Community-Engaged Research & Creative Endeavors

Community-engaged scholarship marries teaching and research with community-defined priorities for mutually beneficial outcomes. Community partners are active participants in defining opportunities and developing solutions.

The Office of Community Engagement, Office of Immersive Learning, and Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs work together to support faculty pursuing community-engaged scholarship.

At Ball State, we define community engagement as collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.

The purpose of community engagement is the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching, and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good. (Attribute to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.)

The Office of Community Engagement builds bridges between Ball State University and communities beyond campus, with a priority on Muncie, Delaware County, and East Central Indiana. We seek the most effective ways to advance community priorities through authentic partnerships, impactful anchor institution commitments, and sustained integration of engagement across teaching, research, and service.