. Alternatively, make an appointment at ourshot.in.gov and select “DCHD BallState WRiversideAve MVAX.”
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For Your BenefitFaculty and staff professional development opportunities available
Ball State University is continuing its partnership with Academic Impressions, which provides all faculty and staff with access to expansive online professional development resources designed to provide support for holistic career development. Academic Impressions produced higher-ed specific training programs, maintaining a robust suite of resources for professionals in Higher Education covering topics like Advancement, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Faculty Success, Leadership Development, Student Success, and more.
Over the last year, people across Ball State’s campus have engaged with more than 700 free resources spanning all of Academic Impressions’ topic areas. To participate in these professional development opportunities available within this valuable resource, create an Academic Impressions account at www.academicimpressions.com. Log into this site using your @bsu.edu email address. The system will prompt you to log in via single sign-on using your existing Ball State University credentials. For more information, contact Breanne Holloway, Assistant Director of Organizational Development and Learning, at 765-285-1819 or learndev@bsu.edu.
Ball State employees should follow this protocol for on-the-job injuries
Regardless of the nature or severity, all injuries incurred when on the job must be reported to a supervisor at once. This applies to faculty, professional personnel, staff, service staff, graduate assistants, and student employees. Learn about worker’s compensation, including medical treatment, reporting procedures, absences, and more.
The University’s Health Center provides and/or directs all medical care for employees injured on the job. Employees injured while on the job will be seen at the center—but please call 285-8431 to arrange for treatment and to help ensure that proper pre-screening protocols are followed.
Get rewarded with Working Well program incentives
Ball State is invested in creating a culture of wellbeing that helps employees lead meaningful and engaged lives. One way this is accomplished is through our Working Well programs—BeWell and LiveWell—and their incentives for participation. Qualifying employees are able to collect a financial incentive along with wellness rewards that can be redeemed for on-campus programs, campus event tickets, and more.
- The BeWell program provides employees with cash back in their December 2021 paycheck for completing their annual physicals with their primary care doctors and registering with Engage.
- The LiveWell program provides Ball State rewards for those participating in a variety of wellbeing activities.
Employees are welcome to participate in one or both programs. The required documentation for this year has to be submitted by Oct. 31. Find more details, and necessary forms, at the Working Well website or call 765-285-9355.
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Upcoming Events Public events for Writer-in-Residence Ashley C. Ford set for Sept. 15, Oct. 7, Nov. 11
Ball State University has scheduled public events for Ashley C. Ford, the University’s Fall 2021 Writer-In-Residence.
Ms. Ford, a 2018 Ball State graduate, is the author of Somebody’s Daughter—a powerful New York Times bestselling memoir that explores her life coming of age in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with a single mother and an incarcerated father. The book was published in June by Flatiron Books under the imprint, An Oprah Book.
Ball State is welcoming Ms. Ford back to campus this Fall to share her work and to interact with students and faculty, as well as engage with the campus and local communities. Her public events will include:
- Sept. 15: Ms. Ford will read excerpts from her book, Somebody’s Daughter (Pruis Hall, 7:30 p.m.)
- Oct. 7: A Conversation between Ms. Ford and Ball State University President Geoffrey S. Mearns. (Sursa Hall, 7:30 p.m.)
- Nov. 11: Somebody’s Daughter Book Club—Ball State professor Jill Christman will join Ms. Ford to moderate a lively discussion about Somebody’s Daughter (Student Center Ballroom, 7:30 p.m.)
All events are free and open to the public. Experience them in-person, or watch as they happen at bsu.edu/live. Ms. Ford will be available to sign books following each event. After 7 p.m., free parking is available in most campus lots and garages.
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Student AffairsBasic Needs Hub connects students experiencing food and housing insecurity with resources
As part of Ball State University’s continuous efforts to serve and support its students, the University has developed a way for students facing basic needs insecurity to find help more easily. The Basic Needs Hub is a website that serves as a central online location which contains a variety of resources, campus contacts, and services to assist students facing insecurity in areas such as housing, food, personal wellness, emergency financial issues, and more. Among the many resources listed on the hub are Ball State’s on-campus food pantry, Cardinal Kitchen, and the Basic Needs Assistance Form to connect students to staff. Learn more about the Basic Needs Hub, and share the hub’s website address bsu.edu/basicneeds with students who may need support.
