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Special Education

Your donations will make a difference for the Department of Special Education! We prepare students for careers as 

  • Special educators and administrators
  • Behavior analysts  
  • Deaf educators
  • American Sign Language /Deaf studies
  • Curriculum developers. 

We are proud of our students and the quality of our alumni and work to recruit students to help combat the shortage of teachers in over 70% of the school districts in Indiana.

Your donations help us support a variety of learning experiences for students beyond academics, including scholarships, involvement in student and community organizations, and research.  There are four separate funds available in our department!

You can choose for your donation to go to our Center for Autism Spectrum Disorder. This center generates innovative, time-efficient, and cost-effective treatments that work, so that people with ASD can reach their full potential. To give specifically to this effort, choose Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Programs from the links below.  

We pride ourselves in providing unique learning opportunities for our students. Our programs utilize cutting edge technologies to equip our students with tools to be successful in the workforce. This lab and its success are sustained by your generous donations.  Our adaptive TEACH Lab allows our students to learn how to incorporate adaptive and assistive technologies into their teaching practices. To support the TEACH Lab, select that option from the list below. 

The Department of Special Education offers several scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students. The Inclusive Excellence in Graduate Special Education Scholarship was established to support students from marginalized populations. This scholarship was made possible through the generosity of the Avis Foundation, Inc., a strong supporter of Teachers College, that is committed to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Inclusive Excellence Scholarship provides financial support to a new or current student in one of the master’s or doctoral degree programs in the Department of Special Education. If you wish for your support to specifically  support this scholarship, please choose the last option in the list below.


Any dollars given that are not designated into a specific area go to the general fund for the department. Those funds are used to

  • Support student scholarships
  • Purchase instructional materials 
  • Support faculty research through special equipment purchases
  • Support faculty professional development. 

It is with the help of your generous donations that we can continue to deliver the highest quality special education programs to our students in one of the highest-ranked education programs in the state and beyond.


Please select from the menu below where you would like your gift to benefit our students.  



