Immersive learning programs are at the forefront of Ball State University's attempt to redefine itself, but administrators and organizers must be sure efforts are being made to keep these programs alive.
Because of a change in funding, the Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry had to cut seminars for at least the next two years. Instead of four seminars, only three will be available for the 2006-07 academic year, which is not consistent with what the university says its priorities are.
If this program, along with others such as NewsLink Indiana, are important to Ball State, securing their financial support must also be important.
Ball State showed it is capable of maintaining immersion programs when it salvaged NewsLink Indiana after the Lilly Endowment grant supporting it ran out last year.
Although the current manifestation of NewLink Indiana isn't what was originally envisioned, Ball State affirmed the program's importance by finding the money to keep it running in some capacity. The university must be sure to put this effort into financially supporting its other immersive programs.
Before the VBC falls on bigger financial struggles or other programs find themselves in trouble, the university must find ways to support them - especially if the university is identifying these experiences as strengths and pride points.
If the programs are important enough to use as marketing tools, they are important enough for the university to put energy into finding sufficient financial support for them.
Planning ahead and seeking new resources might be necessary to keep programs such as the VBC and NewsLink Indiana alive -ยก- and those are efforts the university should be willing to make.
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