COLUMNISTS

Geoffrey S. Mearns: Turning economic challenges into opportunities

Geoffrey S. Mearns

The three “Better Together” forums we hosted last fall affirmed my belief that the Muncie-Ball State relationship is sound. But the forums also helped me recognize that there are many potential opportunities for us to build upon that relationship and make it stronger.

At these forums, I committed to develop actionable outcomes, outcomes that would stem from our panel discussions about ways our university and our community could work together to spur economic development, to improve our local schools and neighborhoods and to expand our vibrant arts and culture scene.

Since October, we’ve come together to implement several new initiatives that benefit our arts and culture scene. These initiatives include partnering with The Star Press to host a Community Arts Forum; hosting the “Christmas Sing”; launching a new WIPB-TV program, Front Row Center at Sursa Hall; and sponsoring private lessons and professional development opportunities for Muncie Community Schools students and educators, respectively.

And on June 16, we invite every member of our community to our university’s first Community Campus Experience. That afternoon, you can join us for an ice cream social on the Quad, followed by guided tours across campus. All activities — and campus parking — will be free. And so will MITS bus service the day of the event.

Now, I’m excited to share how Ball State is partnering with the Muncie community to help spur economic growth in our city.

Starting this fall, leaders from our university will hold informational sessions at various Muncie churches, library branches and community centers for people who would like to apply for a job at Ball State. The goal is to help applicants better navigate the hiring process for employment. These sessions will provide information about the numbers and types of positions available on campus, how to use our online application system, details about campus hiring cycles and suggestions on how to approach qualifications, and experience required, and much more.

Initially, our university planned to hold a one-day hiring event. But in our meetings with community members, we learned that this approach had been done in the past, and it did not produce as many success stories as we had hoped.

To be more responsive to the community, we are taking a longer-term, three-prong approach to the issue. The first prong involves campus reflection. We are taking a close look at our advertising and hiring practices with an eye for greater outreach and inclusion. The second prong includes the informational sessions I mentioned. And the third prong explores campus enrichment and promotion processes that will build a broader base of skilled employees from the community.

I am grateful to my campus colleagues who are leading this hiring initiative. They listened to community members who shared their perceptions of hiring barriers at Ball State. Now we can move forward with next steps that will lead to greater hiring success.

Another way our university can boost the local economy is by encouraging more students to frequent Muncie merchants. Beginning this fall, Ball State students will be able to use their Cardinal Cash accounts at select Village locations that choose to partner with the University for this new pilot initiative. Cardinal Cash turns students’ ID cards into pre-paid debit cards. It is a popular option for students because of its convenience and security features.

By opening its use beyond campus, we are hopeful that more students will visit the restaurants, coffee shops and other merchants the Village has to offer. Once we understand the outcomes of this pilot effort, we can explore expanding the partnership to include other Muncie merchants. I am grateful to Mayor Dennis Tyler, who has offered to provide financial support to Muncie merchants that want to participate in this partnership and need necessary software and processing equipment to do so.

Our university is also committed to strengthening the physical connection of our campus to the community to spur economic growth. Our East Mall plans, for example, will improve pedestrian and bicycle traffic and the connection between campus, the Village and downtown. We are also in the process of drafting preliminary plans for a new connector neighborhood south of the Village. These plans would provide Village enhancement opportunities, and also provide more affordable, near-campus housing opportunities for students, faculty, and staff who could contribute to the Village’s economy.

Finally, I am honored to join Mayor Tyler, Jud Fisher, the president of the Ball Brothers Foundation, and Dr. Jeffrey Bird, the president of the East Central Region for IU Health, in leading a new community initiative. We are assembling a small group of community leaders to coordinate a wide array of initiatives that will revitalize Muncie. These projects include various economic development and neighborhood revitalization efforts. In the next few weeks, we will share more details about this coordinated, collaborative initiative. It is my privilege to play a role in this exciting new venture.

Improving Muncie will not happen overnight. Neither I nor our university has all the answers for how best to do so. But with every new initiative we explore, our university proves a greater commitment to the community. When we tackle these issues as partners, we prove time and time again that we are, truly, better together.

Geoffrey S. Mearns is president of Ball State University.