THE DAILY NEWS: SPECIAL EDITION
TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 2016
VOL. 95, ISSUE 49
541 DAYS BALL STATE’S 15TH PRESIDENT RESIGNS UNIVERSITY HIRES CRISIS CONTROL EXPERT FERGUSON’S NAME REMOVED FROM WEBSITE RUMORS SPREAD AS UNIVERSITY REMAINS TIGHT-LIPPED Ferguson leaves with 3 years remaining in his contract KARA BERG, JAKE FOX AND BRI KIRKHAM | news@bsudailynews.com
M
onday’s announcement that President Paul W. Ferguson will resign three and a half years before his contract is up came as a surprise and prompted calls for the university to explain what happened and be more open about the departure. “The speculation begins: ‘Why?’ ‘What happened?’” said Dom Caristi, a professor in the Department of Telecommunications. “This is very sudden, and nobody expected it. Nobody knows anything at this point.” Caristi and others said the university
BREAKING CONTRACT?
Ferguson’s contract leaves questions unanswered about his resignation PAGE 3
THE STAND-IN PRESIDENT
Provost, vice president for academic affairs will take leadership until new president is hired PAGE 4
COMMUNITY REACTIONS
Students, faculty respond to news of President Ferguson’s resigning PAGE 5
What happened during President Ferguson’s tenure? ALAN HOVORKA SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR | afhovorka@bsu.edu
After only 18 months on the job, President Paul W. Ferguson introduced several changes to the university, including bringing an emphasis on entrepreneurial education. He also moved to shift away from the “Education Redefined” years and Ball State’s identification as a school focused on immersive learning. Ferguson announced his resignation Monday with virtually no explanation, saying only that he and his wife, Grace, would miss the school. It was an unexpected end to a presidential term that had been expected to last five years. THE CENTENNIAL COMMITMENT Ferguson’s major push toward making Ball
See FERGUSON, page 2
See ACCOMPLISHMENTS, page 3
OUR VIEW
UNIVERSITY NEEDS MORE TRANSPARENCY AT ISSUE:
Ball State is withholding information about the president’s resignation
For a university that labels itself as “student-centered,” Ball State has again missed the mark on keeping members of the campus community informed. President Paul W. Ferguson’s resignation can be described with one word: surprising. The Board of Trustees announced his resignation in an email to students, but they left out an important detail — his reason for leaving.
*PAUL W. FERGUSON TOOK OFFICE AT BALL STATE UNIVERSITY ON AUG. 1, 2014, MAKING HIS TERM AS PRESIDENT 541 DAYS LONG.
In an interview with the Daily News, Board of Trustees Chairman Rick Hall wouldn’t elaborate on the reason, instead saying that it was a “mutual decision.” After head football coach Pete Lembo resigned last month, Ferguson became the highest-paid employee at Ball State, earning nearly half a million dollars each year — yet students aren’t able to get the full story, or even a part of a story, of his resignation.
He also is leaving a year and a half into his five-year contract. Ferguson made big changes to Ball State, like removing “education redefined” from university material and focusing on entrepreneurial learning. He wasn’t meant to be just a temporary president. The university seems to be purposely hiding information about the real reason for his See EDITORIAL, page 2
DN FILE PHOTO BREANNA DAUGHERTY
PAGE 2 | TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 2016 | THE BALL STATE DAILY NEWS | BALLSTATEDAILY.COM
FERGUSON RESIGNS Oct. 26 President Jo Ann Gora announces her plan to retire June 30. The news was later broken through email.
2013
May 22 Trustees pick and name Paul W. Ferguson as Ball State’s 15th president.
Feb. 6 Ferguson gave his “State of the University” address, announcing his “Centennial Commitment,” or “18 by ’18” plan for Ball State.
April 2 When Gov. Mike Pence asked legislators to clarify RFRA and make it clear it was not to be used as a basis for discrimination, Ferguson issued a statement saying he was “appreciative” of the change to the language.
2015
2014 Aug. 1 Ferguson officially starts as the 15th president of the university.
2016
March 31 Ferguson hosted a dialogue, giving students a chance to speak about race and diversity issues at Ball State. The event was followed by a “Hope and Healing” ceremony the following day.
August Ball State awarded $4.2 million to 16 initiatives on campus as part of the Academic Excellence Grants, which were a tenant of Ferguson’s “18 by ’18.” More than 105 proposals were submitted from across campus.
