Ball State University – Students Sanctioned for Attempted Meeting with University President

Summary

Beginning in late January 2026, a group of Ball State University students attempted to schedule a meeting with President Geoffrey Mearns to discuss concerns about the university’s investments and other policies. After following official channels, including checking online, sending emails, and leaving messages, without receiving a response, the students went to the president’s office on January 30 during normal business hours. When they arrived in the hallway outside the office, staff locked the doors and instructed the students to leave. The students remained calm, did not chant or sit in, and waited at the locked doors until administrators arrived. Some students took notes and documented the interaction, and a small group briefly spoke with staff about rescheduling before leaving. Administrators later described the hallway incident as a security concern and cited past instances in which students had disrupted offices, although no disruption occurred during this visit.

The university subsequently charged the students with violations of the student code of conduct, including refusal to comply with administrative directives and disorderly conduct related to protests near buildings. Sanctions included conduct probation, community service, and reflection assignments. Notices of the charges and sanctions were sent to the students through their university email accounts. Some students were required to meet with a conduct officer to discuss their behavior, while others submitted written reflections on the university’s policies and expectations for student conduct.

In the weeks following the attempted meeting, university communications emphasized that all attempts to access the president’s office must go through official scheduling channels and that staff would continue to enforce policies regarding gatherings near administrative offices. The incident was widely discussed among students, faculty, and staff as an example of how the university enforces conduct rules for unscheduled interactions with senior administrators, prompting conversations about accessibility to leadership, clarity of campus policies, and expectations for student engagement in administrative matters.