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Provost’s Office

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs is the administrative center for the University’s academic operations. It is responsible for providing administrative oversight and academic leadership. Our primary focus is to collaborate with academic and administrative areas to fulfill the mission and vision of Bradley University.

Strategic Plan

The Board of Trustees approved a new student-centric strategic plan for Bradley University in July 2021. This plan aligns with Bradley’s prevailing mission, while setting forth an exciting strategic vision and a complementary set of priorities designed to meet the dynamic landscape of higher education in an ever-changing world.

The plan was crafted over a seven-month period following a 14-step strategy development process involving 78 individuals who served on six key strategic planning groups. The broader university community was engaged through a faculty-staff survey, several information sessions and forums, and student focus groups designed to validate the results of an external market analysis of more than 1,600 current and prospective students.

The development of the new strategic plan was driven by Bradley’s situation, namely the challenging and competitive state of the higher education landscape. Particular attention was devoted to what today’s learners seek when selecting a university or college.

Based on this analysis, Bradley’s focus will be on two types of purposeful learners: aspirational and functional. Aspirational learners focus on the life they want to create for themselves and the person they want to become in the future. Functional learners focus on a specific result (typically job or career driven) and education is a necessary step to get them there.

Bradley’s new strategic vision captures what the university must be to appeal to and serve these learners.

Vision Statement

We deliver an engaging education that transcends traditional boundaries through scholarly and practical experiences in a diverse, caring and inclusive environment to prepare purpose-driven leaders who achieve success and build a better world. Bradley University: An investment in the life you want.

Coupled with the vision statement are five strategic imperatives that outline the university’s priorities:

  • Welcoming, Caring, Diverse and Inclusive – We are committed to understanding and creating a community within and beyond campus that allows you to feel welcome and included in your ability to participate in the learning experience.
  • Personalized Life Path – We provide clear, supportive and flexible paths with an array of enriching opportunities to realize the life you want.
  • Return on Educational Investment – As one of our graduates, you can expect short-term benefits through career outcomes and long-term happiness from your investment.
  • Boundary-Breaking Innovations – We will help you realize a purposeful plan to create the career and life you want by delivering engaged learning beyond your major and beyond the classroom.
  • Financial Strength and Operational Excellence – Execution of the plan requires a strong foundation of financial strength and operational excellence.

Collectively, these five imperatives constitute the essence of the 2021 strategic plan. They will provide a framework for decision making, serve as operational platform, and drive the development of key strategic action items over the next three to five years.

Contact Information

Dr. Dan Moon

Interim Provost and Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs

Jennifer Gruening Burge

Director of Institutional Effectiveness

If you seek information or engagement related to an aspect of Bradley University’s Strategic Plan, there are four options:

  • Consult the following documents on this page.
  • Contact the responsible vice president or project manager by referring to the Strategic Plan Implementation Engagement Roadmap.
  • Contact the Office of the Provost at provost@bradley.edu or (309) 677-3152.
  • Attend or request to schedule an information session. (Sessions can be arranged by contacting the Office of the Provost.)

The resources on this page are for current Bradley employees only. For any outside requests, please email the Office of the Provost.

Balanced Scorecard

Strategy Updates

Strategy Implementation Resources

Supporting Documents

Process Documents

Overview

Insights Market Analysis

Student Focus Group Results

Environmental & Industry Analysis

Strategic Profile

Competitive Assessment

Vision and Strategy

USPC Recommendations to the Strategic Leadership Group

The Plan

Academic Program Review

Faculty Gender Equity Initiatives

In the Spring of 2017, the Provost convened a Faculty Gender Equity Taskforce charged with the following tasks:

  • To investigate barriers to the promotion of women to the rank of full professor at Bradley, including but not limited to barriers in three main professional areas (teaching, research, and service).
  • To review institutional policies and de facto practices that may result in differential outcomes for male and female faculty.
  • To investigate best practices used by other institutions that contribute to the retention and advancement of women in the academy.
  • To develop recommendations for increasing gender equity in the above areas and on issues that become apparent through the review process, and to submit those recommendations to the Provost for consideration by the appropriate administrative and/or shared governance units at Bradley University.

In the Spring of 2018, the Faculty Gender Equity Taskforce administered a campus-wide survey to all full-time and part-time faculty to investigate issues related to workload, tenure and promotion processes, administrative policies and practices, and campus climate. It also hosted a series of Faculty Gender Equity Forums to gain additional feedback from the university community. The results of the survey, the full report, and recommendations of the Task Force may be accessed through this page with a Bradley login. Based in part on the work of the Task Force, Bradley was awarded an NSF ADVANCE grant in 2023 to help increase intersectional gender equity in the faculty ranks on campus. Details of ADVANCE BU grant initiatives.

