Independent Colleges Receive Grant

June 11, 2012

News Release

Indianapolis, Ind. -- Three Indiana independent colleges have been selected as the 2012 winners of the Ball Brothers Foundation Venture Fund competitive grant program: Franklin College, Saint Joseph’s College, and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. They will share $75,000 in seed funding for start-up initiatives to stimulate creativity and innovation and foster competition and collaboration among the state’s 31 independent campuses.

Established by the Ball Brothers Foundation (Muncie) and administered by ICI, the Ball Brothers Foundation Venture Fund has disbursed more than $925,000 for 42 innovative initiatives on ICI campuses over the past fourteen years. The 2012 recipients were chosen from a field of 30 proposals:

Franklin College (Franklin) is directing its $25,000 to seed support for organizing and training Franklin students as an “Energy Reduction Team” to reduce campus energy costs. Using demand-side management and building energy audit strategies, this energy savings model will be documented and shared with all ICI members schools.

Saint Joseph’s College (Rensselaer) is using its $25,000 award for a “Hoophouse Farming Eduventure,” a start-up business and educational collaboration in hoophouse farming. Students will learn the economics and management of crop production and best practices in organic farming, as well as implement a business plan to grow and market organic vegetables year-round in their community.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Saint Mary-of-the-Woods) is building upon its nearly 40 years of expertise in distance learning with its $25,000 grant. The college will pilot a four-year accelerated program resulting in both an undergraduate and a
master’s degree (Master in Leadership Development) and incorporating leadership and technology components.

The recipients were selected by a panel of judges, including Rich Spisak, Ball Brothers Foundation; Jill Robinson Kramer, Ivy Tech Community College; Grant Goldman, Pepper Construction of Indiana; Cheryl Cooper, Fifth Third Bank; and Wayne Schmidt, Schmidt Associates.

Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) is a nonprofit association that represents the state’s 31 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI member institutions enroll some 90,000 students (approximately 20 percent of all students statewide) and annually produce 35 percent of all bachelor’s degrees in Indiana. For more information: www.icindiana.org.

Source: Independent Colleges of Indiana Inc.