About Us

The following units report to the provost:

The Colleges

Our university has seven academic colleges that offer 170 bachelor's, 94 master's, 17 doctoral, two specialist, and seven associate degrees. The provost's office, which leads academic affairs, is responsible for each of those colleges. We make sure the curriculum is always up to date and field any questions our deans, department chairs, and faculty may have.

• R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning
• Miller College of Business
• College of Communication, Information, and Media
• College of Fine Arts
• College of Health
• College of Sciences and Humanities
• Teachers College

Visit the Colleges and Departments page to view all departments within each college.

Deans

Academic colleges at the university are led by a dean. Deans are charged with staying on top of necessary accreditations, certifications, making curriculum changes, hiring new professors, and overseeing the budgets and programs of their departments. Our deans have extensive experiences, and most are professors of courses in their area of expertise.

• R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning, David Ferguson
• College of Communication, Information and Media, Paaige Turner
• College of Fine Arts, Seth Beckman
• College of Health, Scott Rutledge
• College of Sciences and Humanities, Maureen McCarthy
• Miller College of Business, Cathy DuBois
• Teachers College, David McIntosh 
• Graduate School, Adam Beach
• Honors College, John Emert
• University College, Jason Rivera
• University Libraries, Matthew Shaw

Centers and Institutes

Ball State’s commitment to immersive learning and academic research is evident in both the abundance and the quality of its centers, institutes, clinics, bureaus, and other research and outreach units. These units provide innovative and interdisciplinary research activities that expand beyond the borders of our campus to have an impact on Indiana, the nation, and the world. Here are the centers and institutes our office is directly responsible for:

• Center for Medical Education
• Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry

Visit the Centers and Institutes page to view all Ball State University has to offer.

Additional Programs and Departments

• Graduate School
• Honors College
• Rinker Center for Global Affairs
• Online and Distance Education
• University College
• Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
• University Libraries
• Lifetime Learning
  
• Office of Research Integrity
• Sponsored Projects Administration
  
   

For hard work and service to our students, peers, and the Ball State community, we often like to recognize our faculty and staff. Each fall, we present different award categories for outstanding faculty and staff members, and we acknowledge our retiring faculty and staff members who have gone above and beyond their responsibilities.

In addition, the provost awards prize is awarded to a Ball State senior who has achieved academically and has taken the initiative to enhance his or her education through internships, research/creative projects, overseas study, working, volunteering, or other experiences.

Fall Faculty Awards

• Outstanding Awards
  Nominations for all “Outstanding Awards” may be made by students, faculty, professional personnel, or administrators. For specific award criteria and nomination procedures, please contact the Office of the Vice Provost of Academic Affairs.
  
  
• Excellence in Teaching Awards
  Ball State’s Division of Online and Strategic Learning and the Office of the Provost sponsor these awards. The award recognizes some of our most creative and deserving faculty for their roles as teachers.
  
  Each year, students are asked to nominate teachers for their expertise, dedication, and talent in the classroom. When nominations are complete, the top vote getters move on to a second round where a selection committee, comprised of past award winners and students, choose the winner. The award winners are given an opportunity to teach a specially designed “dream course,” the course they have always wanted to teach.
  
  
• Lawhead Award
  Established more than a decade ago courtesy of gifts from Victor Lawhead, former dean of Ball State's undergraduate programs, and his wife, Doris Lawhead, a former academic adviser, the Lawhead Award is presented annually and is based on teaching evaluations, contribution to the University Core Curriculum, freshmen activities, service to the community, and support from faculty and students.
  
  
• Rawlings Award
  Established in 2002, this award honors a full-time faculty member who has proven to be the most dedicated to teaching extended education courses at off-campus distance education sites. The award was named after Joseph Rawlings, dean emeritus of the Division of Online and Strategic Learning. Rawlings worked nearly 20 years to create and develop the university's distance learning program.

Provost's Prize for Outstanding Seniors

First awarded in 1996, the Provost’s Prize annually honors a Ball State senior of high academic achievement, as selected by a committee of students and faculty. The committee includes one faculty member from each of the university’s academic colleges.

The prize includes a $1,000 award. Recipients’ names are inscribed on a plaque permanently displayed in the Office of the Provost.

Criteria

You must have at least a 3.5 grade point average.

In addition to academic excellence, the selection committee evaluates educational achievement, such as fellowships, internships, overseas study, research/creative projects, work experience, awards, performance activities, and volunteer service.

The committee focuses on the way in which academic excellence combines with other opportunities—even nonacademic ones—to form a unique educational experience.

Academic Honors in Writing

The Academic Honors in Writing program fosters and rewards excellence in undergraduate writing at Ball State. At commencement, selected graduating seniors are honored for their superior writing skills. This prestigious achievement is acknowledged in the commencement program and on the recipients’ transcripts.

How to Apply

For this year's application dates and deadlines, please see our brochure for more information. Below is the typical schedule.

• December: Applicants submit portfolios to their department liaison faculty representatives.
• January: Department liaisons submit portfolios of department finalists to the program coordinator.
• February: University finalists are selected and notified of the common essay procedures.
• Mid-March: University finalists write the common essay.
• April: Recipients are selected, and the awards are officially announced at the university's spring program honoring seniors.

Criteria

Seniors who will graduate during the current academic year (December, May, or July) are eligible to apply for this honor. Applicants are not limited to members of the Honors College. Students with excellent writing skills should begin assembling a portfolio of their best writing as early in their academic career as possible. Portfolio items may come from any course or writing exercise from any time in a student’s career.