Current situation
The importance of Information System for businesses or organizations is nowadays incontestable. In fact, I.T’s impact in overall business improvement if used properly keeps growing. Consequently, Ball State University like lots of other organizations is investing so much in its I.T. According to the University’s board of funding, Ball State University allocates a recurring balance of $ 10.1 million for computer equipment renewal as well as for computerizing other campus system, such as library circulation. The school signed in 2011 a software licensing and services agreement with SunGard Higher Education Inc. of $31 million for implementation process of a new technology, including an off-site application hosting service of the software. The university, for their strategic plan has also assigned $ 25.3 million in order to implement an administrative system technology within the coming years. In addition, over $ 14 million is currently set aside for capital projects including eventual campus telephone system replacement, academic building equipment provision, and part of the geothermal conversion development.
Currently, Ball State University has a powerful and varied network system, using Ethernet, fiber optic, and Wimax technologies. According to the University fact book 2011-2012, they have actually 2,461 managed network devices, a wired network using 10 gigabit fiber network with 21,135 ports, and more than 1,400 access point of wireless capable of providing 54 mbps of mobile connectivity. The University’s high speed wireless and wired network connect students, staff, classroom, labs, resident halls, and offices throughout the campus. The University estimates having one of Indiana’s largest libraries with about 400 public use computers, and also has its own public television and radio stations. It also proclaims that 99 percent of the students have their own computers, but unclear if those devices are included in the students’ tuition.
According, to its fact book, Ball State University estimated 22,147 enrolled students during the academic years of 2011-2012, about 80% of those students (17,627) are undergraduates studying at the bachelor’s and associate degree level. The University counts more than 18,000 students attending on campus, with 16,400 undergraduates and more than 3,800 of those started as freshman at Ball State University. Their students came from 48 states of the US with13% of students coming from out of Indiana State, and the school has also more than 620 registered international students which represent about 2.8% of their effective students.
To accommodate students living, Ball State University has approximately ten residence complexes housing where about 7,000 students live. According to the school fact book, their freshman residence hall program is listed as one of the best in the nation by the "Unofficial, Unbiased Insider's Guide to the Most Interesting Colleges." In addition the University has one all-female residence hall that house approximately 600 students.
The University also has 2,832 full time employees (faculty, staff) in 2011-2012, where we have seen a decrease from 2010; 2011 respectively 2,872; 2,844. As a student looking for school to go to, it’s important to know the retention and the graduation rate before applying for any school; high retention and graduation rates are naturally positive sign. Ball State University has a student retention rate of 78%, which is considered as above Indiana average, and a graduation rate of 60%.
So regarding over all statistic, Ball State is a good school to go to. However, we notice a moderate new enrollment from the academic year 2007-2008 to 2011-2012, respectively