WEBVTT

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TO YOU.

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>> ALL RIGHT, BARB.THANK YOU.WELL, MUNCIE COMMUNITY SCHOOLSHAVE BEEN STRUGGLING FOR A

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NUMBER OF YEARS.LAST YEAR THE SYSTEM TAKEN OVERBY STATE AND HANDED OVER TO ANEMERGENCY MANAGER.

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THE DEBT-RIDDEN DISTRICT COULDULTIMATELY BE RUN BY BALL STATEUNIVERSITY, WHICH WOULD MARK THEFIRST TIME A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY

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WOULD BE MANDATED BY STATE LAWTO TAKE OVER AN ENTIRE SCHOOLDISTRICT.BALL STATE PRESIDENT DR. GEOFF

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DR. GEOFFMEARNS IS HERE NOW TOTALK ABOUT WHY THE MOVE IS GOODFOR THE UNIVERSITY AND THECOMMUNITY.

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APPEARS TO BE ON A TRACK FORAPPROVAL.WHY IN YOUR VIEW DOES IT MAKESENSE FOR THE UNIVERSITY TO TAKE

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OVER MANAGEMENT OF MUNCIECOMMUNITY SCHOOLS?>> WELL, SO THERE CAN BE NODOUBT THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES

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THAT ARE BEING FACED IN THESCHOOL DISTRICT, PRIMARILYFINANCIALLY, BUT THOSE ARE NOTTHE EXCLUSIVE ONES.

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AND WE BELIEVE THAT THEUNIVERSITY IS UNIQUELY SITUATEDTO HELP ADDRESS THOSECHALLENGES.

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WE'VE BEEN EDUCATING TEACHERSAND ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATORS FORNEARLY 100 YEARS.WE BELIEVE WE CAN BRING THAT DAL

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TALENT AND EXPERIENCE TO BEAR ONSOLVING PROBLEMS.WE ALSO THINK WE CAN MOBILIZETALENT AND EXPERTISE ALL ACROSS

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CAMPUS, AND WE BELIEVE WE CANCATALYZE AND ORGANIZE COMMUNITYINVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE OF THESCHOOL, SO WE THINK WHEN WE PUT

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THOSE TOGETHER, ALONG WITH SOMEPHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT, THAT WECAN BRING ALL OF THE RESOURCESNECESSARY TO BEAR TO SOLVE THOSE

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VERY SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES.BECAUSE THE FUTURE OF MUNCIE,THE FUTURE OF ANY COMMUNITY ISHIGHLY DEPENDENT UPON THE

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QUALITY OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.>> ALONG THOSE LINES, EDUCATIONOBVIOUSLY IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUTTHESE DAYS, AS AN ECONOMIC

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DEVELOPMENT, A BUSINESSATTRACTION AND RETENTION EFFORTIS AT ISSUE.IS IT YOUR VIEW THAT THAT'S PART

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OF WHAT'S AT STAKE HERE TOO, ISTHAT ABILITY TO TRACK AND -->> THAT'S RIGHT, AND ONE OF THEREASONS WE'VE HEARD SUCH A VERY

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STRONG RESPONSE FROM THEBUSINESS COMMUNITY IN MUNCIE ANDIN DELAWARE COUNTY IS THEYRECOGNIZE THAT THEY'VE HAD

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CHALLENGES, STRUGGLES TO ATTRACTTALENT TO THEIR COMPANIES, ANDTHEY SEE THIS AS A GREATOPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO THOSE

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EMPLOYEES, THOSE PROSPECTIVECANDIDATES, AND TELL THEM ABOUTTHE GOOD THINGS THAT AREHAPPENING IN MUNCIE.

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THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TOCHANGE THAT NARRATIVE.>> THERE ARE SOME CRITICS, THOSEWHO PUSH BACK, SAYING THIS WOULD

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MEAN A LOSS OF LOCAL CONTROL.I THINK PART OF THE BILL AS ITSTANDS NOW, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ANELECTED SCHOOL BOARD, YOU'D HAVE

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AN APPOINTED SCHOOL BOARD.WHAT ABOUT THE ISSUE OF LACK OFLOCAL CONTROL?>> I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY A

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MISDIRECTED CRITICISM.I UNDERSTAND IT BUT I DON'TTHINK IT'S REALLY ON TARGETBECAUSE THE CURRENT OPTION RIGHT

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NOW IS NOT TO RETAIN THE POWERSOF THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD.IN FACT, AS A RESULT OF THEDECISION BY THE STATE AGENCY, BY

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THE BOARD BACK IN DECEMBER, THETOTAL CONTROL OF MUNCIE PUBLICSCHOOLS RIGHT NOW IS IN THEHANDS OF AN EMERGENCY MANAGER.

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WE THINK THIS IS MUCH MORE OF ALOCAL CONTROL.WE'RE NOT JUST INVESTED LIKE THEEMERGENCY MANAGER IN A TEMPORARY

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SHORT TERM SOLUTION.WE'RE INVESTED FOR THE LONGTERM.IT TOOK MANY YEARS, PERHAPS A

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COUPLE DECADES FOR US TO GET INTHIS SITUATION, IT'S GOING TOTAKE MANY YEARS FOR US TO GEDOUT OF IT, AND BALL STATE, OUR

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UNIVERSITY, OUR FUTURE, ISLINKED TO THE FUTURE OF THESCHOOL, SO WE'RE GOING TO BETHERE FOR THE LONG TERM.

