With Ball State announcing changes in its marketing campaign came questions from faculty for more details at faculty council Jan. 25.
Council members reconvened for the first faculty council this calendar year in the David Letterman Communication and Media Building room 125. During the question and answer period, one council member asked how decisions were made regarding Ball State’s rebrand.
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Another council member expressed concern over the money he said Ball State was spending on advertising.
“I guess it wouldn’t be a stretch if I said that for quite a few people in this room, there is at least some concern that the university is spending all this money on advertisement when the library is underfunded, when we’re at a disadvantage compared to other institutions when it comes to salaries and benefits and so on,” he said.
Interim provost Marilyn Buck said in conversations with administration about advertising, the priority of other areas’ need for funding over advertising is “always a piece that is looked at.”
She also described the advertising strategy faculty may have noticed over the past few months. After the rebrand announcement in November, Ball State unfurled a “We Fly” banner which currently hangs in the Indianapolis International Airport.
“The presence [of the banner] says that there isn’t anybody who comes in or out of the airport that doesn’t see Ball State,” Buck said.
Then, Buck said, December was a “purposeful” quiet period to study feedback for the advertising and adjust. Now is a “major blitz period,” Buck said.
Buck also said advertising gets legislators to notice Ball State, which has a budget funding determined by state lawmakers.
Another member of faculty council asked about specifics regarding Ball State potentially governing Muncie Community schools, adding that the announcement of the legislation “took [him] by surprise.”
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Buck responded, talking benefits for both Ball State and MCS students.
“There could be a fine arts track that’s [at MCS]. There could be a science track that’s there. There could be humanities — kinds of places where there’s focuses in terms of innovation,” Buck said.
She also told faculty major specifics of the proposal aren’t in place yet because legislation hasn’t been passed and because Ball State has not yet asked the Muncie and MCS communities what they think should be done.
“They’re our partners in this whole process,” Buck said.
Not only do strong public schools support children, Buck said, but they attract companies to the area as well.
If the legislation passes, Ball State and MCS will still have separate budgets and will operate differently than the schools the university charters.
The next faculty council meeting is Feb. 15.
Contact Sara Barker with comments at slbarker3@bsu.edu or on Twitter at @sarabarker326.
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