Inclusive Excellence Plan

2019-2024

At Ball State University, we recognize inclusive excellence as an integral endeavor to fulfill our University’s mission and our strategic plan. We recruit, support, and retain a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff. We encourage and reward diversity of thought. We promote a work environment that encourages and rewards innovation and creativity. We pledge to keep Inclusive Excellence at the highest level of institutional importance and as a foundation in all that we strive to do.

Our over-arching goal for Inclusive Excellence is to adopt a university-wide Inclusive Excellence approach to academic, administrative support, and service functions of the university. We believe Inclusive Excellence must be infused in every step we take.

Beneficence statue | Inclusive Excellence

In our strategic plan, we define inclusiveness as a commitment “to respect and embrace equity, inclusion, and diversity in people, ideas, and opinions.”

The terms “diversity” and “diverse” are used throughout this Inclusive Excellence Plan. Our definition of diversity recognizes the full gamut/broad spectrum of experiences and unique differences of all members of our community. We celebrate diversity in all of its dimensions as we endeavor to create and sustain an inclusive campus environment.

Download Full Plan (PDF)

Goal 1: Recruitment

Achieve a more diverse and culturally representative undergraduate and graduate student body, faculty, and staff. Our goal is to have a campus that is accessible and equitable and that is representative of the rich diversity in our communities

Goal 2: Retention

Ball State is committed to creating an atmosphere that will lead to the retention of diverse faculty and staff, increase graduation rates for diverse students and to identify and eliminate biases and practices that hinder the retention of diverse faculty, staff, and students.

Goal 3: Rewards and Recognitions

In the spirit of our "rewards reflecting our values," we will recognize and celebrate the contributions of those who work toward the goals of Inclusive Excellence.

Goal 4: Inclusive Excellence Training, Development and Curriculum

We will lead our campus and our community in Inclusive Excellence training, development, intergroup dialogue, and pedagogies. Our goal is to equip and prepare our campus community to be visionary in an increasingly diverse and complex world.

Goal 5: Culture and Climate of Inclusion

Our goal is to create an open and inclusive campus community that values the intrinsic worth of all students, faculty, and staff. We will develop a campus climate and culture where all community members experience a sense of belonging and engagement - a place where everyone's wellbeing is supported through respectful, authentic, and engaged relationships with each other.

Goal 6: Inclusive University Policies, Systems and Infrastructure

We will create and sustain an institutional infrastructure that effectively supports progress in achieving the Inclusive Excellence goals outlined in the University Strategic Plan. Ball State’s systems, policies, and procedures will facilitate diversity, inclusion, transparency, and accountability. We will evaluate, revise, and communicate changes in policies and protocols that will facilitate reports of bias and discrimination, improve clarity, provide transparency, promote fairness and enhance accountability.

Additional Resources

Strategic Plan
Office of Inclusive Excellence
Inclusive Excellence Toolkit (PDF)