Ball State University

Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans more than one thousand acres (4 km²). The student body consists of more than 20,000 students, of which over 18,000 are undergraduate students and over 1,500 are graduate students. Famous alumni include David Letterman, Joyce DeWitt, Garfield creator Jim Davis and the founder of Papa John's, John Schnatter.

Originally a normal school, Ball State has grown and expanded over the years and is recognized today for its programs in architecture, exercise science, teaching, anthropology, entrepreneurship, and communications. Ball State is identified by the Carnegie Classification as a Doctoral/Research-Intensive university.

History

Main article: History of Ball State University

Ball State University wasn't the first school to operate at its location. Previous educational institutions operated at the intersection of University and McKinley avenues before 1918. They were neither public nor did they carry the "Ball" name.

The pre-Ball years

The area of Muncie, Indiana that is now known as Ball State University had its start in 1899 as a private school called the Eastern Indiana Normal School to educate teachers. The entire school, including classrooms, library and the president's residence were housed in what is now known as the Ball State Administration building.

The one-building school had a peak enrollment of 256 and charged $10 for a year's tuition. It operated until the spring of 1901, when it was closed down by its president, F.A. Kumier, due to lack of funding. A year later, in the autumn of 1902, the school re-opened as Palmer University for the next three years after Francis Palmer, a retired Indiana banker gave the school a $100,000 endowment.

Between 1905 and 1907, the school dropped the Palmer name and operated as the Indiana Normal College. It had two divisions, the Normal School for educating teachers and a College of Applied Sciences. The school had an average enrollment of about 200 students. Because of a diminishing enrollment and lack of funds, school president Francis Ingler closed Indiana Normal College at the end of the 1906-1907 school year.

Between 1907 and 1912 the campus sat vacant. In 1912, a group of local investors led by Michael Kelly reopened the school as the Indiana Normal Institute. To pay for updated materials and refurbishing the once-abandoned Administration Building, the school operated under a mortgage from the Muncie Trust Company. Although the school had its largest student body with a peak enrollment of 806, officials could not keep up with mortgage payments and the school was forced to shut down once again in June 1917 after the Muncie Trust Company initiated foreclosure proceedings.

Ball Brothers intervene

On July 25, 1917 local industrialists the Ball Brothers, founders of the Ball Corporation bought the Indiana Normal Institute out of foreclosure. For $35,100, the Balls bought the Administration building and surrounding land bordered by University Avenue, McKinley Avenue, Riverside Avenue and Tillotson Avenue, except for the northwest quadrant which was kept as a wildlife preserve (Christy Woods).

In early 1918, during the Indiana General Assembly's "short session," state legislators accepted the gift of the school and the land by the Ball Brothers. The state granted operating control of the Muncie Campus and school building to the administrators of the Indiana State Normal School in Terre Haute.

The close relationship between the Balls and the school led to an unofficial moniker for the college as many students, faculty and local politicians casually referred to the school as "Ball State" as a shorthand alternative to its longer, official name. During the 1922 short session of the Indiana legislature, the state renamed the school as the Ball Teachers College. This was in recognition to the Ball family's continuing beneficence to the institution. During this act, the state also reorganized its relationship with Terre Haute, and established a separate local board of trustees for the Muncie campus.

In 1924, Ball Teachers College's trustees hired Benjamin Burris as the first president of the state-funded college. The Ball Brothers continued giving to the university and partially funded the construction of the Science Hall (now called the Burkhardt Building) in 1924, and an addition to Ball Gymnasium in 1925. By the 1925-1926 school year, Ball State enrollment reached 991 students: 697 women and 294 men.

Ball State Teachers College

During the regular legislative session of 1929, the Indiana General Assembly formally separated the Terre Haute and Muncie campuses of the state teachers college system, but placed the governing of the Ball State campus under the Indiana State Teachers College Board of Trustees, based in Terre Haute, Indiana.^[1] During this action, the school was renamed Ball State Teachers College. The following year enrollment increased to 1,118 with 747 female and 371 male students.