Monday, Jan. 25, 2016 Ball State’s Board of Trustees held a special meeting without an agenda according to The Star Press. In this meeting, the Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of President Paul W. Ferguson. The day’s events unfolded as follows:
| CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 needs to explain what is happening. “I think that whatever the Board of Trustees knows, they really need to release it right away,” he said. “Because the rumors are going to start, and the best way to eliminate rumors is to put the facts out there.” The resignation was announced in an email from the Board of Trustees, and board Chairman Rick Hall would offer no explanation other than it was a “mutual decision” with the university. Provost Terry King, the university’s chief academic officer, was named interim president, a position he also held after Jo Ann Gora retired in 2014. Ferguson was nowhere to be seen on campus and also said little in a statement of his own, maintaining it had been an “honor and a privilege” to hold the position. “We have ... worked diligently to refresh our vision and legacy of beneficence and entrepreneurship, refocused on being student-centered and community-engaged, and improved many of our policies and procedures to be best practices,” Ferguson said in his statement. Hall acknowledged the puzzling nature of the announcement. “The timing might be surprising, but it was in the best interest of the university to move forward in this way,” he said. “The university is moving forward, and we’re committed to the future.” Ferguson started his term as Ball State’s 15th president Aug. 1, 2014. Hall declined to give any
Early morning Ball State’s Board of Trustees met at the university’s Indianapolis Center. The unannounced agenda was revealed to be the request of President Ferguson’s two-month sabbatical leave in which he will resign immediately following its end. The board accepted Ferguson’s resignation. 1:40 p.m. - 3 Both Staff and Student began to be informed through email of Ferguson’s resignation. Neither staff nor students were expecting the sudden announcement. 3:45 p.m. Around this time, if someone tried to search for Ferguson on the Ball State webpage, they received and blank page stating a 401 Error. The public could no longer find President Ferguson on the website. 4:30 p.m. Rick Hall, a member of the Board of Trustees, started calling back media and announcing the resignation. 5 p.m. Now, if anyone tried to search for Ferguson on the Ball State website, they no longer received a 401 Error, but were redirected to Terry King. King is the acting interim president. At time of print The Daily News Facebook page received 170 shares concerning the events around Ferguson’s and 214 retweets.
EDITORIAL:
DN FILE PHOTO BREANNA DAUGHERTY
Ball State President Paul W. Ferguson poses with students on May 22, 2014, at Sursa Hall. The Board of Trustees announced Ferguson’s sabbatical and resignation Monday via email.
further information as to why Ferguson was leaving. University spokesperson Joan Todd said the process of forming a search committee will begin soon, but nothing has been decided. Todd also said media inquiries are being directed to Myra Borshoff, a Ball State alumna who founded a successful Indianapolis public relations agency, known for its work in crisis communication. Todd described Borshoff as a “friend of the university,” and said Borshoff offered her assistance to the board. However, Borshoff said Hall contacted her and asked her for assistance. The decision cuts short a presidential term that had been contracted to last until June 30, 2019 — if not longer. Both the Board of Trustees and Ferguson, 61 when he came to Ball State, expected he would stay even longer, the two said last year.
Changes Ferguson made include refocusing the university’s brand from “Education Redefined” to an emphasis on “entrepreneurial” and “student-centered” education. But Monday, within hours of the announcement, his biography page was removed from the university website. Associate professor Amy Harden, current president of University Senate, said she hopes the university can continue the momentum it has built during Ferguson’s tenure. “I am immensely saddened by this news,” Harden said. “The refreshed strategic plan with emphasis on promoting Ball State’s unique niche through entrepreneurial learning and community engagement has provided excitement and energized faculty and students alike.” Joseph Losco, a political science professor and co-director of the Bowen
Center for Public Affairs, said Ferguson set a strong foundation for his longterm successor. “I think we’ve had a series of strategic plans that have been tweaked over time,” he said. “I’m sure a new president coming in will tweak them some more, but I think the direction of the university is pretty clear, and so the new president will probably come in and perhaps set some new goals but also continue some of these goals that have been developed over the last few years.” Some students on Monday said they hadn’t known the president long enough to form much of an impression. But among those who had met Ferguson, there was an appreciation for his ability to connect with people. Jack Hesser, the Student Government Association president, met with Kay Bales, vice president of
student affairs, and Dustin Meeks, the student representative on the Board of Trustees, Monday afternoon about Ferguson’s resignation. “I’m very confident, and the entire Student Government Association is, … that the university will continue to move forward and remain committed to the [The Centennial Commitment plan],” Hesser said. “Most importantly, we won’t let anything that Dr. Ferguson contributed to the university go by the wayside.” Ashleigh Kramer, a senior speech language pathology major, met Ferguson when she served as a Welcome Week leader. “I knew he was an incredible person,” she said. “It felt like I was meeting a celebrity. President Ferguson and his wife are some of the kindest people I have ever met, and I wish them nothing but the best in the future.”
