San Francisco Chronicle

Ball State University will lead archaeological surveys at three Indiana parks to locate possible prehistoric sites and homesteads from the early 1800s.

A veteran college administrator with experience in fundraising was selected Thursday to become the 15th president of Ball State University.

Michael Hicks, director of Ball State University's Center for Business Research, said the roots of the system date to the time of the Louisiana Purchase in the wake of the French and Indian War. The hundreds of trustee offices, which have largely been eliminated elsewhere, give Indiana the dubious honor of having more units of local government per capita than any other state. Note: This story originated with the Kokomo Tribune and was distributed nationally by Associated Press.

Ball State President Jo Ann Gora told the House Ways and Means Committee in January that the school has been at a disadvantage because it has worked to raise admission standards and the quality of programs while keeping enrollment around 16,000. That strategy, along with Ball State's focus on non-STEM degrees, has hurt it’s funding, she said. Note: Associated Press distributed this story nationally.

A recent Ball State University Study has shown that the traditional dating has been practically dissolved for the younger generations that have entered the professional scene. Most of them now focus on their careers instead of on family. Note: Various news services distributed this story nationally.

For decades, thousands of canisters of 16 mm film shot in Muncie in the 1950s-70s sat in storage at Ball State University's Bracken Library. About a year ago, Ball State began digitizing all of the film, and more than a third of it —1,000 clips — is now accessible online to the public through the university's Digital Media Repository. Note: Associated Press distributed this story nationally.