In 1935, the school added the Arts Building for art, music and dance instruction (now solely used as the Ball State Art Museum). Enrollment that year reached 1,151 with 723 women and 428 men.

As an expression of the many gifts the Ball family gave the university since 1917, sculptor Daniel Chester French was commissioned by the Muncie Chamber of Commerce to cast a bronze fountain figure to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Ball Brother's gift to the state. His creation, the statue Beneficence, still stands today between the Administration Building and Lucina Hall where Talley Avenue dead ends into University Avenue.

In 1961, Ball State became fully independent of Indiana State via the creation of the Ball State College Board of Trustees, so that Ball State was no longer governed remotely by the Indiana State College Board of Trustees.^[1] Also in 1961, the name of Ball State was changed to Ball State College.

Ball State University

In 1965, in recognition of its enrollment growth (10,066 students) and for transforming into more than a school to educate public school teachers, the Indiana General Assembly renamed the school Ball State University .

Ball State has seen a trend of near-constant growth since its creation. Current enrollment is the highest in the school's history, prompting construction of a new residence hall slated to be completed in 2007-2008. Bachelor's degrees are available in eight different areas which contain over one hundred and fifty individual programs – a sharp increase from the five degree programs initially offered by the University. Ball State's academic future is considered by many to be bright as the University continues a course of upgrading programs and adding new ones where applicable.

Campus Life

Ball State's campus life revolves around two main quadrangles. The original historic quadrangle is at the south end of campus where the Student Center and Village are located. The new quadrangle is located to the north and consists of a variety of modern buildings that include Bracken Library and Pruis Hall, which is the cultural venue for recitals, ensembles, and films.

Despite the two quadrangles, the most heavily-utilized buildings on campus are situated along McKinley Avenue (which runs north-south) and Riverside Avenue (which runs east-west). The intersection of the two streets is nicknamed the "scramble light" after its pedestrian scramble feature. The pedestrian phase stops all traffic allowing pedestrians to cross in all directions, thus causing everyone to "scramble." It is rumored that this intersection is the busiest pedestrian intersection in the state of Indiana.

A 2005 survey conducted by Intel Corporation rates Ball State as the number one wireless campus in the nation. Ball State's academic and administrative buildings, residence hall common areas, and green spaces have wireless access fed by 625 Wi-Fi access points.^[2]

Shafer Tower

Despite being dedicated fairly recently in 2002, Shafer Tower has become an unofficial landmark of Ball State University. It is a bell tower, or carillon, that is located in the median of McKinley Avenue on the north quadrangle of campus. A small staircase in the tower leads to a control room, which has 48 custom-made bells. The tower chimes every 15 minutes from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will occasionally play music.

Due to a construction defect in the type of cement used to build the tower, Shafer Tower literally had to be built twice^{[citation needed]}. The architect of record was Edmund Hafer Associates of Evansville, Indiana.^[3]

Bracken Library

Possibly the top destination for Ball State students is Bracken Library.^[4] This facility has the floor area of nearly seven American football fields and houses five floors of university offices, classrooms, computer labs, private study suites, video viewing suites, and thousands of books, videos, and audio devices available to students. It is estimated that more than 3,000 students visit Bracken Library each day.^[5] Built in 1975, Bracken's most recent remodel finished in 1997.

Bracken Library recently installed a café and lounge on the first floor.^[6] The Bookmark Café's opening was initially delayed due to shipping irregularities with material suppliers, but opened in January 2007.

L.A. Pittenger Student Center

Constructed in the mid-1950s, the Student Center houses the University's hotel, meeting rooms, a food court, and various forms of recreation for students including a bowling alley.