FORUM POLICY
The Daily News forum page aims to stimulate discussion in the Ball State community. The Daily News welcomes reader viewpoints and offers three vehicles of expression for reader opinions: letters to the editor, guest columns and feedback on our website. Letters to the editor must be signed and appear as space permits each day. The limit for letter length is approximately 350 words. All letters must be typed. The editor reserves the right to edit and condense submissions. The name of the author is usually published but may be withheld for compelling reasons, such as physical harm to the author. The editor decides this on an individual basis and must consult the writer before withholding the name. Those interested in submitting a letter can do so by emailing opinion@bsudailynews.com or editor@bsudailynews.com
| CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
EDITORIAL BOARD
Jan. 25 Ball State Board of Trustees announces Ferguson’s resignation and sabbatical via email.
FERGUSON:
THE DAY’S EVENTS
departure. When the Daily News reached out to Joan Todd, the university spokesperson, she directed the Daily News to Myra Borshoff, a Ball State alumna who is known for her work in crisis communication. Borshoff said Hall had reached out to her. However, Todd said, Borshoff “offered her assistance to the board and they accepted.” The university’s refusal to release information is just a recent example of their inability to communicate with students and taxpayers. After Jennifer JonesHall, former director of student life, resigned last spring, the university never released a clear reason for her departure. Her resignation came soon after she told student groups to “be careful to not bite the hand that feeds them.” Students were quick to assume that this
November Ferguson signed Second Nature’s Resilience Commitment, expanding Ball State’s carbon neutrality goal.
The Daily News encourages its readers to voice their views on legislative issues. The following legislators represent the Ball State community:
Tyson Bird does editorial cartoons for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
comment was the real reason for her departure. The university fed those rumors by failing to make any definitive statements. As students, we can
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kaitlin Lange
PRINT EDITOR Melissa Jones
IDESK EDITOR Rachel Podnar
MANAGING EDITOR Jake Fox
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ashley Downing
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Alan Hovorka
understand bad news. Withholding facts from us is the real problem. Likewise, students, alumni and faculty can only guess at Ferguson’s reason for leaving the
FORUM EDITOR Anna Bowman FEATURES EDITOR Amanda Belcher
university. In addition to an uproar of speculation on social media, faculty members, like telecommunications professor Dom Caristi, even called for more
NEWS EDITOR Kara Berg ASST. NEWS EDITOR Rose Skelly
SPORTS EDITOR Robby General VIDEO EDITOR Kellen Hazelip
information to quell the rumors. Hopefully as President Ferguson’s (brief) era comes to a close, so will the university’s tendency to withhold information.
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Breanna Daugherty ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Samantha Brammer
REP. SUE ERRINGTON Indiana District 34 200 W. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46204 1-800-382-9842 SEN. TIM LANANE Indiana Dist. 25 200 W. Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 1-800-382-9467 U.S. SEN. DAN COATS 493 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC, 20510 (202) 224-5623
DESIGN EDITOR Alex White ASST. DESIGN EDITOR Krista Sanford DATA VISUALIZATION Tyson Bird
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TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 2016 | THE BALL STATE DAILY NEWS | BALLSTATEDAILY.COM | PAGE 3
FERGUSON RESIGNS
Is Ferguson’s resignation breaking his contract? President leaves after just 1.5 years, signed for 5 years
|
KARA BERG NEWS EDITOR news@bsudailynews.com
Did President Paul W. Ferguson break his contract with the university when he left early? A reading of his contract leaves that and other questions unanswered, and Rick Hall, chairman of the Board of Trustees, insisted that the decision was mutual. According to his original contract signed in Summer 2014, Ferguson was set to stay in his position until June 2019. He could leave early by giving at least 180 days notice to the Board of Trustees, according to the contract, which says he would have to pay back some
of his salary for each month he leaves early without giving the required notice. But another element of the contract may raise other questions about what prompted the departure. Section 14.6 of the contract says the president can leave at any time with only 30 days notice, “if the president concludes in good faith that because of changes in the composition or policies of the Board of Trustees ... he can no longer properly and effectively discharge his duties as president.” When asked which section of the contract applied, Chairman Hall directed the Daily News to file a records request for the resignation contract. Ferguson’s original contract stated that both he and the board “desire[d] and anticipate[d] a long-term relationship.”
