Bradley Briefing

Introducing the Bradley Briefing

Welcome to the first edition of the Bradley Briefing. I am delighted to provide you with an ongoing update of the good work of the university through this new communication vehicle. These briefings will allow me to give you a high level overview of some of the projects, happenings and operational changes at the university. For example, in future editions, you will learn more about our process improvement efforts, as well as the development and execution of the university’s strategic plan.

I intend to send these brief messages twice a month for the rest of the semester and potentially once a month throughout the summer. This is part of a wider effort to increase communication and transparency and is in no way designed to replace any of Bradley’s existing communications. B-News will continue to provide important university announcements, news, accomplishments, calendar items and stories. Bradley magazine will continue to provide in-depth stories about our amazing students, faculty, staff and alumni.

From Surviving to Thriving

It has been a year like none other. Our approach from the start of the pandemic has been to follow the science, and this has served us well. We now have the opportunity to look beyond the pandemic and focus on the future. It's time to leverage Bradley’s tremendous strengths and position the university to thrive:

• We are making strides toward improving our processes and policies to increase operational effectiveness and efficiency.
• We approved a number of new and innovative programs designed to serve our students’ needs and interests.
• We began a strategic planning process that will help us chart a path of continued progress. Learn more about the strategic planning process.

I am not naïve to the challenges higher education faces in the years to come, but I am incredibly optimistic about Bradley’s ability to tackle them head on to become leaders in defining the future of higher education. Following the lead of our founder, Lydia Moss Bradley, it's time to move from surviving to thriving. This is our time, our opportunity, to position the university for success for the next 125 years.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Our work in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion is a critical area of emphasis for the university. I have received feedback from many of you, and I am in complete agreement: we need to create a more inclusive environment on our campus. In October 2020, I received a report from the Bradley Racial Equity Advisory Group regarding ways to move forward. I also finished my service on the statewide Equity Working Group for Black Student Access and Success on Feb. 25. Both groups point to the importance of having a dedicated, high-level individual at the university focused on these crucial issues.

I am delighted to announce we plan to hire a vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion. This individual will report directly to me and will be a key member of the senior leadership team. They will be responsible for leading the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and will have an initial operating budget of $250,000/yr for two years as a result of philanthropic support. This is a great opportunity for us to change how we manage issues of diversity, equity and inclusion on campus substantively. The search for our new VP begins immediately. Stay tuned for more updates as we work to bring this important new leader to Bradley’s campus.