In September 2006, the university rejected a proposal to build a new student center. Instead, the existing student center will be fully renovated and expanded.^[7]

Student Housing

The University currently operates seven residence complexes that house nearly 7,000 students. An eighth residence hall, Park Hall,^[8] is under construction (and is scheduled to open in fall of 2007) and a ninth $43.5 million residence hall, tentatively named North Residence Hall, is scheduled to begin construction in 2007.^[9][10] Ball State's freshman residence hall program is listed as one of the best in the nation by the Unofficial, Unbiased Insider's Guide to the Most Interesting Colleges.

By far the largest housing complex is LaFollette, which houses over 1,900 students. This co-ed facility, completed in 1967, has four L-shaped, eight-story units, and a ten story tower in the center that houses mainly older and international students. Johnson Complex, on the north end of campus, is a modern complex consisting of one eight-story building and two four-story buildings. The complex is the only one on campus to feature Z-shaped rooms and houses all Honors College students.

In addition, Ball State has one all women's dormitory that houses approximately 600 students. The Woodworth Complex is comprised of four halls that also house sorority suites.^[11] Part of Woodworth is currently under renovation/construction to add a new two-story dining facility and atrium. The dining plaza is expected to be finished in 2007.^[12]

Of the current residence halls in operation, only one, Elliott Hall, has been in operation for nearly the entire history of the University. Constructed from 1937 to 1939, Elliott was formerly an all-male dormitory and, during World War II, housed cadets and recruits from joint programs operated with the Army and Air Force.

Beginning in December 2007, DeHority Hall will be closed for extensive renovations.^[13] Sometime after 2010, residence halls that would be too expensive to remodel and update, including the LaFollette complex will be demolished.^[14]

Two apartment complexes operated by the University provide affordable homes for single students and students with families. Apartments are available in one- and two-bedroom styles, and townhouses are available in two- and three-bedroom styles. The apartments are located close to campus, shopping, restaurants, entertainment, and schools.

Dormitory Housing

• Johnson Complex
  • Johnson A (Botsford and Swinford Halls)
  • Johnson B (Schmidt and Wilson Halls)
• LaFollette Complex
• Noyer Complex
• Studebaker Complex
  • Studebaker West
  • Studebaker East
  • Studebaker North (Proposed)
• DeHority Complex
• Elliott Hall
• Woodworth Complex (All Women's Dormitory)
• Park Hall (Under Construction)
• Wagoner Complex (Houses Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities Students)

University Village

Although this is considered off-campus, University Village plays an integral part of campus life for students who both live on- and off-campus. Known informally as simply The Village, the district is home to a set of shops and restaurants located immediately east of campus. Although most of the buildings have been rebuilt over the years, the Village has existed in its present location since the early 1920s. Current Village locales include Village Green Records, TJ's Burgers, The MT Cup, Motini's, Mo's Tavern, The White Rabbit, Gordy's Art Mart, The Locker Room, The Bird, Wizard's Keep, The Little Havanna - Tobacco Cabana, Scotty's Brewhouse, Subway, The Pita Pit, Jimmy John's Gourmet Subs, Greek's Pizza, The Chug, and The Den (which is world renowned for its quite cheap Den Pop). Dill Street recently hosted a mechanical bull for celebrities "Wee-Man" and Trish Stratus, who were in Muncie filming the CBS reality show "Armed and Famous", to ride.

Almost every night, Carter 'the Hot Dog Man' comes out to sell his "Nearly World Famous Hot Dogs" as the bars empty. Voted #51 in Sports Illustrated On-Campus top 100 things you must do before you graduate.^[15] Across the street from him, Greek's pizza owns a stand where they sell slices of pizza as competition.

