As Ball State develops the next iteration of the strategic plan, you are invited to participate in a series of on-campus open forums to build upon Destination 2040: Our Flight Path.
Each forum will focus on a specific topic, providing valuable insights to guide the strategic planning process through 2030. A draft plan will be shared for feedback early next year.
The first open forum will be held next Tuesday, Oct. 15. Here are the details:
Undergraduate Excellence: Paving the Path from Student Recruitment to Commencement and to a Fulfilling Career
Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 | 2-3:30 p.m. | Multicultural Center Multipurpose Room
During this forum, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on how we—individually and collectively—can extend and enhance our commitment to providing a premier educational experience for all of our undergraduate students. To prepare for the discussion, please consider how we can more effectively identify and recruit students who share our enduring values and are prepared to take full advantage of the distinctive educational experiences that we provide. Please also consider how we can continue to develop and implement innovative academic experiences and support services to enable more of our students to graduate from our University. And please consider how we can enhance our capacity to empower our graduates to have fulfilling careers.
Here are the details of future forums:
Your Purpose: Finding Fulfillment in Our Work and Meaning in Our Lives
Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 | 9:30-11 a.m. | Emens Auditorium Hospitality Suite
During this forum, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on how we—individually and collectively—can be more intentional in helping our students and ourselves develop a sense of purpose. To prepare for the discussion, please consider what specific programs and activities we should implement to help our students create their own individual pathway to a fulfilling career and to a meaningful life. Please also consider that, in order to achieve our vital mission, we must also encourage and enable all our colleagues to have a more fulfilling career at our University—an impact that may increase meaning in their lives. So, please also consider how we can engage you and your colleagues in this initiative.
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Community Engagement: Our Campus: Our Community
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 | 10-11:30 a.m. | Multicultural Center Multipurpose Room
During this forum, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on how we can enhance existing relationships and partnerships and develop new partnerships that revitalize and sustain the communities that we serve. To prepare for this discussion, please consider how we—individually and collectively—can support ongoing initiatives, including our distinctive partnership with Muncie Community Schools and our many and varied immersive learning courses. We are especially interested in your suggestions for new initiatives that will increase the depth and breadth of the impact of our long-standing commitment to community engagement.
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The Future of Teaching and Learning
Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 | 1:30-3 p.m. | Emens Auditorium Hospitality Suite
During this forum, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on how our programs and pedagogy should continue to adapt to new technologies and the changing interests and needs of learners in the 21st Century. To prepare for the discussion, please reflect on various topics, including instructional design, collaborative learning, advising, coaching, and mentoring of our students. Please also consider how innovative faculty research informs and enhances the future of teaching and learning.
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Our Enduring Commitment to Inclusiveness
Monday, Nov. 11, 2024 | 3:30-5 p.m. | Student Center Ballroom
During this forum, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on how we—individually and collectively—can enhance our commitment to our enduring value of inclusiveness, which we define as our “commitment to respect and embrace equity, inclusion, and diversity in people, ideas, and opinions.” To prepare for the discussion, please consider how we can develop a comprehensive set of initiatives that demonstrate our support for our complementary commitments to inclusive excellence, freedom of expression, and academic freedom.