• Ball State restricts students’ abilities to create businesses on campus.
• University code requires students to keep business within dorm rooms.
• Student says business could be step forward for education.
What seems like a quick way to make money may actually get Ball State students in trouble with the university.
Ball State allows few opportunities for students to start an on-campus business if they are using university property to sell their products.
Jake Evans, a junior finance and accounting major, tried to start a branch of Campus Protein, a company which uses college students to sell supplements and proteins for working out to other college students, his freshman year.
Evans and his roommate told their resident assistant about the business, who told them to ask for university’s permission before embarking on their business venture.
After pitching the idea to a university representative, they were told they couldn’t start the business.
One problem with Evan’s business plan was that he would advertise and sell their products in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
The Housing and Residence Life policy on solicitation states that students can sell things within their own dorm room but can’t sell or advertise on other campus property, including lounges, hallways or in other campus buildings.
In addition, the university’s Student Code states that the university can restrict access to all campus grounds if it impedes on the mission of the university or safety of students.
The code does, however, allow for businesses to advertise using selected bulletin boards on campus.
Ball State tries to stop businesses from interfering with students’ lives and the university’s mission to educate students, said Cathy Bickel, associate director of Housing and Residence Life.
If the university allowed outside and student-run businesses to advertise in the halls, countless tanning and pizza places would take advantage of it and clog the areas.
“We really try to protect our students,” Bickel said. “Students don’t want to be bothered with all the possible solicitations.”
She said if Campus Protein wanted to hire Evans to work on campus, they should have gone through the Career Center to make it a campus job.
Michael Gillilan, director of students rights, said the rules exist in part to protect the university from competition.
That is why the universtiy limits students or businesses that sell items similar to those of the university, like food available at campus dining locations, he said.
“We don’t want anybody, including students, competing with university services or businesses that have been licensed on campus,” he said.
However, the university does allow students to start businesses so long as they adhere to the students codes.
For example, businesses like Dorm Room Closet are allowed. The business, started by freshmen art majors Megan Taylor and Jessica Liebeno, advertises clothes through Instagram and sells their product from inside their dorm room.
They said their resident assistant knows about the business and has never expressed any concern.
Bickel said she has no problems with students using websites, including eBay and Craigslist to sell goods.
Evans was uncertain about the policy and had initially been confused as to why the Dorm Room Closet had not been shut down, while his own business had.
He said he thought his business would have been beneficial to his education and was disappointed it was turned down.
“As a business student, that’s what you’re going to school for — to possibly start your own business,” he said. “If you have your own business already and you’re learning how to run that process, you’re already ahead of the game in your classes.”
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