Academics

Strengths

Though previously a bastion in the field of teaching, the university has been recognized in many fields, including Architecture, Telecommunications & Journalism, Business, and Nursing. Highlights:

• The university's entepreneurship program has been ranked in the top five of all colleges for its undergraduate entrepreneurship program for the last three years in a row, according to the US News & World Report magazine.
• According to the 2006 edition of the same magazine, Ball State has one of the best undergraduate business programs in the nation.
• In 2004 "This Business of Broadcasting" named Ball State as one of the nation's top broadcasting programs in the country.
• The 2005 edition of Almanac of Architecture and Design named Ball State one of the top ten colleges in landscape architecture.
• Ball State is the administrator to Burris Laboratory School. The school, which opened in 1929, is one of few schools in the nation to be created and maintained by a university for the purpose of giving teachers hands-on experience in the classroom directly.
• The University is also the administrator for the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities. The Academy is one of the oldest schools for gifted/talented high school juniors and seniors in the nation and provides University faculty an additional resource in research and hands-on experience.
• The Ball State Department of Chemistry held the record for largest undergraduate summer research program in 2004 and 2005.
• In 2006, Planetizen.com ranked Ball State's Urban Planning & Development program the seventeenth best in the country. It was also ranked in the following areas: number seven in historic preservation, number seven in land-use planning, number six in technology, number five in zoning administration, and number three in the midwest.
• In 2004, Ball State's master's program in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education (SAAHE) ranked 14th among 186 programs in a national study presented to the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).

Colleges and Schools

Ball State University is academically organized into seven degree-granting colleges:

• College of Applied Sciences and Technology
  • containing the School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science
  • containing the Departments of: Family and Consumer Sciences • Industry and Technology • Military Science • Nursing • Wellness and Gerontology
• College of Architecture and Planning, offering the only public-university accredited degrees in architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning within Indiana
  • containing the Departments of: Architecture • Landscape Architecture • Urban Planning
• Miller College of Business
  • containing the Departments of: Accounting • Economics • Finance and Insurance • Information Systems and Operations Management • Marketing and Management
• College of Communication, Information, and Media
  • containing the Departments of: Communication Studies • Journalism • Telecommunications, and the Center for Information and Communication Sciences
• College of Fine Arts
  • containing the School of Music
  • containing the Departments of: Art • Theatre and Dance
  • containing the Museum of Art
• College of Sciences and Humanities
  • containing the Departments of: Anthropology & Archaeology • Biology • Chemistry • Computer Science • Criminal Justice and Criminology • English • Geography • Geology • History • Mathematical Sciences • Modern Languages and Classics • Natural Resources and Environmental Management • Philosophy and Religious Studies • Physics and Astronomy • Physiology and Health Science • Political Science • Psychological Science • Social Work • Sociology • Speech Pathology and Audiology
• Teachers College
  • containing the Departments of: Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services • Educational Leadership • Educational Psychology • Educational Studies • Elementary Education • Special Education

Ball State University also has two non-degree-granting colleges:

• Honors College for the coordination of more rigorous classes for the gifted student
• University College for the coordination of advising and other services

Accreditation

Ball State University as a whole has been accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools continuously since 1925.^[16] ABET has continuously accredited Ball State University's following bachelors degree since the date listed: Manufacturing Engineering Technology 1994.

Athletics

See also: Ball State Cardinals

Ball State competes in the NCAA Division I / IA and is part of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in all Olympic sports except for men's volleyball, where it competes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Conference (MIVAC).

Ball State athletics also has Cheerleading, a non-NCAA sport.

Charlie Cardinal is Ball State's anthropomorphized cardinal mascot. He is sometimes referred to on campus as simply "Charlie."

The Code Red Dance team performs at many BSU sporting events. They are known for their high-energy, entertaining performances.

Notable alumni

Main article: List of notable Ball State University alumni

Many Ball state graduates have gained regional, national and international attention, including U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, Jeffrey D. Feltman. But Ball State graduates have particularly left their mark in the fields of American professional sports and popular entertainment.

Pop culture celebrities

Perhaps the most recognizable alumnus of Ball State is American television host, David Letterman, of The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS. He is joined by fellow television performers, Joyce DeWitt, who played "Janet Wood" in the 1970s sitcom Three's Company and Anthony Montgomery, who played "Travis Mayweather" on Star Trek: Enterprise on UPN.

John Schnatter, founder of Papa John's the third largest carryout and delivery pizza restaurant in the United States, graduated from Ball State in 1983.

