Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler gave the key to the city to President Paul Ferguson Thursday afternoon in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center.
The exchange was a part of the Ball State Campus Community Coalition Door Hanger Project.
“We thought it would be nice to let them know that [Muncie] is their home now,” Tyler said, “We want them to know it’s their home.”
The mayor said it was not previously planned and he wanted to let Ferguson and his wife, Grace, know that they are welcome in the community.
The president and the mayor participated in the Door Hanger Project, which is an initiative to provide useful information for off-campus students and local residents.
“Being responsible citizens around the community and the university is essential for us to be recognized as a student-centered and community-engaged university,” Ferguson said.
He said it is important to support each other and live well together.
Dozens of students participated in the event where they went door to door talking to different residents and handing out information.
Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and a leader of the coalition Thomas Gibson said information on the Indiana Lifeline Law, Social Host Law, emergency contacts and a schedule of campus events were handed out.
The Lifeline Law protects underage people who have been drinking and call 911 for a medical emergency, according to indianalifeline.org.
“Part of our interaction is to try to connect off-campus students to the life of the university,” Gibson said.
He hopes the interaction will help off-campus students and permanent residents get to know each other.
Rachel Johnson, a junior social work major, lives off campus and said it is important for her to know her neighbors.
“Ball State can offer a lot of resources to residents and they can offer resources too,” Johnson said.
Tyler credited former Ball State President Jo Ann Gora for establishing a great relationship between the university and the community.
“I am going to continue to lean on Ball State and its students for immersive learning projects and programs on how we can better our community and work together,” Tyler said.
Gibson said there have not been many pressing issues between students and local residents.
“We happen to enjoy a good relationship and this effort is to increase the good will and to ensure that good collaborative relationship continues,” he said.