The Task Force recommended 40 actions to increase gender equity in Bradley’s faculty ranks. In addition to supporting the ongoing work of the ADVANCE BU program, Bradley’s administration has taken actions to address the following Task Force Recommendations.

Task Force RecommendationAdministrative Actions
Formally incorporate student engagement activities into the T&P process.In the Faculty Annual Reporting portal, fields have been added for Experiential Learning, Writing Intensive, and Interdisciplinary Learning, Faculty-Student Collaboration, and Societal Impact.
Strengthen the institution’s investment in the Office of Sponsored Programs.In Fall of 2024, Bradley received a federal grant to expand the services offered by the Office of Sponsored Programs.
Identify one campus office(r) as the contact point for non-academic student care issues.The Office of Student Affairs produced a guide to campus resources for working with student concerns.
Ensure that under no circumstances is a scheduled course of three or more semester hours taught as an uncompensated overload.The Provost reviewed all offerings, and directed Deans to ensure that this does not occur in their academic units.
Incorporate dean and college-level efforts on gender equity issues in the dean’s annual evaluation survey to the faculty.Questions on gender equity and diversity have now been incorporated into the dean’s annual evaluation, and the Senate approved those changes to the survey in January of 2025.
Create a salary reporting mechanism.The Administration is currently working with ADVANCE BU to develop an Equity Dashboard for tracking a range of faculty data, including salary equity.
Clarify “tenure clock” provisions.The University Senate made provisions for tenure clock extensions clearer and more inclusive (Faculty Handbook, Section II.D.4)
Appoint a full-time Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer.A VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion was hired and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was created.
Review and revise current sexual harassment and sexual discrimination policies and procedures, and consider appointing a Gender Equity Ombudsperson.The university formalized a consensual relationship policy. Annual training for all employees on harassment and discrimination was implemented.
Reward individual and unit-level activities that promote diversity, equity and inclusion on campus.Working with ADVANCE BU, the Administration provides ongoing funding for the Faculty Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, inaugurated in Fall of 2024.

ADVANCE BU Initiatives and Resources

2018 Task Force Survey, Results and Recommendations

All resource documents require a faculty or staff BUnetID login to view.

Bradley University Report of the Committee on the Status of Women, 1990

All resource documents require a faculty or staff BUnetID login to view.

Additional Resource

Whistleblower Information

Resources

Bartlett Award

The Helen Bartlett Award for Excellence in Service to Students recognizes a department or unit that has shown outstanding contributions and commitment to Bradley students.

Award Guidelines

Burgess Award

The Theodore C. Burgess Award for Excellence in Interdepartmental Collaboration celebrates exceptional partnership between departments.

Award Guidelines

Caterpillar Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching and/or Scholarship

Designed to honor outstanding faculty for their achievements, nominees must hold a full-time, tenure-track appointment but not yet have attained tenure status.

Award Guidelines

Caterpillar Professorship

Caterpillar Professorships are awarded to tenured, full professors whose significant achievement in their fields resulted in national or international recognition.

Award Guidelines

Emeritus Nominations

To be considered for an emeritus appointment, faculty and staff must have completed at least 15 years of service while enriching the experience of Bradley students.

Award Guidelines

Harper Award

The William Rainey Harper Award for Departmental Excellence honors an academic or support unit that has demonstrated an ever-improving level of performance and commitment to excellence.

Award Guidelines

Putnam Award

Established in 1957, the Charles M. Putnam Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes an exceptional teacher each year.

Award Guidelines

Rothberg Award

The Samuel Rothberg Award for Professional Excellence, honoring outstanding research and creativity by a senior faculty member, is one of Bradley’s highest academic recognitions.

Award Guidelines

Faculty Award for Inclusive Excellence

Bradley University is committed to offering a “welcoming, caring, diverse and inclusive” campus environment. The Faculty Award for Inclusive Excellence recognizes efforts in advancing inclusion, belonging, and a climate of fairness, mutual respect, and non-discrimination at Bradley. The award will alternate between honoring an individual (in even numbered years) and an academic program (in odd numbered years).

