I am grateful to Ball State University’s Board of Trustees for recognizing the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff by providing salary increases and extending the previously issued Days of Beneficence for 2023. This year’s Days of Beneficence will occur Tuesday, December 26; Wednesday, December 27; Thursday, December 28; and Friday, December 29. Additional information about these Board actions—taken during the Board’s June 16 meeting—are noted in my email to Ball State employees.
Also during the June 16 meeting, Trustees said farewell to Amy Wyse, our student representative to the Board who graduated in May. Amy completed her two-year term after being appointed by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb. Amy was always prepared and ready for meaningful engagement with her fellow trustees. She provided innovative thinking and a valuable student perspective as the board considered how best to make administrative decisions on behalf of the University community. I am grateful for her service to the Board.
Gov. Holcomb has appointed Hope Churchill as our new student representative on the Board. Her two-year term begins July 1. I look forward to working with Hope and seeing her contributions in this role. Read more about her in this Ball State press release.
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Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University
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Summer Commencement Scheduled for July 22 in Worthen Arena
Ball State University’s Summer Commencement will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 22, in Worthen Arena. There will be one ceremony that recognizes all graduates together. Worthen Arena will open at 9 a.m. The ceremony is not ticketed, so graduates can invite as many guests as they would like. Summer Commencement will be livestreamed on the Summer Commencement webpage. A window where the livestream can be viewed will appear on that webpage on the day of the ceremony. Additional information about the 2023 Summer Commencement is available online. Those interested in serving as an ambassador at Commencement should email Angel Tuttle, assistant director of Commencement and University Events, at atuttle@bsu.edu by Friday, July 7.
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Ball State President Wins ‘Career Services Champion’ Award from NACE
President Geoffrey S. Mearns won the 2023 Career Services Champion Award from National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)—a professional association that connects more than 15,000 college career services professionals, university relations and recruiting professionals, and business solution providers.
In a video President Mearns recorded for NACE, he called the award a recognition of the dedication and creativity of Ball State’s Career Services staff—and of the impact Careers Services is having on the lives of the University’s students. He expressed gratitude for the work of Career Services staff and said he accepted this award on the staff’s behalf.
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One Ball State Day Earns Three Gold 2023 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards
One Ball State Day (OBSD), Ball State University’s 24-hour online fundraising event, was recently recognized again for fostering unity and engagement across the Ball State community through collaboration and dedication to a common cause.
OBSD, held annually by the Ball State University Foundation, earned the University three Council for Advancement and Support for Excellence (CASE) 2023 Circle of Excellence Awards—each at the gold level. Circle of Excellence awards acknowledge superior achievement in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing.
Out of more than 4,000 global entries across 100 award categories this year, OBSD was recognized as follows:
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- Annual/Regular Giving Campaigns (More Than 25 Staff)—Gold
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Special Events: Online Fundraisers—Gold
- Flash/Giving Day Campaigns—Gold
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CASE is a global, not-for-profit membership association with a vision to advance education to transform lives and society. Read what the CASE judges said about OBSD and Ball State on CASE’s award recipients webpage.
OBSD 2023 raised $1.2 million. Visit OBSD’s webpage to learn more about this year’s successful fundraising effort.
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Governmental Relations & Industry Engagement |
Stay Current on the Latest Statehouse News
The Office of Governmental Relations & Industry Engagement invites you to subscribe to its weekly newsletter, Statehouse Update. The newsletter provides updates on key legislation being followed by the University and insights into the legislative process. Sign up or view past editions of the newsletter.
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Our Call to Beneficence Podcast |
Latest Episode of Our Call to Beneficence Features Ball State Graduate and Award-Winning Television Producer, Dwight Smith
Dwight Smith— co-president and executive producer at Mission Control Media—is the guest on the June 2023 episode of the monthly podcast Our Call to Beneficence, hosted by Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. This episode is available now.
Mr. Smith, ’87, graduated from the College of Communication, Information, and Media with a degree in Telecommunications. He formed Mission Control Media—a Los Angeles-based production company—in 2008 with producing partner Michael Agbabian. Mr. Smith is an award-winning television producer whose success includes being co-creator and executive producer of multiple television projects such as “Face Off,” which ran on the Syfy channel; and the multiple award-winning NBC hit show “Hollywood Game Night” featuring Jane Lynch. Other projects produced and/or written by Mr. Smith include “Project Runway,” “Last Comic Standing,” “The Soup,” “Weakest Link,” and daytime soap operas, “General Hospital” and “Days of Our Lives.”