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
CENTENNIAL COMMITMENT STRATEGIC PLAN State an entrepreneurial school came with the unveiling of his strategic plan for the university: The Centennial Commitment. This announcement came during his State of the University address last February and detailed 18 goals he wanted to accomplish by 2018. Strategic plans establish the goals a university wants to complete in a set number of years. They also define how the university will measure its success. The Centennial Commitment took the framework and goals former President Jo Ann Gora created. Ferguson retooled them to fit the university’s newly announced direction, adding his administration’s ideas into the mix. The strategic plan Gora set before her retirement was called Education Redefined 2.0 and was supposed to end in 2017. Gora’s plan had 107 metrics; Ferguson’s plan prioritized them into 18 goals. “The fundamental pieces of [Gora’s strategic plan] have not changed drastically,” William Knight, assistant provost of institutional effectiveness, told the Daily News in 2015. “It’s just a reorganization and maybe a way to simplify it for people.” Ferguson’s entrepreneurially focused strategic plan will run through 2018, barring any changes by a future president or the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees endorsed Ferguson’s strategic plan back in February 2015. The university shifted further away from the Gora era’s policies by refocusing its brand. The first signs of this refocus surfaced shortly after the State of the University address with the quiet retirement of Ball State’s most famous slogan, “Education Redefined.” This process started with the elimination of the tagline on the email signatures of university faculty. They asked them to use a version of the Ball State logo that featured the Beneficence statue with the words “Ball State University” underneath. The motto had defined Ball State’s marketing efforts since 2006. The university announced it would not create a new slogan in Fall 2015. It’s not surprising that a new president would want to align the university’s brand and mission with his or her vision, Sam Waterson told the Daily News in February 2015. Waterson is the executive vice president and creative director of RHB Management Consulting, an Indianapolis-based marketing agency specializing in education. Ferguson’s administration strived to set itself apart by refocusing aspects of immersive learning. A key point in
Ferguson’s 2015 State of the University address was the idea of spreading the core components that makes immersive learning unique into the broader Ball State curriculum. Ferguson labeled this idea as entrepreneurial learning, and it’s one of the key components of his 18-point strategic plan. Between 25 and 30 percent of students participate in immersive learning projects, Jennifer Blackmer, director of immersive learning, told the Daily News in 2015. The goal of this refocus of immersive learning is to spread the success around to the rest of the curriculum, just as Gora did in 2006. Immersive learning sprang out of the work of the Virginia B. Ball Center. This refocus of immersive learning also marked the beginning of the university’s effort to study the long-term effects of immersive learning on alumni. “We know it’s been successful, now we are looking for data to back it up,” Blackmer told the Daily News in 2015. The university awarded $4.2 million to 16 projects around campus in Academic Excellence Grants as part of Ferguson’s 18 by ’18 plan. The goal is to foster entrepreneurial, student-centered and community engaged learning — the three major themes of Ferguson’s vision.
HIS FRESHMAN CLASS
At the freshman convocation in August 2014, Ferguson welcomed the first freshman class that would graduate under his tenure. “I’m their president and they are my class,” Ferguson said of the class of 2018. “It’s a special class for me as a new president, but also as we celebrate the 100th-year anniversary [of Ball State in 2018].” This class was to be the recipient of the proposed Ball State Centennial Student Endowed Fellowships, which were to go toward the 2018 freshman class. Ferguson and his wife, Grace, said they would provide $50,000 — which the university would match — to 18 students in the 2018 class. The future of this scholarship is unknown at this time.
COLLEGE OF HEALTH
One of the Centennial Commitment’s major themes is to push Ball State as a model 21st-century public research university. A point in the plan involves the creation of a new STEM and Health Professions Building. The future of Cooper Physical and Life Sciences Building has not been determined. Provost Terry King spearheaded this initiative. The board approved it in October 2014. This new academic college will become the eighth one on campus and will begin operation in Fall 2016. Construction on the phys-
CONTRACT GIVES SEVERAL OUTS • The university can terminate the contract at any time with written notice to the president •T he president can break the contract by giving the university 180 days’ written notice, but if he gives less notice than that, he has to pay part of his salary to the university •T he president can resign at any time by giving a 30-day notice if he concludes in good faith that because of Board of Trustee changes or policies he can’t properly do his duties as president SOURCE: Ferguson’s contract
Ferguson has had one of the shortest terms of any full university president — the same as Jerry Anderson, who served for 18 months and resigned.
