Founded in March 2007, the Bowen Center for Public Affairs honors the integrity and leadership of Dr. Otis R. Bowen, the 44th Governor of Indiana and the 16th Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Ronald Reagan. The purpose of the Bowen Center for Public Affairs is to advance civic literacy, community involvement, public service, and nonpartisan government research to make a difference for you and your community.
Advancing the ideals of civic literacy, community involvement, and public service embodied Dr. Bowen's career. The Bowen Center continues his legacy through training, networking, and research opportunities.
The Bowen Center for Public Affairs is a freestanding center at Ball State University in the College of Sciences and Humanities and is allied with the Department of Political Science. The center is located in the North Quad Building on the Muncie, Indiana Ball State University campus.
Certified Public Manager Program
The Bowen Center for Public Affairs offers a unique training opportunity for Indiana public managers and their supervisory personnel. The Indiana Certified Public Manager Program (CPM) provides government and non-profit employees with a comprehensive course of study that has recognized public management theories and best practices at its foundation. The program trains public managers to apply these theories and practices to the challenges they face in public service.
Hoosier Survey
The Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University conducts the annual Ball State University Hoosier Survey to provide Indiana policymakers with a measure of public opinion on current issues facing our state and nation. This non-partisan public policy survey is designed to take the pulse of the state with regard to the most pressing issues facing Hoosiers. The results are delivered to every member of the Indiana General Assembly at the beginning of the calendar year so that lawmakers can gauge public views about issues they are likely to face in the coming session. The Hoosier Survey has attracted national attention and received coverage in national media outlets as well as professional conferences.
Election Administration
The Bowen Center for Public Affairs is a national leader in applied election administration research. The Center works with several state and national organizations to assist in the oversight, accuracy, and transparency of democracy’s most essential institution: voting.
At the Bowen Center for Public Affairs, a team with multi-disciplinary skillsets collaborates to assist in the research of voting systems. The Center’s Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP) provides essential research and support for the Indiana Election Division. The Center also assists in the facilitation of a national conversation among other voting administrators and specialists through the State Certification Testing of Election Systems National Conference (SCTESNC).
As part of the Bowen Center's goal to be a leader in election administration research, the Center offers a program for the Certificate in Election Administration, Technology, and Security (CEATS). This program aims to professionalize election administration by educating current and future leaders in elections on the fundamental concepts, knowledge, and field techniques required of election administrators.