Success!
Pop it, Snap it, Share it! Benny Cutout Social Media Challenge
Faculty, staff, and student social media challenge! Share a photo of your Benny Cutout to show a window into your Ball State world. Be sure to stamp your post with #OneBallState. Two random participants will get to donate $500 in challenge funds toward their favorite area.
Completed
Leaderboard
Morning Leaderboard
The three departments/units/teams with the most donors by 10 a.m. receives $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000 in challenge funds.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $3,000 Theatre & Dance 125
2 $2,000 Indiana Academy 79
3 $1,000 Communication Studies 66
4 Football 65
5 Student Scholarships 61
Ended
Leaderboard
Academic Department Leaderboard
The three academic departments with the most gifts by midnight receive $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000 in challenge funds.
Rank Prize Academic Department Gifts
1 $5,000 Theatre & Dance 679
2 $3,000 Communication Studies 398
3 $1,000 School of Kinesiology 187
4 School of Music 149
5 Center for Information & Communication Sciences 122
Ended
Leaderboard
College Gift Leaderboard
The three colleges with the biggest percentage of increased gifts from OBSD 2023 will receive $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000.
Rank Prize College % +/- Goal
1 $3,000 Honors College +80.72% 150
goal: 83
2 $2,000 Miller College of Business +69.78% 472
goal: 278
3 $1,000 College of Health +32.86% 469
goal: 353
4 Teachers College +30.59% 397
goal: 304
5 College of Sciences and Humanities -8.30% 619
goal: 675
Ended
Leaderboard
Donor Leaderboard
The five units with the most donors by midnight will each receive $1,000
Rank Prize Unit Donors
1 $1,000 Theatre & Dance 456
2 $1,000 Indiana Academy 325
3 $1,000 Football 273
4 $1,000 Communication Studies 199
5 $1,000 Soccer 163
Ended
Leaderboard
Provost Marri College Leaderboard Challenge
The three colleges with the most donors will unlock an additional $250 for 1st place, $150 for 2nd place and $100 for 3rd place from Provost Anand Marri.
Rank Prize College Donors
1 $250 College of Fine Arts 641
2 $150 College of Communication, Information, and Media 558
3 $100 College of Sciences and Humanities 548
4 Miller College of Business 432
5 College of Health 389
Ended
Success!
Paint the U.S. Cardinal Red
Gifts from all 50 states will unlock $2,500 from the Alumni Council to Ball States greatest needs.
Completed
Success!
One Ball State Day Video Social Media Challenge
Share any of the One Ball State Day videos on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram Stories using #OneBallState for a chance to earn extra challenge dollars. Two participants will get to donate $500 to their favorite area. Tag @BSUFoundation or @BallStateAlumni ❤️
Completed
Success!
EPM Employee Giving Challenge
VP for Enrollment Planning and Management Paula Luff, will match dollars raised from EPM employees, up to $500, to the Jack Beyerl Student Emergency Aid Fund.
Completed
2
Match
Teachers College $15K Match
BSU Grad Tom Murphy will match the first $15,000 given to support the Teachers College.
$15,000 MATCHED
Completed
Success!
First Student, Employee, Parent, and Alumni Challenge
First Alumni: Bill Jenkins, Theatre & Dance First Employee: Debra Roberts, Teachers College First Parent: Scott Fuller, Gymnastics First Student: Jayden Gillam, Christian Student Foundation
Completed
Leaderboard
Brunch Leaderboard
The five areas that raise the most money from 10 a.m. - Noon each receive $1,000 in challenge funds.
Rank Prize Department Raised
1 $1,000 Theatre & Dance $9,882.80
2 $1,000 Football $8,032.54
3 $1,000 Indiana Academy $6,463.36
4 $1,000 Men's Golf $4,685.00
5 $1,000 Men's Tennis $4,360.00
Ended
Leaderboard
Evening Donor Leaderboard
The five areas with the most donors between 8-10 p.m. will each receive $1,000 in challenge dollars.
Rank Prize Unit Raised
1 $1,000 Indiana Academy $8,142.54
2 $1,000 Cardinal Excellence Fund $7,140.00
3 $1,000 Theatre & Dance $6,951.80
4 $1,000 Honors College $6,129.18
5 $1,000 Department of Architecture $6,025.00
Ended
Leaderboard
College Donor Leaderboard
The college that has the most donors by midnight will receive $5,000 in challenge funds.
Rank Prize College Donors
1 $5,000 College of Fine Arts 641
2 College of Communication, Information, and Media 558
3 College of Sciences and Humanities 548
4 Miller College of Business 432
5 College of Health 389
Ended
Success!
Mentor Social Media Challenge
It’s all about who you know, and who you help! Share a story about an impactful Ball State mentor or mentee experience to X (Twitter). One participant will get to donate $500 to their favorite area. Stamp your post with #OneBallState and tag @BSUFoundation or @BallStateAlumni ❤️
Completed
Success!
1,918th Donor
The 1,918th donor will win an additional $500 to designate to the area they gave to.
Completed
Success!
LinkedIn Social Challenge
Share a One Ball State Day post on LinkedIn on April 3rd for a chance to designate $1,000 to your favorite Ball State area! Use #OneBallState and tag the Ball State Foundation!
Completed
Success!
Top 100 Student Challenges
The top two students from the Top 100 Student Awards designate $1,000 to the fund of their choice.
Completed
Success!
Foundation Employee Giving Challenge
100% participation of Foundation employees unlocks $500 from Foundation and BSUAA President Jean Crosby.
Completed
Leaderboard
Teachers College Gift Leaderboard
The Teachers College department with the most improved number of gifts from OBSD 2023 will receive $250 for first place, $150 for second place, and $100 for third place from Interim Dean McIntosh.
Rank Prize Department % +/- Goal
1 $250 Special Education +104.35% 94
goal: 46
2 $150 Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies +93.33% 87
goal: 45
3 $100 Educational Leadership +20.41% 59
goal: 49
4 Elementary Education +11.36% 49
goal: 44
5 Educational Studies -4.17% 23
goal: 24
Ended
Share on social with #OneBallState
Donors by Location
Rank State Gifts
1 IN 83
2 KY 2
3 LA 1
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Or you can contact us at oneballstateday@bsu.edu.