Following are goals and objectives from the 2007-12 Ball State University Strategic Plan and examples of ways that establishing the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability Knowledge Group will contribute to accomplishing these goals and objectives:      

Goal 1

Learning:

Ball State University will promote academic excellence among undergraduate and graduate students seeking a rigorous learning experience. 


Objective B . Provide each undergraduate with the opportunity to participate in an immersive learning experience.

There are ample opportunities for immersive learning experiences in sustainability both on campus and in the community.  Some have already occurred.  In the spring of 2010, a group of students worked on an immersive learning project regarding recycling with St. Gobain. Other projects have been associated with video production, software development, and energy audits.

Objective C . Increase the number and quality of significant in- and out-of-classroom learning opportunities such as experiential learning, international learning experiences, and service learning.

Already, many experiential projects in sustainability have occurred. A consortium initiated by Ball State includes international sustainability experiences in Mexico, Canada, and Brazil.  In the summer of 2010, there was a sustainability study abroad course conducted in Costa Rica. All can be enhanced through the establishment of the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability Knowledge Group as precursor to the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability as an academic unit.

Objective D . Increase the number of nationally ranked or recognized academic and co-curricular programs.

As the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability emerges from the establishment of the Knowledge Group, it will be the first and only one in the country.

Objective E . Offer market-responsive and nationally ranked or recognized extended education opportunities that are integrated with on-campus offerings. 

The establishment of the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability Knowledge Group as precursor to the Ball State University  Academy for Sustainability as an academic unit will provide many opportunities for extended education:  e.g., accounting courses, teacher development courses, city and county development courses (Indiana has 92 counties).

Objective I. Develop university-wide marketing communication and branding strategies that support the goals and strategies of the plan by raising the visibility and enhancing favorable perceptions of Ball State University among key audiences. 

Ball State University is already known as a leader in sustainability because of its Greening of the Campus conferences, its early Clustered Minors in Environmentally Sustainable Practices, and most recently, its geothermal project. The establishment of the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability Knowledge Group as precursor to the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability as an academic unit will further our branding as a sustainability leader.

Goal 2

Scholarship:

Ball State University will support and reward faculty and student scholarship of discovery, integration, application, and teaching. 

Objective A . Increase the number of quality faculty development opportunities to support high-quality scholarship.

Issues of sustainability have emerged in all academic disciplines. 

Journal articles are addressing these issues and some specialized sustainability journals have been established.  Dedicated conferences have been held and conference tracks in more traditional conferences have been devoted to issues of sustainability. The Ball State University Academy for Sustainability Knowledge Group as precursor to the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability as an academic unit will provide opportunities for development programs and rich context for research collaboration and the sharing ideas and information.

Objective C . Increase the number of faculty and students and the breadth of disciplines engaged in scholarship.

The Ball State University Academy for Sustainability Knowledge Group and later the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability will stimulate and build the framework within which Sustainability-related scholarship can occur.  All disciplines are affected by the broadening awareness of sustainability issues.  This energy can be actualized within the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability Knowledge Group as precursor to the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability as an academic unit.

Objective E . Provide working professionals in Indianapolis access to professional development through graduate programs, skill enhancements, and facility access.

As issues of sustainability pervade multiple professions, targeted professional development programs can provide working professionals with both a broad understanding of sustainability and the ways sustainability intersects their disciplines.  The opportunities for Certificate programs in this area are many.

Objective I . Develop university-wide marketing communication and branding strategies that support the goals and strategies of the plan by raising the visibility and enhancing favorable perceptions of Ball State University among key audiences.

Same as Goal 1, Objective I.

Goal 3

Engagement:

Ball State University will address local, state, national, and international needs through activities that foster collaboration and mutually beneficial relationships with its diverse constituents.

Objective B. Offer market-responsive educational, cultural, and economic development programs that meet the needs of external partners.

There has already been market-responsive programming for sustainability education relevant to educational, cultural, and economic development.  Having the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability Knowledge Group as precursor to the Ball State University  Academy for Sustainability as an academic unit will enhance this programming by serving as a hub for information sharing and collaboration as well as a contact point for those seeking programming and those willing to fund such efforts.

Objective C . Expand the success and reach of Ball State’s Building Better Communities (BBC) initiative, dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancing quality of life in communities across Indiana.

There are emerging needs for addressing sustainability within the governmental, business, and social arenas at the State and Local levels.  The BBC framework provides a perfect conduit for the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability Knowledge Group as precursor to the Ball State University Academy for Sustainability as an academic unit to address these needs and enhance the viability of a high quality of life in communities across Indiana.

Goal 4

Community:

Ball State University will improve the university community’s quality of life.

The Ball State Campus can serve as a laboratory for identifying and testing sustainable solutions.  The opportunities extend across multiple elements of environment, economy, and society—including:  health programs and facilities, building HVAC systems (comfort and indoor air quality), selection and maintenance of plantings on the grounds, menus in the dining halls and food courts, food sourcing, Freshman Connections Program support groups, daylighting in buildings, low-VOC materials and coatings.  All influence the quality of life of the university community .