All episodes of the Our Call to Beneficence podcast are available on multiple platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Subscriptions and reviews are also encouraged to help grow the audience for this podcast.
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National Champion, All-American Track and Field Performances Punctuate Successful Spring Season for Ball State Athletics Program
Ball State University senior Charity Griffith captured first place in the high jump at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on June 10 in Austin, Texas—bringing Ball State its first national title since 1999. She went into this NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships as the two-time defending Mid-American Conference (MAC) high jump champion.
Ball State junior Jenelle Rogers finished fifth in the heptathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Ms. Rogers’ 6,018 heptathlon points set another school record and her finish in the heptathlon was the best ever by a Ball State athlete.
Read more about these two NCAA All-American performances in this Ball State Athletics press release.
Additional highlights of victories, success, and championships from the Spring athletics season include:
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Ball State University was awarded the 2023 Jacoby Trophy, presented annually by the Mid-American Conference (MAC) to the school whose women’s teams placed first in the league’s cumulative standings. Ball State men’s teams finished second overall—their best standing since 2013—for the Reese Trophy, which is awarded to the top MAC men’s athletic program. Ball State’s first- and second-place finishes in all-sports standings marked our University’s best combined finish since 2001.
- Ball State’s baseball team won the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2006. Also, the team qualified for the NCAA baseball tournament for just the fourth time in school history.
- The women’s tennis team made its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance after earning a second-straight MAC Tournament team title.
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Follow Ball State Athletics news online year-round.
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Upskilling Opportunities Available Through Lifetime Learning
Lifetime Learning by Ball State offers skills training and convenient online certifications for Ball State employees and others who want to add more value in your current role or streamline work processes. Below are two of many opportunities:
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The online Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) course, as designated by the Project Management Institute, will help you learn effective time management, project scope estimation, project planning, risk and cost analysis. Lifetime Learning’s instructor-led tech certification courses, powered by SkillStorm, offer in-demand tech skills in networking, security, Salesforce administration, and more.
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The online, self-paced Social Media Brand Management course is useful to grow and connect with your target student audience on social media using brand storytelling and evidence-based leadership practices. Master practical techniques and strategies, and harness useful data to measure the success of your networking and brand strategy.
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Office of Community Engagement |
Two OCE Staffers Among Muncie Team that Attended NUSA Conference in May
A Muncie team that included two Office of Community Engagement (OCE) staffers traveled to the Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) Conference in Texas in May. The team, which featured Heather Williams, OCE associate director and manager of the Building Better Communities Initiative; and Krista Flynn, OCE program coordinator, placed fifth in Regional Best Neighborhood Program in the Social Revitalization/Neighborliness category for the IDEA Conference. This conference brings together leaders representing Muncie’s neighborhoods to develop and strengthen community-building skills. Ms. Williams and Ms. Flynn also presented “Neighborhoods ARP Funding: Participatory Budgeting in Action” at the conference.
Ball State Wins National Excellence in Community Engagement Institutional Leadership Award
Ball State University has been selected as the winner of the 2022 Ryan, Moser, Reilly Award for Excellence in Community Engagement Institutional Leadership award by the Engaged Scholarship Consortium (ESC) Awards Committee. ESC awards recognize higher education institutions and their exemplary contributions to scholarship and the practice of community engaged scholarship. Ball State was selected by the ESC committee as a finalist in May. The University’s Office of Community Engagement (OCE) worked quickly to create an updated OCE annual report and compiled all of the other materials for submission. The awards ceremony will be part of the ESC Annual Conference in October. Read more in this Ball State press release.
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HR Solutions Center Has Relocated Within Administration Building
Ball State University’s Human Resources Solutions Center has relocated to Room G008 of the Administration Building. The new location continues to be an easy, one-stop-shop spot for all University employee needs, including Human Resources, Benefits, Payroll, Wellbeing, and Employee Relations. An accessible entrance is located on the east side of the building.
The HR Solutions Center is also available via email or call (765) 285-1834.
