When President Jo Ann Gora's husband attended a recent conference in West Palm Beach, Fla., he was surprised when a man approached and congratulated him.
When Roy Budd, Gora's husband of seven years, asked the man why he'd offered the congratulations, the man told Budd that his wife was a finalist for the president's position at Purdue University.
"That [was] news to me," Budd said.
During her time at Ball State, Gora has been contacted by representatives from major schools across the country, but the president, who will begin her fourth year at Ball State in the fall, said she isn't going anywhere.
"I'm committed to staying at Ball State," Gora said. "I'm proud of the strategic plan we've developed, and I'm committed to seeing that plan through and raising money to support it."
The Strategic Plan, which is set to be completed by 2012, calls for more immersive learning experiences and interdisciplinary projects that directly affect businesses and communities.
Though the plan sets clear objectives to reaching this goal, Gora realizes that the plan will take the tireless efforts of university faculty to achieve.
Arriving at her office each morning, Gora is greeted by multiple stacks of paper rising from her desk.
"My goal is to make this stack go down today," she said, looking at papers, which include press releases and university memos. Her schedule for the day includes speaking with donors, meeting with a committee to discuss how to avoid campus tragedies such as the Virginia Tech incident and meeting with members of the press to discuss a U.S. Department of Education grant.
As university president, Gora said she often spends 12 hours per day working and uses much of her free time to catch up on e-mail correspondences related to university affairs. She tries to respond to every message in her inbox, be it from donor, faculty member or student, within 24 hours, she said.
Gora's work ethic and uncompromising vision for Ball State's future are what has caught the attention of many universities and search firms. Effective presidents who are active nationally are commonly offered new positions, she said.
The University of Connecticut recently sent Gora information regarding a presidential opening at the school, but she declined the opportunity and did not apply, she said.
To Gora, Ball State is a unique university with a great deal of potential.
"Other universities embrace the idea of experiential learning, but what we do is very different," she said. "[Ball State] gets students together solving real world problems."
The Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry, which lets students engage in a semester-long faculty-developed project, and the Business Fellows, which puts students to work in Indiana businesses are examples of this experiential learning, Gora said. Provost Terry King, who works with Gora on a constant basis, said being a successful president requires having a strong work ethic, a sound vision and the intelligence to execute plans effectively. King said he ranks Gora among the top of the university presidents he's worked with.
Since moving to Muncie in 2004, Gora and Budd have devoted their time and energies to developing Ball State into a nationally-recognized institution and stimulating the economy of the region. Budd serves as director of Energize ECI, a non-profit organization that works to bring new businesses and jobs to East Central Indiana.
The two met professionally while Gora served as interim president at Old Dominion University and Budd worked in the economic development field in Eastern Virginia. Since then, they have allowed their careers to overlap whenever possible.
In September, the couple went on a Gov. Mitch Daniels-sponsored trade commission to Japan, where Gora promoted higher education and Budd sought out Japanese companies to invest in East Central Indiana.
"There's not a month that goes by that some headhunter or search firm is looking for [Gora] to apply," Budd said. "She, as well as myself, have been offered positions around the country. We're simply not interested in that."
When Gora and Budd are not devoting their time to the betterment of Ball State and its surrounding areas, the couple enjoys playing tennis, golfing and biking around the Muncie community. They also try to attend all major Ball State athletic, theater and music events, Budd said.
The couple will take a vacation to Virginia next week in an attempt to rejuvenate themselves before the beginning of Fall Semester, which Budd calls a particularly busy time of the year.
To Gora, the long hours and constant workload are just a step in the seeing through of Ball State's Strategic Plan and the national recognition of the university.
"I would like Ball State to be known for the high-quality education experiences that it offers," she said. "That is what I'd like my legacy to be."
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