Fallows Shine Light on Ball State-MCS Partnership

Washington Monthly, in announcing its 2022 “College Guide and Rankings,” highlighted Ball State University through the eyes of James and Dr. Deborah Fallows, esteemed journalists and best-selling authors (pictured above with Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns).

The Fallows, who were bestowed with honorary Doctors of Arts at Ball State’s Spring 2022 Commencement ceremony, were previously invited to Muncie by President Mearns, and have since written about Ball State’s innovative partnership with Muncie Community Schools, among other points of pride in the community.

For this Washington Monthly project, Mr. Fallows “explains how the university, under the leadership of its energetic president, Geoffrey Mearns, accepted responsibility for running the city’s failing public schools.” Dr. Fallows, in her piece, “hones in on how the college’s student newspaper (The Ball State Daily News) has all but taken over coverage of the schools from the hollowed-out local paper.”

The Fallows’ pieces can be found in their entirety at WashingtonMonthly.com.

“Deb and Jim, I am grateful for the work that you do every day in this respect,” President Mearns told the Fallows during the Ball State Commencement ceremony last May. “Through your reporting and through the leadership of your foundation, you are promoting greater civic engagement, community renewal, and genuine dialogue among the citizens of our country.”