Award Guidelines

Conflict of Interest Form

Curriculum and Regulations Forms

C&R forms are now available and electronically routed through the Curriculum and Regulations Committee Routing System. To access the system, log in using your BUNetID at: http://carta.bradley.edu/crcrs/

ADVANCE BU

Every year, promising scholars across the U.S. leave their fields due to structural barriers to their career advancement. Their departure comes at great cost, both to the individuals who have invested heavily in their academic careers and to the country as a whole. Just as lesser developed countries have long suffered from a “brain drain” of their most talented and productive scholars to wealthier nations, the ongoing loss and professional underdevelopment of scholars across the nation is another kind of brain drain—the loss of the talents, skills, and varied perspectives that the U.S. needs if it is to remain a global leader. Consistent with national trends, there is evidence of career barriers at Bradley University. The ADVANCE BU program (previously funded by NSF Award #2303732) is committed to instituting transformative changes across the institution to reduce career barriers for our employees and to foster a campus climate of fairness, mutual-respect, and non-discrimination. Contact Jackie Hogan (Director), Sherri Morris (co-PI), or Kalyani Nair (co-PI) for more information.

Previous ADVANCE scholarship demonstrates that meaningful and lasting institutional transformation is only possible with a combination of cultural change and structural change — namely changes to policies, processes, and practices. Building on this research, ADVANCE BU involves faculty and staff from across the institution to accomplish two primary goals: changing campus culture for the better and revising outdated university policies and processes.

Cultural Change

Fostering inclusion, belonging, and a campus climate of fairness, mutual respect, and non-discrimination.

A&A

The Advocates and Allies initiative aims to raise awareness of both systemic and interpersonal forms of discrimination, and build intervention and advocacy skills among faculty and staff. First developed by North Dakota State University, it has been implemented in more than 30 colleges and universities across the nation. It has also resulted in significant improvements to faculty retention and career progression, and helped create more inclusive campus cultures. Contact Tony Hermann for more information.

ACT

The ACT (ADVANCE-informed Chair Training) initiative draws on training programs developed by other ADVANCE institutions to provide chairs with mentorship and training on topics including recruitment, hiring, retention, and career advancement. Contact Melinda Faulkner for more information.

IDEAS

The IDEAS initiative offers a wide range of campus programing — from guest speakers to workshops to film screenings and discussions — designed to increase understanding of the evidence behind inclusion efforts; the individual, institutional, and societal benefits of such work; and proven ways we can all make a difference. Contact Mary Conway Dato-on for more information.

Structural Change

Engaging campus stakeholders to revise outdated policies and processes for greater transparency and consistency, particularly in annual review and tenure, promotion, and retention decisions.

Faculty Data Dashboard

The development of Faculty Data Dashboard will allow Bradley to better track faculty career outcomes and create mechanisms for accountability and ongoing improvement. In addition to creating this Dashboard, ADVANCE BU gathers and analyzes institutional data to more effectively chart changes over time. Contact Kerrie Schattler (Dashboard) or Kelly McConnaughay (Evaluation) for more information.

FARR

Likewise, the FARR (Faculty Annual Review Revision) initiative engages the campus in discussions about the revision of faculty annual review processes, teaching evaluations, and performance reward mechanisms, such as merit pay. Contact Tim Koeltzow for more information.

TPR Revision

Drawing on both institutional data and evidence-based strategies for institutional change, the TPR Review and Revision initiative engages campus stakeholders in discussions around revision of tenure, promotion, and retention (TPR) policies and protocols to promote greater transparency and consistency. Contact Matt O’Brien for more information.

Upcoming Events

Call for Nominations

ADVANCE BU is pleased to announce the 2025 Faculty Award for Inclusive Excellence, highlighting Bradley University’s ongoing dedication to fostering inclusivity on campus. This yearly award honors individual faculty (even years) or academic programs (odd years) that have made significant contributions to advancing inclusion, belonging, and a climate of fairness, mutual respect, and non-discrimination at Bradley through advocacy, curriculum development, community building, research/creative production, or leadership and service. Nominations will be accepted by the Provost’s Office until September 1, 2025. For further details on eligibility and the nomination process, please click here. Applications are being accepted via google forms available here.

Arrange a meeting with your department or group

ADVANCE BU has recommended a number of changes to the ways we evaluate teaching at Bradley (click here) and for revising Bradley’s TPR guidelines (click here). We recognize that different individuals and groups on campus may have different questions, concerns, and ideas. We would be delighted to meet with individuals and groups (for instance, a department, a college, or just a group of colleagues) to explain the proposed changes and hear your feedback. Please contact Jackie Hogan to arrange a time that works for you.