5 THINGS HE WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR • Entrepreneurial learning • Removing “Education redefined” tagline •H osting the Beneficence Dialogues • Creating the Academic Excellence Grants • Introducing his Centennial Commitment, which included the College of Health
5 THINGS THAT HAPPENED ON HIS WATCH • David Letterman experience • Papa John comes to campus •A dministrative changes, including communication, athletic director and football coach • The Charles W. Brown Planetarium opened • Johnson Complex reopened ical building that will house the new college has not been announced. The state has approved funding for its creation, however. The new college will include five academic units: Departments of Health Science, Social Work, Speech Pathology and Audiology, and the Schools of Nursing and Kinesiology. The College of Health could house a couple hundred faculty and anywhere from 3,500 to 4,000 students. This matches the current size of the College of Applied Science and Technology.
THE OUTSTANDING SENIOR AWARD AND BENNY DIALOGUE In March 2015, when Ball State awarded the Emens Outstanding Senior Award to a former president of the Student Government Association, it was met with backlash from some in the campus community. Some students expressed concerned on social media that the winner had previously owned a confederate flag, calling Ball State out on diversity issues. Some student leaders sent a letter to the administration, highlighting their displeasure with the university’s decisions. In response, Ferguson hosted two Beneficence Dialogues, during which students shared their concerns with administrators in small groups. The dialogues ended with “Hope and Healing at Benny,” at which Ferguson read the Beneficence Pledge. More than 100 students participated. Following the dialogues, five teams were created to implement changes that stemmed from those discussions. A multicultural advisory board was created, and other solutions are being worked on, like reaching out to high schools with predominantly underrepresented minority student populations. Rachel Podnar contributed to this story.
PAGE 4 | TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 2016 | THE BALL STATE DAILY NEWS | BALLSTATEDAILY.COM
FERGUSON RESIGNS
SEARCH COST BALL STATE $150,000 University’s hiring of Ferguson took about 7 months RACHEL PODNAR IDESK EDITOR | rmpodnar@bsu.edu The last two times Ball State hired a new president — in the cases of former President Jo Ann Gora and President Paul W. Ferguson — the university used a private search firm to conduct a closed search. Now that Ferguson is resigning, it’s time for the university to start the hiring process again. Neither Board of Trustee Chairman Rick Hall nor Joan Todd, university spokesperson, would comment on how Ferguson’s replacement will be chosen. Picking a new president isn’t cheap. In each of the last two instances, the university hired the search firm Baker and Associates. The firm received $150,000 to conduct the search that resulted in Ferguson’s hiring. A closed search means that the list of candidates is not released, often because many are sitting presidents or chancellors for other universities. In 2013, Gora defended the closed search process.
“In the end, you want the best candidate pool possible, and a closed search is ultimately the best way to get that,” she said. “In the end, it is the Board of Trustees who select the president, so their opinion is what matters.” To hire Ferguson, the paid search firm worked with a Ball State search committee, which was made up of 16 people, including trustees, administration and representatives from other areas of the university. Only one student was involved in the process — the student member of the Board of Trustees. Five finalists were chosen and interviewed from a pool of 22 applicants. The Ball State search committee interviewed the finalists. Each had the opportunity to visit Ball State anonymously. The committee made a “short list” of candidates who met with the Board of Trustees. Then the board hosted a public meeting to vote on the new president. The board then voted Ferguson as university president. The process to hire Ferguson took about seven months, from Gora’s resignation announcement on Oct. 26, 2013, to Ferguson’s hiring on May 22, 2014.
HOW THE UNIVERSITY HIRED FERGUSON OCT. 26, 2013 Former president Jo Ann Gora announces her plan to retire on June 30. NOV. 1, 2013 The board sends out requests for a firm to help the university search for a replacement. JAN. 5, 2014 Ball State hires executive search firm Baker and Associates at a cost of $150,000. The Marietta, Ga., company referred applicants to the 16-member presidential search committee. The search was later determined to be closed. JAN. 23, 2014 Baker and Associates release the specifications for the next president. Specifications include a terminal degree and managerial or administrative experience. APRIL 3, 2014 Five finalists are chosen. The list did not include political figures or current business executives. The board said it was not looking for a temporary replacement but a “long-term leader.” APRIL 7, 2014 The search committee says it will likely recommend the final two candidates during the last week of April. MAY 20, 2014 The board announces it will host a public meeting to vote on the new president. MAY 22, 2014 The board names Paul W. Ferguson the next president. AUG. 1, 2014 Ferguson starts his term as the 15th university president. Provost Terry King served as interim president until this day.
