Ball State University
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

applicants for admission in its education programs, activities, and facilities without regard to race, religion, color, sex (except where sex is a bona fide qualification), sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, national origin, ancestry, or age.
Ball State University provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment in its recruitment, hiring, retention, promotion, tenure, transfer, layoff, return from layoff, training, and other employment decisions and in its compensation and benefits programs without regard to race, religion, color, sex (except where sex is a bona fide occupational qualification), sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, national origin, ancestry, age, or citizenship (for U. S. citizens and protected lawfully-admitted aliens).

Expanded descriptions of the university policies addressing this commitment can be found on the following web links:

Public Statement on Valuation of Diversity:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/institutionaldiversity/statement-on-the-importance-of-diversity-and-inclusion

Beneficence Pledge:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/studentrights/policiesandprocedures/beneficence

EOAA Policy:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/general-counsel/policies-and-legal-information/equal-opportunity-and-affirmative-action-policy

Non-Discrimination Policy
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/associate-dean-of-students/title-ix

Bias Response Team

In the occurrence of a bias incident at Ball State, the Bias Response Team is here to help you resolve the problem and assist you in accessing the services you need. The team includes members from several offices within the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services and Ball State faculty.

Members of our Bias Response Team provide support to students across campus when incidents of bias are reported. Team members provide targets of bias with a safe space to listen to concerns, help develop an action plan to address the incident or situation, and track the progress being made in resolving the issue.

The bias response does not take action but instead works with targets to bias to use already established grievance processes (conduct, Title IX, governance, etc.) to address bias incidents. The purpose to the team is to provide support and guidance to targets of bias incidents.
Ball State University aspires to be a university that attracts and retains a diverse faculty, staff, and student body. Ball State is committed to ensuring that all members of the campus community are welcome through our practice of valuing the varied experiences and worldviews of those we serve. We promote a culture of respect and civil discourse as evident in our Beneficence Pledge.

We encourage students to report incidents of bias immediately. If you witness, directly experience or find evidence of a bias incident on campus, you can use the Bias Reporting form or contact the Multicultural Center.

Expanded descriptions of the university policies addressing this commitment can be found on the following web links:

Bias Incident Reporting and Bias Response Team
https://www.bsu.edu/campuslife/multicultural-center/bias-incident-reporting

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues:
https://www.bsu.edu/campuslife/counselingcenter/additionalservices/diversityresources/diversityinformationandlinks/glbt

Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy:
https://www.bsu.edu/-/media/www/departmentalcontent/student%20rights/policies/sexual%20harassment%20and%20misconduct%20policy%20published.pdf?la=en

Hazing Policy:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/studentrights/policiesandprocedures/studentcode/appendixd

Anti-harassment Policy:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/staffcouncil/otherlinks/antiharassment
Code of Student rights and responsibilities:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/studentrights/policiesandprocedures/studentcode

Placement of Ads for faculty and staff. Every search committee for faculty and staff positions are trained on strategies and considerations to recruiting and hiring for a diverse community.
The Multicultural Ambassador Corps- The Multicultural Ambassador Corps (MAC) is a coalition within the Ball State Office of Admissions that is dedicated to the recruitment and success of diverse high school students and underrepresented populations, including first generation students and middle schoolers. The MAC coordinates visits for groups of 10 or more on select days throughout the week with our student tour guides.
On-Campus Events-Each spring, we host Explore Ball State Day as a weekday version of our Preview Day on campus. We encourage both individuals and high school groups to attend this special event. In April, we invite 21st Century Scholars to a special campus event where they can learn about university admission, speak with current students, tour campus, and hear presentations from 21st Century Scholars Indiana and our graduation and retention office.
Dream Makers Day- Once a year we bring students from underserved populations in lower-income schools to campus to experience what life on a college campus is like. They speak with various department groups, have lunch, and attend a social event.

Expanded descriptions of the university policies addressing this commitment can be found on the following web links:

Inclusive Hiring Resources:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/institutionaldiversity/resources-for-inclusive-hiring

Affinity Groups:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/institutionaldiversity/affinitygroups

Diversity Calendar:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/institutionaldiversity/diversity-calendar

Posting Vacancies for Diversity
http://cms.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/institutionaldiversity/faculty/job-posting-websites

REACH and EXCEL (Multicultural Center)
The REACH (Retain, Engage, Aspire, Connect, Help) Peer Mentoring program is designed to assist participants in successfully transitioning to life as a Ball State student. The program will help participants adjust to the academic, social, personal and professional challenges experienced by first year students. The program serves first year students with a focus on Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/Latina students as mentees.

Program Goals:

To connect first year students to a upper-class mentor who will help guide them through the transition to life at Ball State University

To create intentional interactions with mentors, faculty, staff and alumni who encourage and support mentees through their unique cultural journey through college

To connect mentees to academic and personal resources to help them successfully navigate university systems and processes

To successfully retain and graduate mentees through four years at Ball State University

EXCEL
EXCEL is a three-day summer program geared toward first-year students of color and first-generation college students. EXCEL features workshops to expose students to common aspects of daily college life. Participants learn techniques that will help them focus on their academic and social development.

