Melissa Rubrecht, M.A.

Director of Employee Relations and Affirmative Action, Ball State University

Melissa Rubrecht is an experienced Human Resources professional with 30+ years of higher education experience in employee and labor relations and has led affirmative action efforts for the last 8 years as Ball State University’s Director of Employee Relations and Affirmative Action in Muncie, Indiana. As the University’s champion for equal opportunity and nondiscrimination, Melissa’s advocacy for equity and ongoing training efforts, in partnership with Office of Inclusive Excellence, has resulted in a 25% increase in overall employee diversity since 2014. Melissa serves on Ball State’s Presidential Advisory Committee for Inclusive Excellence (PACIE), and she is a member of the state’s College & University Personnel Association (CUPA) as well as the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). Representing the University in relationships with employee organizations, Melissa has successfully bargained ten union contracts to agreement and preserved management’s rights by limiting the expansion of the bargaining unit to other unions or areas of the University. Melissa’s proactive approach to handling employee relations issues has resulted in a 75% reduction in grievances, and no cases proceeding to arbitration since 2012. At the state level, Melissa’s service on Chamber of Commerce employment law committees, and currently as Secretary of Indiana’s Industry Liaison Group (ILG), provides avenues for her to share her expertise beyond the University. A Ball State University alumnus, Melissa holds an M.A. in English and in Executive Development for Public Service, and a B.S. in Political Science. Away from campus, Melissa is active in 4-H in Madison County, Indiana, and enjoys reading, gardening, live music, and motorcycling.