Our goal is to have 10 percent of incoming freshmen participating in the
Honors College by 2012. To achieve this bold objective, we must create a culture and environment where talented students can thrive.
“The Honors College should provide a place, a program, and the resources that stimulate motivated and high-ability students to pursue their interests," says Dean James Ruebel. "The question of the place will be answered by relocating honors students to the upgraded and renovated
Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball home, which will allow our program to develop new activities and events as well as enhance existing connections with the university and community.
“The program itself will be considerably enhanced by the
Dean’s Fund for Excellence, which will augment the creative energies of students and faculty. Our mission is to provide
distinctive learning opportunities; to do that, we must encourage and
recruit excellent faculty and support the students when they push their learning to the borders of disciplines into the disciplines that have yet to be created in the 21st century.
“Resources will come from many sources and many directions; but state funding certainly cannot meet all these needs, nor can we necessarily anticipate where these needs will arise. Agility in reacting to creative inquiry should be a watchword of our endeavors, especially in the Honors College.”
Honors students engage in:
- challenging course work and stimulating classroom discussions
- international study and research projects challenge intellects and enhance the educational experience
- a shared passion for life and learning—they are housed together to encourage the development of a strong social network
“Being a scholarship recipient has given me so many opportunities at Ball State. It opened the door for me to enter into Honors College," says Jonathan Neal, a 2008 cum laude honors graduate. "As an honors student, I was exposed to immense learning opportunities and an atmosphere where I could work one-on-one with teachers and advisors and really get a great sense of community at Ball State.”
The Honors College plays a role in recruiting high-caliber students to Indiana. Ball State entices some of the most talented high school graduates to pursue their education and careers in the state, which leads to economic and business growth.
Download a booklet [PDF] about the Honors College.