“Education is the key to success. Education is the key to a better life. Education is possible for everybody.”
These words were spoken aloud by Vivian Conley’s daughter who was in attendance at Ball State’s Board of Trustees meeting Dec. 13. In the meeting, the board approved the renaming of Ball State’s multicultural center in honor of Conley and Hurley Goodall Jr.
Finance, Facilities, and Planning Committee
The board approved a heartfelt motion to name the campus’ multicultural center in honor of Vivian Conley and Hurley Goodall Jr., with both recipients’ family members in attendance.
Renae Conley, a member of the board — and Vivian's daughter-in-law — said, “She was unmovable when she worked for people and for civil rights and for equality, and she did believe in the value of education. It was life-changing for her.”
Vivian Conley became an advocate for education and social justice, reaping the benefits of her bachelor’s degree in political science from Ball State in 1988 at the age of 66, followed by a master’s degree in gerontology.
“She was inspired every day to serve the community in any and every way possible, she had a heart for serving the most vulnerable, and she always said, ‘I have to help people to make their lives better,” said Ro-Anne Royer Engle, vice president of student affairs who spearheaded the presentation and naming initiative.
While she did not meet Vivian personally, she did “have the honor” of meeting Goodall. An activist at his core who was actively involved in his community, an Indiana State representative, and the first black firefighter of Muncie made him deserving of the multicultural center’s namesake, the board said.
“Vivian Conley and Hurley Goodall embodied the values of education, community service, and advocacy that are central to Ball State’s mission,” said Rick Hall, chair of Ball State’s Board of Trustees. “Naming the Multicultural Center in their honor is a profound way to recognize their legacies and inspire our community to continue striving for inclusiveness and supporting the success of our students.”
University President Geoffery Mearns seconded Hall’s enthusiasm.
“We are proud to honor the legacies of Vivian Conley and Hurley Goodall. Their lives exemplify the transformative power of education and the enduring impact of service to other people. This dedication celebrates their contributions to our University and to Muncie, ensuring their stories continue to inspire people for generations to come,” he said.
Audit and Compliance Committee
Updates were given from this year’s fiscal year, which ended June 30. The university continued to make steady percentage improvements, which helped the university maintain a strong standing nationwide.
With “No financial impact, continued strong net position for ten years in a row” and a clean audit report,” reported by Alan Finn, vice president for business affairs and treasurer, “We continue to thrive, and I think that’s reflective of the great work that has happened before and is happening now,” commended Hall, attesting to the university’s financial strength.
President Mearns also gave status updates regarding the latest restoration project in The Village and told the board that financial finalizations will be processed Dec. 17 to officially move forward with construction.
All audit motions were approved.
Employee Development and Wellbeing Committee
Engle’s annual security and fire safety report revealed fluctuations, but “no usual trends for concerns,” she said.
On the topics of security community safety, John Foster, assistant vice president for public safety and university chief of police, said the department faced challenges with community engagement and employee retention and has just begun to offset those challenges post-COVID-19.
“Even though we are a police agency, we have a unique opportunity here at Ball State. We not only have the law enforcement part of what we do, but we also know that we serve an institution of higher education,” Foster said.
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
Olivia Romeo, a graduate student at Ball State voiced her love and appreciation for her position as a student success coach alongside Jason Rivera, vice provost for student success and dean of university college.
Rivera said the program has more than doubled in size since it first started in the fall of 2022. Originally impacting 348 students, they now serve 680.
Though the program strives to help all through personal connectivity, having only five student success coaches means, “We are mindful of capacity,” Rivera said. “Because coaching is a very one-on-one type of engagement … So we need to make sure that [coaches] have the capacity [for the] same needs and the types of meaningful activities that we want them to engage in [with every student].”
Presidential Closings
Means reminded the board of the village’s latest restoration project: 25 owner-occupied single-family homes are to be built in 2025 and finish construction in 2027, as part of a greater initiative to revitalize the village. He also thanked the board for its approval to bestow an honorary degree of laws to Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb at Dec.14’s commencement before wishing all a happy holiday season and restful “Days of Beneficence” with loved ones.
The next board of trustees meeting will be held Feb. 28 at 9 a.m. in the university’s L.A. Pittenger Student Center Cardinal Hall A.
Contact Katherine Hill via email at katherine.hill@bsu.edu.
Read More
Ball State holds 200th Commencement ceremony
By Trinity Rea / 5 hours agoBall State University held its 200th commencement ceremony Dec. 14, celebrating over 1,200 Cardinal graduates.
My reminiscences about commencement — and why you should remember this day
By Geoffrey S. Mearns / 7 hours agoBall State President Geoffery Mearns shares his thoughts on the importance of remembering commencement ceremonies.
Late scoring run lifts Delta past Yorktown
By Zach Carter / 19 hours agoDelta junior Jordan Furney led with 19 points as the Eagles defeated Yorktown 53-45.