Explore the University’s New Timekeeping Platform, UKG Dimensions
Ball State University launched the UKG Dimensions platform (a successor to Kronos Workforce Central) on June 25, 2023, as the University’s new and improved timekeeping system. With the upgraded system, UKG Dimensions offers a mobile application for employee and supervisor convenience plus workflow capabilities for time-off requests and time entry/punch corrections. Visit Ball State’s Payroll and Employee Benefits webpage to learn more about the new look and features. Questions and requests for assistance with this new platform can be directed to a Payroll Specialist or emailed to payrollprocessors@bsu.edu.
Lifeworks Provides Online Financial Assessment & Calculators
An online Financial Assessment and calculators can help with a variety of tasks—determining how long it will take to pay off a debt, figuring out how large of a mortgage will be needed to buy a new home, doing research, and more. More informed decisions about financial wellbeing can be made by using this assessment and the calculators. Visit LifeWorks Online Financial Assessment & Calculators to access these valuable resources. University employees must use their Ball State email addresses and passwords to log into Lifeworks.
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R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning |
IDIA Lab Creates Exhibition for the National Museum in China
John Fillwalk, director of the Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts (IDIA) and associate professor of Electronic Art, and the IDIA Lab were invited to design and exhibit an artificial intelligent installation at an international art exhibition at the National Museum of Art in Beijing, China.
Their custom designed experience, “Wishing Well,” is an immersive installation where a visitor’s interaction shapes the substance, meaning, and character of the artwork through artificial intelligence. The participants speak their wishes into a pool of water. The water is vibrated by an embedded speaker creating a three-dimensional dynamic sound wave image of the actual wish. A virtual lantern of the wish appears on the wall drifting skyward to become part of the larger collection of dreams creating a sense of shared connection.
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Miller College of Business |
ICI Hosts 83 Business, Community Leaders at Annual Indiana Economic Development Course
For the 41st time in 38 years, Ball State University’s Indiana Communities Institute hosted the annual Indiana Economic Development Course. The week-long training, held in early May, is one of nearly two dozen “basic” economic development courses that the International Economic Development Council accredits in the United States and Canada. It is the first step to becoming a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD).
Academicians, industry practitioners, state agency representatives, and elected officials provided insights and tools related to community economic development, including local finance, entrepreneurship, marketing, housing, real estate development, professional ethics, comprehensive community wealth, quality of place, neighborhood development, and organizational management, plus other topics.
David Terrell, executive director of ICI, also facilitated a panel discussion with four Indiana mayors about leadership, public service, policy, and community engagement. With 83 participants, this year’s training was the best attended since 2015 and among the top five since the course launched in 1986. Attendees came from 32 Indiana counties, and from Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Alaska.
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College of Communication, Information, and Media |
Faculty Member, Two Alumni Earn Emmy Wins
Two alumni of Ball State’s College of Communication, Information and Media and a University Media Service staff member were named Emmy Award winners by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Central Great Lakes Chapter (CGL). A gala was held on June 17 as part of the 54th Annual CGL Emmy Awards to reveal all of this year’s CGL Emmy Award Winners and recognize the nominees. Three CCIM faculty members were among the nominees.
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CGL Emmy Awards Winners from CCIM:
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- Alumni Faith Denig and Peyton Monnell: “Thy Will Be Done: The Trey Uetrecht Story”
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Ben Yonker, producer and director: “Sunny Days: Meet the Founding Mothers of Ball State PBS”
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Other CGL Emmy Award Nominees from CCIM:
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Kinesiology Professor Earns ‘Partnership Matters’ Award
Dr. Shannon Powers, associate teaching professor of Kinesiology, was honored with a Partnership Matters award from the East Central Indiana Area Health Education Center on May 23 for her work with Cardinal Wellness Program. Cardinal Wellness is a free community-based, student-run, interprofessional project which offers kidney screenings and other health screenings, exercise programming, nutrition education, childcare, plus material and social support for community members seeking to improve their overall health. This program is currently serving as an AHEC Scholars experiential site where students can earn more than 200 credit hours per year.
