The Department of Sociology currently has two core initiatives that would benefit from your help!
The first is our "study away" initiative. This includes experiences such as the Detroit Field Study, through which students build a greater understanding of race relations and urban transformation in America. During this experience, students engage in hands-on work with their Ball State instructors and Detroit community partners, take guided tours of museums and neighborhoods, and meet with leaders of grass-roots movements who are changing the city. Although such experiences--which last from a few days to about a week--are more affordable than a study abroad, they still carry per-student transportation and lodging costs of several hundred dollars. Your help will enable more students to have access to such experiences by reducing their out-of-pocket costs. We welcome your assistance in this pioneering effort to build inclusive excellence through community engagement!
Our second initiative involves one aspect of our comprehensive career preparation program. In any job search, little things can make a big difference… Like knowing how to highlight your strengths at a reception, knowing how to network with a diverse team, and even knowing which fork to use at the closing interview meal. Hiring managers tell us that having soft skills matters and we know not all students have had opportunities to learn these unspoken rules or, even if they have, they may not feel especially confident in these formal settings. How do we help students develop these soft skills? Through practice at the Career Center Job Search Etiquette Dinner. Your donation of $15 can sponsor a student to attend the dinner and give them that interview edge. You might ask, does $15 really have an impact? Students tell us that $15 represents a significant portion of their food budget. As a result, many opt out of the Career Center Job Search Etiquette Dinner experience and this further widens the gap between students who have the background and confidence and those who do not. Bridge the gap and give the edge… little things can make a big difference!
In addition to these initiatives, your contributions will also help us fund student immersive learning activities, scholarships, and additional student professional development (such as travel to and presentations at the annual meeting of the North Central Sociological Association).
We are eternally grateful for your help!