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Ball State University Foundation Ball State faculty and staff can nominate students for new awards program
The Top 100 Student Awards, a new program established by The Ball State University Foundation, will honor 100 outstanding Ball State juniors and seniors who excel in three categories: academic excellence, campus leadership, and community impact. This awards program is also an opportunity to educate students on the importance of staying connected to Ball State once they graduate, while also continuing to grow the culture of philanthropy now. Any Ball State faculty or staff member can nominate an eligible student. Self-nominations are also accepted. The nomination period is Aug. 23-Oct.15, 2021. Learn more.
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University News
R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and PlanningFaculty awarded Ball State Provost Immersive Learning Pilot- Sarah Angne Alfaro, assistant professor of Interior Design; and Sherif Attallah, associate professor of Construction Management, have been awarded a Ball State University Provost Immersive Learning Pilot for “Using Nature to Redesign Places of Worship in Muncie, IN.” This proposal integrates environment, economy, and society to develop more sustainable and healthy places of community worship.
- Shireen Kanakri, associate professor of Interior Design, has been awarded a Ball State University Provost Immersive Learning Pilot for “TherAplay Design Evaluation-Post Occupancy” project. The award provides nearly $30,000 in funding to continue work with the TherAplay organization.
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Miller College of BusinessEntrepreneurial Experience Lecture Series scheduled
Entrepreneurs will share their experiences during a speaker series offered this Fall by the Entrepreneurship Center. The center is hosting provocative entrepreneurs—from all walks of life—who are changing the world economically and socially. Each lecture includes a presentation on the entrepreneur's story, lessons learned, and advice. Learn more about the scheduled speakers. Watch the lectures live on the Entrepreneurship Center’s Facebook page.
Research Spotlight
A paper co-authored by Erik Nesson, associate professor of Economics, and Vinish Shrestha, assistant professor in Towson University’s Department of Economics, was accepted for publication in Health Economics. Findings in the paper, The Effects of False Identification Laws on Underage Alcohol‐Related Traffic Fatalities, indicate that when states implement policies that incentivize alcohol retailers to scan IDs, drunk-driving fatalities involving underage drivers decrease.
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College of Communication, Information, and MediaCCIM graduate degree value ranked No. 1 by Wall Street Journal
CCIM’s Center for Information and Communication Sciences (CICS) is ranked No. 1 by Wall Street Journal for graduate degree value, reporting a .22 income-to-debt ratio. The highly positive ratio shows the high salary potential and low debt in earning the degree.
Dean Turner and Provost Rivera-Mills selected for prominent panel
Dean Paaige Turner and Provost Susana Rivera-Mills were part of a competitively selected panel during the annual meeting of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). The discussion, “Leveraging Budget Models for Cultural Transformation,” focused on how academic unit budgets can be used for strategic alignment and cultural transformation, including incentive-based budgets, internal reallocation, seed funding, and indirect cost recovery.
CICS names recipient of its First Eric Talley Award for Community Service
Center for Information and Communication Sciences (CICS) awarded the first Eric Talley Award for Community Service to Eloka Agwuegbo ’21. Eric Talley '04 was a non-traditional student who epitomized what the Center believes: hard work, persistence, and service drives the successful CICS graduate. Eloka Agwuegbo is at his best when he is working in the service of others and received the award in recognition of the service he provided to the people of Muncie, Indiana through technical vocational training.
PBS, Indiana Public Radio returns to CCIM
Ball State PBS and Indiana Public Radio returned to CCIM, effective Aug. 1, 2021. CCIM will leverage content producers and distributors across student media, our media educational experiences and BSU Public Media, while retaining each as editorially independent. These efforts build on Ball State’s mission to provide an excellent educational experience for our students through immersive learning, and to mobilize partnerships that revitalize and sustain our community and region.