HLC’s Latest HABITS Podcast Episode Focuses on Expectant Mothers, Family Resources
The latest episode of The Healthy Lifestyle Center’s HABITS Podcast—released June 5— highlights many resources available to expectant mothers and families seeking help in East Central Indiana. Dr. Christina Doll hosts, and chats with Dr. Kristin Trainor and Dr. Corie Hess, about their experiences during pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood. Gabe Jones, Dr. Dolls' 11-year-old son, provides this month's "HLC in the Community" segment. You can find the June 5 episode online or by searching for "Habits by HLC" on various podcast platforms, including Spotify, Google, and Apple Podcasts.
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College of Sciences and Humanities |
Indiana Writing Project, Mathematical Sciences Department Host Teachers, K-12 Students
Throughout June, the Indiana Writing Project (IWP), and the Department of Mathematical Sciences, ran several programs that provided opportunities for teachers and K-12 students in Delaware County to engage with English Language Arts and Math on Ball State’s campus. These programs are made possible through funding from the Learning Recovery Grant out of Teachers College. Offered were four different programs covering the areas of writing education, journalism, composition, and topics in mathematics. The programs were attended by 100 students and nine teachers.
Rinard Orchid Greenhouse and Nature Lab Host Wildlife Day
Visit the Nature Lab, connected to the Dr. Joe and Alice Rinard Orchid Greenhouse, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on July 8 to learn about the wildlife of Indiana with the educational staff. Activities will include show-and-tell with furs, skulls, and feathers; animal observation with Beaker, the eastern box turtle; native frogs and toads, and the beehive; and creating your own animal track field guide. All ages are welcome. Questions can be emailed to fieldstation@bsu.edu.
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Department of Educational Psychology – Gerardo Ramirez, assistant professor of Educational Psychology; and Dr. Tenelle Porter, assistant professor of Educational Psychology.
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Department of Special Education – Maria Sciuchetti, assistant professor of Special Education; and Katie Taylor, assistant lecturer of Special Education in Deaf Education.
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Department of Educational Studies – Regina Giraldo-Garcia, assistant professor of Research Methods; and Dr. Ligia Gómez Franco, assistant professor of Educational Psychology.
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Department of Elementary Education – Nicole Martin, associate professor of Elementary Education; Dr. Lisa Hawkins, associate professor of Reading Literacy; and Dr. Marliese Peltier, assistant professor of Curriculum and Instruction.
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Department of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies – Shu Su, assistant professor of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies; and Robin Box, associate lecturer of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies.
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Department of Educational Leadership – Tracy Caddell, assistant clinical professor of Educational Leadership; Dr. Rachel Geesa, associate clinical professor of Educational Leadership; and Dr. Serena Salloum, associate professor of Educational Leadership.
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Teachers College Student Among Five Cardinal Athletes Named to Academic All-District Team
Sophomore Sarah Mahnensmith, who is majoring in Special Education, is one of five members of the Ball State track & field and cross country programs named to the 2022-23 Academic All-District Team. Read more about all five Ball State track & field and cross country athletes who received this honor in this Ball State Athletics press release.
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Honors College Establishes Pathways to Women’s and Gender Studies and African American Studies Programs
The Ball State Honors College offers pathway programs for Honors students to earn course credit in Women’s and Gender Studies and African American Studies through their Honors courses. In addition to diversifying the Honors curriculum, these new pathways offer enhanced opportunities for the Honors College to collaborate with the newly established Department of Women’s, Gender, and African American Studies in the College of Sciences and Humanities.
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University Libraries’ Research Instruction and Reading Lists Foster Success in the Classroom
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University Libraries’ can help students successfully complete research assignments and build lifelong critical thinking and information literacy skills. Librarians offer specialized instruction to classes in varied disciplines, from first-year Writing Program classes to graduate seminars. Instruction is tailored to the needs of students and can be provided in-person in the Libraries or the classroom, synchronously online, or via research guides and videos students can access anytime. Registration is open for Fall 2023. Interested faculty can contact University Libraries to request instruction and learn more about how librarians can collaborate with faculty in fostering students’ success.
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Connecting students to resources is simple. Reading Lists are a flexible and cost-effective alternative or supplement to textbooks—giving students simple access to faculty-selected resources, including full-text articles, e-books, digitized content, streaming video, and music. Library staff work behind the scenes to add and activate the resources you select, and review content for copyright compliance. The Reading Lists app connects directly with the Canvas course navigation menu. Visit University Libraries’ workshops page to learn about Fall 2023 sessions, and how Reading Lists can enhance teaching.
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