A Message from President Standifird

Dear Colleagues,

I am thrilled to be an official part of the Bradley family! These are challenging times, indeed, and this is a transition like none other. I have been able to observe from afar the incredible work you all have done to respond to our current situation. Your passion for the success of our students and each other is clear. This is a big part of why I wanted to join the university.

I know one of the things all of us are struggling with right now is the continued uncertainty of our environment. Part of the reason I accelerated my transition plans is to help us navigate the path ahead. I will be working very closely with our Provost, Walter Zakahi, and our new CFO, Jeff Blade, who will help provide a high level of clarity for how we plan to do to navigate the challenges ahead. Our goal for the month of May is to identify ways to improve our financial situation.

I don’t want to trivialize the magnitude of the issues we face. We are going to have to make some very tough decisions. As we do so, I want to be very sensitive to maintaining the core of who we are as an institution. To assist us in this process, I have created an advisory board made up of the following faculty and staff members; Larry Weinzimmer (Foster College of Business), Lee Newton (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), Kristi McQuade (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), Dean Cantu (College of Education and Health Sciences), Kyle Dzapo (Slane College of Communication and Fine Arts), Jacqueline Henderson (Caterpillar College of Engineering), Daniel McCloud (EHS Dean's Office), Chris Jones (LAS Dean’s Office), Ome Lopez (University Marketing and Communications), Ryan Schmidgall (Controller’s Office), Craig Dahlquist (Athletics), Tory Jennetten (Alumni Affairs), Zack Gorman (IT), Cyndi Kosinski (Admin Support), and Emma Hoyhtya (Student Body President). Provost Walter Zakahi, CFO Jeff Blade and I will work closely with this group as we identify opportunities to put the university in a better financial position.

It’s going to be a challenging two years for us and the entire economy, but we’ll get through this. There are going to be a significant number of institutions that will not survive the current economic climate, but Bradley will. The university is well-positioned in the marketplace, we have incredibly talented people throughout the organization to help us and, unlike any other institution I know, we have as a role model the very founder of our institution. Lydia Moss Bradley did not just survive in the face of adversity. She thrived. Our existence as an institution is a testament to her ability to do so. She is an inspiration for me, and I hope for you as well. This is our opportunity to live up to the legacy of Lydia Moss Bradley, not just surviving, but thriving in the face of adversity. More and more, I recognize this is what it means to be Bradley Brave.

Sincerely,

Stephen Standifird
President
Bradley University

–Sent to the Bradley family on 05/08/2020