In the field of comics, artist Jim Davis, the cartoonist creator of Garfield also is a graduate of Ball State.

Professional athletes

Several professional athletes participated in Ball State sports before turning pro. They include NFL players such as Justin Beriault of the Dallas Cowboys; Blaine Bishop, formerly of the Tennessee Titans; Brad Maynard, a punter with the Chicago Bears; Bernie Parmalee, formerly of the Miami Dolphins and current tight ends coach at the University of Notre Dame; and Dante Ridgeway, a wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints.

NBA stars Theron Smith of the Charlotte Bobcats and Bonzi Wells of the Houston Rockets competed on the NCAA level at Ball State as did Major League Baseball players, including Larry Bigbie of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bryan Bullington, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Notable flunkouts

Noted racing journalist Robin Miller, currently of Speed TV and formerly of the Indianapolis Star, has consistently brought attention to failing out of Ball State as a form of self-deprecating humor.

Points of interest

• Wheeler Orchid Collection and Species Bank
• Worthen Arena
• Scheumann Stadium
• Beneficence

Trivia

• Because of its name, Ball State is a frequent source of puns and/or jokes.
• Two streets located in close proximity to campus, named Ball and Dicks, have their street signs stolen at least once a year. Just off Campus, High Street has often come up missing as well.
• The tallest structure on campus is Shafer Tower. The tallest building, however, is the Teachers' College, which stands at 138 feet. Teachers' College is also the tallest building in Muncie.
• The elevators in three of Ball State's taller residence halls – Lafollette, Johnson, and Studebaker East – are unusual in that they only serve floors 1 and 6, and do not serve the rest.
• Serving as a pedestrian expressway for north-south campus travel, the Cow Path extends along part of the western border of the campus from the Johnson residence halls to Riverside Avenue between the Fine Arts and Cooper Science buildings. At one time it also linked the intersection of Neely and McKinley Avenues, cutting a trail across a grassy field on which the Bell Building now stands.
• The light by the Teacher's College is known as the 'scramble light' due to both directions being stopped so students can 'scramble' across the road in traditional ways, along with cutting right through the middle.
• In the television series, The Simpsons, the fictional character Superintendent Chalmers as well as Snake (who played Lacrosse) are supposed to have attended Ball State.
• Richard Dreyfuss' character in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, can be seen wearing a famous "Ball U" t-shirt.
• PBS visited Ball State University in 2006 to interview students for a documentary entitled "Generation Next." A webcam kiosk asked students for their opinions on topics ranging from the Iraq War to religion.^[18] The documentary is set to air January 2007.
• In 2006 the CBS reality show Armed and Famous was filmed in Muncie, Indiana and featured shots of the Ball State campus and students in the series. Erik Estrada, La Toya Jackson, Jack Osbourne, Trish Stratus, and Wee Man were all featured in the series that put the city of Muncie on a national stage. The series began airing in January 2007.

References

• Ball, Edmund F., From fruit jars to satellites: The story of Ball Brothers Company, Incorporated, Newcomen Society, 1960
• Ball State University, The Elisabeth Ball Collection of paintings, drawings, and watercolors: Ball State University Art Gallery, January 15-February 26, 1984, Indiana University Press, 1984, ISBN 0-915511-00-2
• Birmingham, Frederic A., Ball Corporation, the first century, Curtis Publishing, 1980, ISBN 0-89387-039-0
• Bullock, Kurt E., Ball State University: A sense of place, Ball State University Alumni Association, 1993, ISBN 0-937994-25-1
• Edmonds, Anthony O., & Geelhoed, E. Bruce, Ball State University: An Interpretive History, Indiana University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-253-34017-9
• Hooover, Dwight W., Middletown revisited, Ball State University Press, 1990, ISBN 0-937994-18-9

Notes

See also

• History of Ball State University
• List of colleges and universities in Indiana
• List of notable Ball State University alumni
• List of notable Ball State University faculty and staff
• Landon Knepp

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