PROVOST ASSUMES INTERIM ROLE
Terry King has been here before. King, provost and vice president for academic affairs, is taking over as interim president of Ball State University following the departure of President Paul W. Ferguson. “Let me assure our students that the Board of Trustees has offered great confidence in and support for the administration and faculty as we continue to move forward with The Centennial Commitment, and as we prepare for the celebration of the university’s 100th anniversary,” King said in an email a few hours after the announcement. “They are very aware of positive momentum of the faculty and students, and the great work that occurs everyday across our campus. These TERRY KING accomplishments are well worth celebrating. I Provost and very much look forward to working with the fac- intermin univerulty, the university staff, and the Cabinet as we sity president move forward on this very positive path.” King previously held the position of interim president in 2014, after Jo Ann Gora resigned as president after 10 years in the office and before Ferguson took office on Aug. 1 of that year. The last time he served as interim president, King helped prepare for Ferguson’s transition into presidency. This included compiling information Ferguson would need, including the university’s long-range plans and projects. Formerly the dean of Kansas State University’s College of Engineering, King came to Ball State in 2006. In an earlier interview with the Daily News, King said he was attracted to Ball State because of its potential for growth. “If you look at where the university was 10 years ago or 20 years ago or 30 years ago, the differences are obvious,” he said then. “It has been really fun to be a part of that and to think about what is happening in the future.” Ferguson’s unexplained resignation came about a year and a half after he took office. His term as president will officially end after a two-month sabbatical. King wasn’t available for comment Monday, but the last time he filled in as president, the provost sounded optimistic about whatever would come next. “I like change, and so I am looking forward to the change,” he said then. “Things have to change, so you might as well be involved in it. I am really looking forward to it.” – STAFF REPORTS
a look at
Ferguson before Ball State
The 15th president’s road to becoming a Cardinal
DN FILE PHOTO BREANNA DAUGHERTY
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ARIC CHOKEY FORMER NEWS EDITOR news@bsudailynews.com
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Feb. 9, 2015. Even with the lights and cameras, Paul W. Ferguson maintained the calm and collected composure of someone who was comfortable with talking about how to lead a public university. He’s been a president before and knows how to handle interviews, but Ball State is still new to him. Ball State’s president spent a lot of his first seven months acclimating to his new position after his presidency at the University of Maine. He’s had some help getting a taste of the area from local pastry shops, which he said he was told he had to try when he came to town. “The peanut butter chocolate cookies,” he said. “We’ve tried that.” Visiting Concannon’s was more than getting comfort food at a local must-see. It was engagement in a community that he’s trying to understand. “The first year, you are really busy just trying to get it all in perspective,” You really he said. “Even just trying celebrate the to remember who everyis.” successes and body No matter how many foundations hands he shakes, Ferguson it a priority to rebuilt by your makes member everyone’s name. predecessors. To him, people are keys to his understanding of how PAUL W. to lead the campus.
“
FERGUSON
EARLY YEARS
His path to Ball State began in the mid-70s. Ferguson had just completed his undergraduate work in biology at Whittier College in southern California, where
he was from. The area at that time was in its early stages of becoming the founding site and current Mecca of modern-day skateboarding. While some 20-year-olds in SoCal were jumping on the hype of skateboarding, Ferguson took a job as a researcher for a medical center and a biologist for a chemical manufacturer before getting his PhD. from the University of California at Davis in toxicology and pharmacology. After graduate school, Ferguson helped establish the University of Louisiana’s first toxicology program. “Those were some very good memories for me being a young, junior faculty member in an exciting opportunity,” he said. “That’s experience that always stays with you so when you ask faculty to help you build programs. You were there. You know what it’s like.” His postgraduate path would take him through multiple teaching and administrative positions in Nevada, Louisiana, Illinois and Maine.
GETTING THE JOB
Ferguson, his wife, Grace, and their massive Labrador retriever, Charleigh, came to Ball State during what he calls a high point in his presidency at the University of Maine. He had rolled out the Blue Sky Project during his three-year presidency there. The project was a plan to bolster Maine’s state university with research funding and graduate programs. Ferguson was going to set the university up to outgrow its budget deficit. The university had seen increases in enrollment and progress in closing a gap in its budget shortage while he was there. Since his departure, the university and its branches still face a combined $69 million deficit and potential job cuts today, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Before he came to Ball State, the University of Maine was in a financial slump, which Ferguson aimed to bandage during his time there. “I hadn’t considered a change at the time, but it kind of just came to a point where I had a real sense of accomplishment and the real challenge that I felt I could help take Ball State to a different level,” he said. Ferguson said he felt he could use his strengths in research projects at Ball State better at Maine. The offer from Ball State paid him $180,000 more than the $270,000 he was making in Maine and more than Gora made at her departure. “Certainly the salary offered by Ball State University is generous and absolutely wonderful to have,” he said. “The salary at the University of Maine was low, and I was still grateful to be paid what I got.” The Ball State presidency also meant returning to the Midwest, where he had worked as provost and vice chancellor of a branch of Southern Illinois University before he moved to Maine. “To leave a very successful institution is always mixed feelings,” Ferguson said. “I mean, you love what you do and you love what it’s been and you make really great, great friends in college.”