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>> IN THIS SCENARIO, HOWIMPORTANT IS COMMUNITYENGAGEMENT, COMMUNITYINVOLVEMENT?

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HOW BIG A PIECE IS THATCOMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE TOYOUR PLAN?>> IT'S CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS

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OF THE PLAN.THAT'S WHY WE ASKED CHAIRMANBROWN, AND IT IS IN THELEGISLATION, THAT WE HAVE TWO

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YEARS TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THEFUTURE OF THE SCHOOLS.SOME FOLKS ARE CONCERNED THATTHAT'S TOO LONG OF A TIME, BUT

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WE THINK THAT PERIOD OF TIME ISNECESSARY FOR US TO GETCOMMUNITY INPUT.WE NEED THE IDEAS OF THE

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TEACHERS, WE NEED THE IDEAS OFTHE PARENTS.PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.THIS HAS TO BE A COMMUNITY

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SOLUTION, NOT A PLAN THAT'S JUSTDEVELOPED BY EXPERTS ON OURCAMPUS, BUT WE NEED TO GO OUTINTO THE COMMUNITY TO GET THEIR

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IDEAS.SO COMMUNITY INPUT ANDENGAGEMENT IS CRITICAL TO OURSUCCESS.

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>> WHEN ULTIMATELY, DEPENDINGTHE FATE OF THIS BILL, WHENWOULD BALL STATE BE PREPARED TOASSUME --

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>> SO ASSUMING THE LEGISLATIONIS PASSED, WHAT IT PROVIDES ISTHAT OUR BOARD HAS TO PASS ARESOLUTION TO EXCEPT THIS

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RESPONSIBILITY.I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT IF THELEGISLATION PASSES IN THISSESSION, WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING

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ON MARCH 30TH, I WOULDANTICIPATE THAT THE BOARD WOULDBE PREPARED TO ACT ON THATSTATUTE AT THAT TIME, AND THEN

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IT BECOMES EFFECTIVE ONJULY 1ST.>> WHEN YOU ARRIVED ON THEMUNCIE CAMPUS, I THINK FROM THE

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BEGINNING, OUR FIRST INTERVIEW,YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR INTEREST INCONNECTING BALL STATE TO THECOMMUNITY, TO MUNCIE, TO EAST

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CENTRAL INDIANA.THIS WOULD SEEM TO BE PART OFTHAT VISION.AS YOU LOOK AT THAT OVER THE

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NEXT SEVERAL YEARS AND THATTAKING SHAPE, HOW IMPORTANT WILLIT BE FOR BALL STATE TO REALLYENGAGE WITH THE REGION?

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>> SO WHEN I ARRIVED, ICERTAINLY DIDN'T ANTICIPATETAKING ON THIS RESPONSIBILITY,BUT IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THAT,

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AND WHAT I SAID AT THE TIME ANDI'VE SAID SINCE I ARRIVED ONCAMPUS, THE FUTURE OF OURUNIVERSITY IS INTERCONNECTED.

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IT'S DEPENDENT UPON THE FUTUREOF MUNCIE AND, IN TURN, THEFUTURE OF THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.ALSO AS I'VE SHARED, OUR GREAT

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UNIVERSITY WAS FOUNDED AS ARESULT OF THE VISION ANDGENEROSITY OF THE BALL BROTHERSAND THE COMMUNITY A HUNDRED

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YEARS AGO.WE THINK WE HAVE AN OBLIGATIONAND AN OPPORTUNITY TO REPAY THATDEBT BY RESTORING THE SCHOOLS

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AND ENHANCING THE COMMUNITY.>> FINAL QUESTION, DO YOU SENSEENGAGEMENT IN THE BUSINESSCOMMUNITY, NOT JUST FOR THE

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MUNCIE SCHOOLS ISSUE BUT MOREBROADLY ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTAND OTHER PARTNERSHIPOPPORTUNITIES?

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>> I DO.THEY'RE ENGAGED IN THIS AND IANTICIPATE THEY'RE GOING TOBECOME MORE ENGAGED WITH US IN

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TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTAND NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATIONEFFORTS, AND THESE TWO PROJECTS,THESE TWO VERY IMPORTANT TASKS

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GO HAND IN HAND.RESTORING THE NEIGHBORHOODS ANDCREATING JOB OPPORTUNITIES, ANDRESTORING THE SCHOOLS.

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SO WE'RE WORKING ON THOSETOGETHER.>> ALL RIGHT.BALL STATE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT,

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DR. GEOFF MEARNS.WE'LL BE FOLLOWING THOSE STORIESIN THE FUTURE.THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

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>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.>> ALL RIGHT.WELL, A REMINDER, ALL OF OUR ION EDUCATION SEGMENTS CAN BE

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FOUND ATINSIDEINDIANABUSINESS.COM.AND IF YOU HAVE AN INTERESTINGSTORY OR SUGGESTION FOR (I)

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EDUCATION, PLEASE SEND THEM TOPRODUCER TARA TWIGG AT