The program is an opportunity to make new friends and get firsthand experience of college life before classes start. Participants will be paired with a mentor who is a returning student with proven academic and social skills. Mentors will help guide mentees through the social and academic aspects of Ball State.

Faculty Mentoring Program (Disability Services)
Realizing that engagement with faculty is a key to student success and that the transition to college can be especially difficult for students with disabilities, Ball State faculty and staff developed the Faculty Mentorship Program (FMP) for first semester freshmen with disabilities.

The goal of the FMP is to enhance the learning experience for students with disabilities by assigning faculty mentors to each student participating in the program. These faculty mentors meet with students on a regular basis and assist students in dealing with the complexities of the academic experience at the university.

MOSAIC is a social justice peer education program whose mission is to engage undergraduate students in open dialogues focused on diversity and social justice topics to promote awareness, change, and inter-group understanding.
It is our goal to: Engage students in reflective, interactive, and informative activities related to social justice topics in a safe and inclusive environment. Challenge students to think critically about their experiences and social issues within the world. Help students work towards enhancing their multicultural identities and appreciating cultural differences. Lead students in discovering ways to embrace differences to build an inclusive world and community at Ball State
Work with a Peer Advocate Leader-Peer Advocate Leaders (PALs) are student staff members committed to supporting undergraduate students at Ball State University in discovering ways to embrace diversity, build inclusive communities, and become social change agents. PALs are available to facilitate workshops for student organizations and undergraduate courses on campus, as well as consult with student leaders about organizational issues related to diversity and social justice.
i. Workshops
ii. Activism: A Visionary for Change
iii. Cycle of Liberation
iv. Cycle of Socialization
v. Disability Awareness: Common Attitudes and Feelings Toward Those with Disabilities
vi. Diversity in Leadership: So What? Now What? Then What?
vii. Exploring Social Justice & Oppression
viii. Identity: Knowing and Owning Who You Are
ix. Media and Minoritized Populations
x. Realities of Human Trafficking
xi. Role of Men in Today’s Society
xii. Social Media: Activism and Slactivism
xiii. Trans: What Does This Mean?
xiv. Who Are You, Really?
Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation- a program to improve the graduation rates of students in science, technology, engineering, and math fields and particularly to improve the number of degrees awarded to ethnic minority students.

This one-on-one involvement with faculty members gives students a sense of belonging to the university community and a better understanding of the academic expectations.

Specifically, FMP seeks to do four things for students involved in the program:
personalize the university experience for students with disabilities assist students in understanding and meeting the academic challenges and expectations of college students connect the departmental major to future occupational goals inform students about requirements of students majoring in the faculty member's department as well as student clubs, organizations, and internships available with that major.

Expanded descriptions of the university policies addressing this commitment can be found on the following web links:

Diversity Associates Program for Faculty and Staff:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/inclusive-excellence/faculty/associates

Inclusive Pedagogy Seminars:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/institutionaldiversity/faculty/inclusive-pedagogy

Diversity Related Research:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/institutionaldiversity/faculty/diversity-related-research

PhD Pathways is a mentoring program that matches undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds with faculty, professional staff, community professionals and distinguished alumni associated with Ball State University.

Through a matching process and relationships established through this program, students will have a heightened awareness for the opportunities that lie beyond the first degree and support for the process of pursuing higher academic goals and resources. The ultimate goal of the program is to encourage students to pursuit doctoral studies outside of Ball State University to potentially and ultimately return to work and teach as a faculty member. By meeting with a mentor on a consistent basis, interacting with other and participating in a set of University-sponsored events, the mentoring program will help protégés gain knowledge and establish networks beyond the scope of Ball State University in order to build crucial relationships for establishing a successful career.

Expanded descriptions of the university policies addressing this commitment can be found on the following web links:

PhD Pathways Program for Students:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/institutionaldiversity/students/pathways

Merrell T. Marshall Memorial Scholarship:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/institutionaldiversity/students/marshall

Black Alumni Constituent Society:
https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/alumni/get-involved/chapters-ambassadors-groups/black-alumni

http://cms.bsu.edu/campuslife/studentlife/summerprograms/excelmentorprogram

http://cms.bsu.edu/campuslife/multiculturalcenter/mentoring-programs/reach-peer-mentoring-program

http://cms.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/disability-services/programs/fmp

Website link to Gender Inclusive Housing Information:
https://www.bsu.edu/campuslife/housing/services/gender-inclusive-housing

Link to map of All Gender Bathrooms
https://www.bsu.edu/-/media/www/departmentalcontent/diversity/pdfs/ball%20state%20all%20gender%20restroom%20map.pdf?la=en&hash=5DEDFAAFADC34406AEAB9EE130EB51CD3DB4D1EB