BECOMING A CARDINAL
Since he stepped into office on Aug. 1, 2014, Ferguson inherited the campus of former president Jo Ann Gora, Ball State’s first female president. “You really celebrate the successes and foundations built by your predecessors,” Ferguson said. “Isaac Newton said, ‘You see vision, you see the future based on you standing on the shoulders of giants.’ Whether that be Jo Ann Gora, John Worthen or Dick Emens. You just build and figure out how to improve a good operation.”
Despite the head-start Gora’s administration set, Ferguson didn’t exactly step in at an easy time. The university had just announced it was the victim of two investment fraud cases that resulted in $13 million of losses, which the I felt I could Indiana Secretary of State is help take still investigating. The education programs at Ball State to Ball State, which have been a different the hallmark of the university, have seen significant level. declines in enrollment. “It was a long list. I mean, PAUL W. FERGUSON everybody has priorities,” he said. “I think my challenge as president is to be inclusive and listen to those and then I have to define what makes sense and what doesn’t make sense.” But even in the midst of reduced support from the legislature, he remains positive about the communication he’s had so far with the state. “They have an understanding of what we need. They don’t give us everything we want, which would be nice, but the dialogue is very good,” Ferguson said. “With that context of ‘Money just doesn’t grow on trees,’ it does challenge us to be much more directive and much more successful in showing how well the institution is run.” While Ferguson said it was too early to say what kind of legacy he wants to leave behind, he knows what type of leader he wants to be for Ball State. “It’s that important to be that engaged and to really appreciate where you’re coming from,” he said. “We’re not going to be able to rule by democracy, because we have to manage the university, but we will be inclusive. And that will be the characteristic of the Ferguson administration.”
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TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 2016 | THE BALL STATE DAILY NEWS | BALLSTATEDAILY.COM | PAGE 5
FERGUSON RESIGNS
MEET THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Not only did Ball State’s Board of Trustees approve President Paul W. Ferguson’s resignation, but they also worked closely with Ferguson before his resignation. -STAFF REPORTS
RICK HALL – CHAIR Hall was voted chairperson in January 2014 after serving as secretary for three years. He joined the board in 2007. He is also a partner and member of the management committee at Barnes and Thornburg LLP, an Indianapolis-based law firm.
FRANK HANCOCK – VICE CHAIR Hancock joined board in 2006 and was vice president in 2012 and 2013. He kept his role, albeit with a different title, in January 2014. The Ball State alumnus (class of 1970) is also the founder and owner of Sport Graphics Inc., a company that helped create the “graphic identities” for Scheumann Stadium and Worthen Arena. Hancock is also the former president of the Metropolitan School District of Warren Township. THOMAS C. BRACKEN – SECRETARY Bracken’s great-grandfather, Frank C. Ball, was one of the five Ball Brothers that founded Ball State. Bracken joined the board in 2012 and was voted secretary in January 2014 and also serves as president of the George and Frances Ball Foundation. The former software engineer
graduated from Stanford University with an electrical engineering degree before earning an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago and is the fourth generation of the Ball Family to serve on the board of trustees. MARIANNE GLICK – ASSISTANT SECRETARY Glick joined the board in 2006 and was voted assistant secretary in January 2014. She serves on the board of directors for the Eugene & Marilyn Glick Family Foundation, the Gene B. Glick Company, the Central Indiana Community Foundation, United Way of Central Indiana and the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana. The Butler alumna won the 2010 Indiana Woman of Influence award from Ball State, as well as an Honorary Alumni Award from the Ball State Alumni Association in 2013. RENAE CONLEY Conley graduated from Ball State
in 1980 with an accounting degree and also received her M.B.A. from the school in 1982. She is currently the CEO of ER Solutions, LLC, a consulting firm. She is also a retired executive vice president of human resources and administration. Conley received the Miller College of Business Award of Achievement in 2001 and the college’s Award of Distinction in 2007. She was inducted into the Miller College of Business Hall of Fame in 2013. R. WAYNE ESTOPINAL Estopinal has been a board member since 2011. He graduated from Ball State in 1979 with two bachelor’s degrees – architecture and environmental design. He is the president of the Estopinal Group, an architectural firm, and an owner of Orlando City Soccer Club and Louisville City Soccer Club. He also serves on the board of directors for Your Community Bank, Community Bank Shares of Indiana,
QUAD TALK
strange … and what’s especially unique is that he’s taking the two-month sabbatical, and then he’s resigning. I don’t want to speculate, … but I hope he’s OK and his family’s OK, and I hope that there’s nothing extra political going on. There’s obviously something happening, and I don’t want to speculate at what that is, but it is strange.
