The Board of Trustees announced the search firm it hired to find the university's next president, along with a committee of 16 people from Ball State.
The firm, Witt/Kieffer, will work with the committee and will be led by John Thornburgh, a senior partner of the firm.
Joan Todd, the university’s spokesperson, said in an email that hiring Witt/Kieffer cost a flat fee of $115,000. To hire former president Paul W. Ferguson, the university paid $150,000.
The Presidential Search Committee, led by Trustee Matt Momper, will include:
- Charlene Alexander, director of the Office of Institutional Diversity
- Kay Bales, vice president for Student Affairs, Enrollment Services and dean of students
- Andy Beane, associate professor of art
- Jennifer Bott, dean of the Miller College of Business and professor of management
- Thomas C. Bracken, trustee
- Renae Conley, trustee
- Mark Ervin, Muncie Chamber of Commerce board member
- Sali Falling, vice president and general counsel
- Hank Gerhart, statistical data asset control specialist at university libraries
- Rick Hall, trustee
- Amy Harden, associate professor of family and consumer sciences
- Jeff Kingsbury, alumnus
- Cherí O’Neill, president and CEO of the Ball State University Foundation
- Jerri Reynolds, custodian
- James Wells, 2016-17 president of the Student Government Association
Chairman Rick Hall said choosing the right search firm took time. The board interviewed four different firms for more than an hour, looking at their background, experience and how they would approach the presidential search.
"We're very impressed with Witt/Kieffer's experience and their knowledge of Ball State," Hall said. "They had done their homework in terms of understanding our history. We think they will be a solid choice."
Thornburgh will work to find potential candidates, but Trustee Frank Hancock said the choice for the next president is still up to the university.
"Their jobs are to bring the best candidates to the search committee, and they're going to bring the best people they can," Hancock said. "But in the end, the Board of Trustees will make the phone call."
There will be meetings taking place next week for faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community to discuss what qualities Ball State's next president should have.
The meeting times are:
April 21 — L.A. Pittenger Student Center Cardinal Hall B
- 1 p.m., faculty and academic staff
- 2 p.m., general staff
- 3 p.m., student body
April 21 — Worthen Arena, Arena Lounge
- 5:30 p.m., alumni and community
April 22 — Burkhardt Building Room 100
- 9 a.m., faculty and all staff
- 10 a.m., student body
The presidential search, however, will still be closed to the public.
"Some faculty may want an open presidential search, and I'm never going to be in favor of that. And that's OK," Hall said. "In any healthy relationship, there's going to be disagreement. There's always going to be certain things the board disagrees with."
The board did approve a new resolution in terms of transparency, however, that the leaders from Faculty Council, University Council and Campus Council created alongside the Board of Trustees.
"Ball State University shall function collaboratively and transparently welcoming the expression of opinions, encouraging the collective development by campus of the best ideas and maintaining open discussion and communication of policy decisions," the resolution says. "All with the purpose of supporting the campus community united in its mission to propel the university into its second century of success."
The resolution now must be approved by University Senate before it will be in effect.
As former president Paul W. Ferguson's two-month sabbatical is now over, Terry King has been named interim president, rather than acting president, of the university until the presidential search is complete.
Here is a selection of other topics covered at the meeting on April 15:
The Campus Master Plan
The Campus Master Plan, a document and plan for the university's future, was put in place by Smith Group JJR.
Doug Kozma, co-leader of their campus planning group, said it will be a guide for change for the university. Changes will include further development of East Quad, connections to the Village and campus, increased residential areas to north campus, recreational areas, enhanced athletics and others.
Jim Davis
Jim Davis, creator and cartoonist of the Garfield comic strip, will be an adjunct faculty member starting in Fall 2016. He'll be working with the art department.
Enrollment
There have been 470 more students who have committed to Ball State from this time last year, up to 3,301, said Kay Bales, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services.
Currently, there is also a 17 percent increase in racial and ethnic minority students who are confirmed.
John H. Schnatter Institute for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise
The new institute for entrepreneurship and free enterprise has been named after alumnus and creator of Papa John's Pizza, John H. Schnatter.
This new program is being funded with a $2.17 million grant from Schnatter and also a $1.85 million grant coming from the Charles Koch Foundation. Trustee Frank Hancock said after talking with Schnatter, he said he knows he is excited to be a part of the new program.
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