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College of Fine ArtsArts Alive 2021 schedule set
The Arts Alive schedule includes:
Additional information on these events, including ticket prices and packages, will be announced in the coming weeks.
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College of HealthFree workshops, programs available through Healthy Lifestyle Center
The Healthy Lifestyle Center offers several free workshops and programs on various topics, including Diabetes Prevention, Tobacco Education, Benefits of Exercise, and Nutrition Assistance. Learn more about these workshops and programs, when they are offered, and how to register.
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College of Sciences and HumanitiesAssociate Dean Coleman earns fellowship
Dr. Jill Coleman, associate dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities, was named a fellow in the third cohort of the IAspire Leadership Academy, a leadership program aimed at helping science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty from underrepresented backgrounds ascend to leadership roles at colleges and universities. The academy is part of the Aspire Alliance’s Institutional Change Initiative, which the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the University of Georgia lead.
2021 Star Party set for Sept. 14
The 2021 Star Party will be held on Sept. 14 in the outdoor green space at North West Hall from 6-8 p.m. This annual event showcases all the advantages—including 40-plus classes, clubs, and other opportunities—for Humanities majors. The 2021 Star Party is co-sponsored by the College of Sciences and Humanities, the Humanities Living Learning Community, and Residence Life.
Bachelor of Science program in Data Analytics available
Starting this Fall, the Department of Computer Science is offering a new on-campus/online bachelor of science program in Data Analytics. The three program tracks—computational data analytics; environmental systems analytics; and social behavioral data analytics—are designed to meet the high-market job demand for data experts. These programs will encompass coursework from several colleges.
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Teachers CollegeEarly Childhood faculty members create immersive learning project with food bank
Scott Hall, professor of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies, Shu Su, assistant professor of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies, and Stephanie Ries, assistant lecturer of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies, have created an immersive learning project called Big Idea Beginnings for Lifetime Readiness Project. The project was created with the Second Harvest Food Bank. Students will assist in developing and delivering customized curriculum for Second Harvest Food Bank’s early childhood and family programs.
Two faculty members win ASPiRE Junior Faculty Research Program grants- Ai-Chu Ding, assistant professor of Educational Technology in the Department of Educational Studies: Supporting Struggling Learners’ Disciplinary Literacy and Computational Thinking through an Adaptive Game-Based Learning Design Model.
- Andy Markelz, assistant professor in the Department of Special Education: Evaluating the Effects of Teacher Praise Variability on Student Behaviors.
Research spotlight
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Honors CollegeBall State Honors College graduate earns prestigious scholarships
Chris Adams, an accounting major who graduated summa cum laude from Honors College in May, has been awarded two major scholarships for outstanding scholar-athletes.
He plans to use these scholarships to pursue a law degree beginning in the Fall of 2022. Mr. Adams has a career goal of addressing wealth inequality by providing legal services to small businesses and non-profit organizations. He is spending the 2021-22 academic year at Ball State, where he plans to advance his business expertise by earning his Masters of Business Administration degree, while also using his final year of athletic eligibility with the men’s tennis team.
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Achieving Academic Excellence
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Tayla T.C. Lee
Tayla T.C. Lee is determined to provide high-impact educational experiences that will change the lives of her students and the people they may help after graduation.
The assistant professor of Psychological Science also identifies herself as a Hoosier intent on giving back to the people of her native state. As a first-generation college student who earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Lee appreciates that many Ball State students are also first generation.
Lee knew she wanted to continue her education after college but, in hindsight, realized, “I didn’t understand a lot about how graduate education worked.”
She strives to provide a clearer path for her students. Among her priorities, Lee sets the goal for her master’s degree candidates to show a proven ability to execute the research process.
Since 2015, she has guided students through studies conducted through the Personality and Psychopathology (P2) Lab, which she directs. The lab investigates personality and cognitive influences on mental disorders and how to best assess these influences in clinical practice. The goal is to improve treatment for people experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties.
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