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News Articles Featured in Monthly Newsletters

2025

January Newsletter
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2024

January Newsletter
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2023

September Newsletter
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Additional News Articles

  • External Review Letters for T&P: Recommendations for Chairs
  • Faculty Salary Equity
  • NSF ADVANCE Programs
  • An Equity-Minded Approach to Faculty Tenure and Promotion
  • Seattle U ADVANCE Library
  • Same Course, Different Ratings
  • Women Outperform Men in Service, to Their Detriment
  • The Awakening: Women and Power in the Academy
  • Gender Equality in the Academy: The Pipeline Problem
  • Negotiating Balance
  • Pipelines, Pathways, and Institutional Leadership: An Update on the Status of Women in Higher Education
  • Anicha, C. L., Bilen-Green, C., Burnett, A., Froelich, K., & Holbrook, S. (2017). Institutional Transformation: Toward a diversity-positive campus cultureJournal of Women & Minorities in Science and Engineering, 23(2). doi: 10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.2017017021.
  • Babcock, L., Recalde, M. P., Vesterlund, L., & Weingart, L. (2017). Gender differences in accepting and receiving requests for tasks with low promotability. The American Economic Review, 107(3), 714- 747.
  • Bartels, Lynn K and Weissinger, Sandra E. and O’Brien, Leah C. and Ball, Jamie C. and Cobb, P. Denise and Harris, Jessica and Morgan, Susan M. and Love, Emily and Moody, Sierra B. and Feldmann, Matthew L. (2021) Developing a System to Support the Advancement of Women in Higher EducationThe journal of faculty development v.35.
    Catherine White , Megan A. Carpenter, and David A. Cotter (2022) Teaching College in the Time of COVID‑19: Gender and Race Differences in Faculty Emotional LaborSex Roles, 86:441–455 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-021-01271-0
  • Chávez & Mitchell. 2020. Exploring Bias in Student Evaluations: Gender, Race, and Ethnicity. Pol. Sci. & Politics 53.
  • Furst-Holloway, Stacie and Kathi Miner, (2019) ADVANCEing women faculty in STEM: empirical findings and practical recommendations from National Science Foundation ADVANCE institutions. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, Vol. 38 Issue: 2, pp.122-130, https://doi.org/10.1108/ EDI-03-2019-295.
  • Griffith, J.A., Malone, M.F.T., & Shea, C.M., (2021) From Bystander to ally among faculty colleagues: Construction and validation of the bystander intervention behavior scaleEquality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal.
  • Guarino, C.M., & Borden. 2017. Faculty Service Loads and Gender? Research in Higher Ed 58, 672-694. 9.
  • Hamlin, K. A. (2021, March 30). Why Are There So Few Women Full Professors? The obstacle to parity is a lack of institutional will. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/why-we-need-more-women-full-professors.
  • Hanasono, L. K., Broido, E. M., Yacobucci, M. M., Root, K. V., Pena, S., & O’Neil, D. A. (2018). Secret Service: Revealing Gender Biases In The Visibility And Value Of Faculty Service. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education 12 (1): 85-98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000081.
  • Jimenez, M. F., Laverty, T. M., Bombaci, S. P., Wilkins, K., Bennett, D. E., & Pejchar, L. (2019) Underrepresented faculty play a disproportionate role in advancing diversity and inclusion. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 3(7), 1030-1033.
  • Laursen & Austin (2020) Building Gender Equity in the Academy: Institutional Strategies for Change. Johns Hopkins U. Press. 11.
  • National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics 2021. Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2021. Special Report NSF 21-321. Alexandria, VA: National Science Foundation. Available https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf21321/report/acknowledgments-and-citation
  • O’Meara, K., Kuvaeva, A., & Nyunt, G. (2017). Constrained choices: A view of campus service inequality from annual faculty reports. The Journal of Higher Education. doi: 10.1080/00221546.2016.1257312
  • O’Meara, K., Kuvaeva, A., Nyunt, G., Waugaman, C., & Jackson, R. (2017). Asked more often: Gender differences in faculty workload in research universities and the work interactions that shape themAmerican Educational Research Journal. doi: 10.3102/0002831217716767
  • Shea, C.M., Malone, M.F.T., Griffith, J.A., Staneva, V., Graham, K., & Banyard, V. (2021). Please feel free to intervene: A longitudinal analysis of the consequences of the behavioral expectations of bystandersJournal of Diversity in Higher Education.
  • Van Miegroet, Helga, Christy Glass, Ronda Roberts Callister, Kimberly Sullivan, (2019) Unclogging the pipeline: advancement to full professor in academic STEM. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, Vol. 38 Issue: 2, pp.246-264, https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-09-2017-0180.
  • Yen, J.Riskin, E.A.Margherio, C.Spyridakis, J.H.Carrigan, C.M. and Cauce, A.M. (2019) Promoting gender diversity in STEM faculty through leadership development: From local and national leadership workshops to the online LEAD-it-Yourself! ToolkitEquality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 38 No. 3, pp. 382-398. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-09-2017-0181.

ADVANCE BU was previously funded by Award #2303732 of the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE Program. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.