»
LUKE JONES, a junior telecommunications major
« I am extremely saddened « I was definitely shocked to hear about President Ferguson leaving Ball State. From the moment I met him at the Class of 2018 Welcome Presentation, I knew he was an incredible person. When I personally met him this year during Freshman Move-In as a Welcome Week Leader, it felt like I was meeting a celebrity. President Ferguson and his wife are some of the kindest people I have ever met, and I wish them nothing but the best in the future.
»
ASHLEIGH KRAMER, a senior speech language pathology major
when I heard the news. I wasn’t expecting it at all. I thought he was a really great president, especially after getting to meet him personally. And it was really awesome to get to meet him. He was ... really friendly, kind, personable - he seemed like he wanted to know each student individually, and that means a lot when the president of the university wants to get to know you. I hope he and his wife are all right and wish them a bright future from here.
»
CARLI HENDERSHOT, a senior political science major
« I think we’ve had a series « This is very sudden, and « When he started, he of strategic plans that have been tweaked over time. I’m sure a new president coming in will tweak them some more, but I think the direction of the university is pretty clear, and so the new president will probably come in and perhaps set some new goals but also continue some of these goals that have been developed over the last few years.
»
nobody expected it. Nobody knows anything at this point, but that’s the idea. I think that whatever the Board of Trustees knows, they really need to release it right away because the rumors are going to start and the best way to eliminate rumors is to put the facts out there.
HOLLIS E. HUGHES JR. The longest tenured trustee, Hughes joined in 1989. He served as president of the board from 2011 to 2014 and secretary from 2006 to 2011. He is also the president and CEO of United Way of St. Joseph County, past director of South Bend’s Model Cities Program, South Bend’s Bureau of housing, director of St. Joseph County Housing Allowance Office, director of Housing Assistance Office Inc. and executive director of St. Joseph County Housing Authority. Another Ball State alumnus, Hughes graduated in 1965 and received a master’s degree from the school in 1972. Hughes also serves on the board as a member of both the Alumni Council and Black Alumni Constituent Society.
MATT MOMPER Another Ball State alumnus, Momper joined the board in 2008. He graduated with an economics degree in 1983 before earning his M.B.A. from Drake University in 1984. He is also the president of Momper Insulation and serves on the Miller College of Business’s Executive Advisory Board and the Ball State Foundation Board of Directors. He also won Ball State’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007. DUSTIN MEEKS – STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE Meeks was appointed by Gov. Mike Pence to be the board’s student representative. The Fishers native is part of the Class of 2017 and is a Presidential Scholar and an Eagle Scout. He also serves as Archon on Phi Kappa Psi’s National Executive Council, where he represents the Midwest.
STUDENTS REACT ON TWITTER
STUDENTS AND FACULTY REACT TO FERGUSON’S RESIGNATION
« The perfect term is
the Louisville Zoo Foundation and Boy Scouts of America Executive Council – Louisville.
came around and made rounds and made it a policy to see every department. We (TCOM) were one of the first. And, of course, there were the BSU commercials.
»
TIM POLLARD, Chair, Department of Telecommunications
»
DOMINIC CARISTI, professor
@Lauren_donahue Lauren Donahue
President Ferguson is resigning? #Youjustgothere 2:45 PM, 25 Jan 2016
@TheeAllyE Allyson Edmonds
Really curious to the reasoning behind President Ferguson’s resignation 3:55 PM, 25 Jan 2016
@forwardnotion Internet Hunter
Sorry to hear about Dr. Ferguson leaving BSU. He seemed to be doing good work and connecting with the students well. 3:44 PM, 25 Jan 2016
@trevdoggg Trevor Holland
Honored to have been a student under President Ferguson’s leadership during my first 1.5 years at #BallState. 3:34 PM, 25 Jan 2016
@KISS_myMorgs Mean Morgan
When Ball States president randomly resigns with no reason why ... Oh I know . The chamber of secrets has been opened . That’s why 3:27 PM, 25 Jan 2016
@court_puckett Courtnie Puckett
@kanyewest for Ball State president 2016 3:34 PM, 25 Jan 2016
@CameronRidle Cameron Ridle
Rumor has it that Paul Ferguson was so annoyed with the new 20 mph speed limit at Ball State that he’s quitting 3:29 PM, 25 Jan 2016
JOSEPH LOSCO, Co-Director of the Bowen Center for Public Affairs
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