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Post by tribecalledquest2024 on Jun 1, 2024 9:37:14 GMT -6
So should I hold off on asking to rent Ren Col for RuPaul's Drag Show World Tour or no?
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ph
Benchwarmer
Posts: 94
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Post by ph on Jun 1, 2024 10:48:18 GMT -6
I’m still of the opinion that most of Bradley’s problems is due to lack of enrollment.
And the old school dorms are the biggest obstacle to increasing enrollment.
More commuting and online students would help, but I’m not certain if that would really be enough to turn around university finances.
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Post by woodford on Jun 1, 2024 10:57:17 GMT -6
As a guy with 2 kids at a 4 year university, student accommodations are a huge deal. As is campus amenities. BU looks like it's still 1995 compared to other places. My buddies kid is at Mizzou and they have a frickin lazy river along with tons of restaurants. Degree prestiege is a shadow of it's former self with so many people figuring out that once you have your first job, VERY few employers worry about what school you went to.
Say what you want about places like ISU, Grand Canyon, Mizzou, ect....they are cheaper...have a much more enjoyable student body...and better student experiences. Maybe not as academically elite? But again, that's not as valued as it used to be. If donors drop them if they post about an LGBTQ cause it won't be the reason colleges fail, they will fail if they can't convince students and parents to pony up for a tuition that isn't worth the return on investment and only provides a pedestrian college experience.
I hope for our community that BU hits a home run with the next hire and figures out a way to keep fun local kids at BU along with fun Chicagoland kids, and put them up in some nice digs. Focus on what made you successful and pays the bills. They need to find a leader that will run this place like a business and markets itself correctly and to the correct people.
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Post by dallasbrave on Jun 1, 2024 13:53:58 GMT -6
At least Standifird got the excessive academic programs trimmed. Addressing enrollment needs to focus on the school's core strengths which starts with the Engineering school. I'm curious if those who are close to the action know what the vision is for post-graduate program enrollment. Perhaps Bradley can target undergraduate enrollment in the range of 4,000-4,250 without lowering admission standards and grow post-graduate enrollment to 2,500+ in Engineering, Business, and Computer Science. The school can leverage core faculty more effectively by growing the graduate programs in business and engineering.
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Post by SFP on Jun 1, 2024 14:24:46 GMT -6
If he got canned because there were board members who were acting like snowflakes about a little love to LGBQT+ community, I'd have to believe that will not help us in the long run. On the other hand Peoria metro area does tend to hop on their right foot.
I'm hoping the school in itself is not taking orders from anyone from a political or religious power base on how the school overall should brand itself. Young adults need to learn critical thinking skills along with a proper foundation in studies with real positive economic impact. Critical thinking skills allows you to self correct and understand those that believe in things differently. It's not all black or white.
On another subject, I'm not a fan of the school eliminating math. If anything they should be doubling down on math and physics. The tools that are being built today and into the future for Engineering, Business and CS are being developed by Math and Physic Ph.Ds as we post. The USA may not be leading the charge. That is scary. If any of you want to take a peak of the future please read Quantum Supremacy: How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything by Michio Kaku.
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Post by Butler Blue on Jun 1, 2024 17:37:52 GMT -6
If he got canned because there were board members who were acting like snowflakes about a little love to LGBQT+ community, I'd have to believe that will not help us in the long run. On the other hand Peoria metro area does tend to hop on their right foot. I'm hoping the school in itself is not taking orders from anyone from a political or religious power base on how the school overall should brand itself. Young adults need to learn critical thinking skills along with a proper foundation in studies with real positive economic impact. Critical thinking skills allows you to self correct and understand those that believe in things differently. It's not all black or white. On another subject, I'm not a fan of the school eliminating math. If anything they should be doubling down on math and physics. The tools that are being built today and into the future for Engineering, Business and CS are being developed by Math and Physic Ph.Ds as we post. The USA may not be leading the charge. That is scary. If any of you want to take a peak of the future please read Quantum Supremacy: How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything by Michio Kaku. He got canned because the enrollment sucks. The enrollment sucks because student recruitment and marketing was terrible under his watch. Doing things that are not perceived to help with (and maybe hinder) these efforts are just the cherry on top. Bradley’s recent presentation to the market place has been bad for business. |
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Post by SFP on Jun 2, 2024 14:15:46 GMT -6
Well enrollment is sucking in most private institutions across the country. I'm not a fan of the Grand Canyon type of hype. I'd rather the school focus on a strong academic foundation where industry comes to find their next managers. One way of doing that is not to live in a vacuum and work with the leading innovative minds in creating the next generation of programs. Why does MIT, CalTech, Stanford and Carnegie Mellon keep producing talent and funding from top private research institutes? Because they're just not recruiting the best but because they're building programs and curriculum that addresses the future.
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Post by tribecalledquest2024 on Jun 2, 2024 14:37:32 GMT -6
Well enrollment is sucking in most private institutions across the country. I'm not a fan of the Grand Canyon type of hype. I'd rather the school focus on a strong academic foundation where industry comes to find their next managers. One way of doing that is not to live in a vacuum and work with the leading innovative minds in creating the next generation of programs. Why does MIT, CalTech, Stanford and Carnegie Mellon keep producing talent and funding from top private research institutes? Because they're just not recruiting the best but because they're building programs and curriculum that addresses the future. Cal Tech, MIT, Stanford and Carnegie Mellon are elite institutions and always have been. They are on a different tier than the Bradley’s of the world. The Ivy League’s will be fine. It’s the mid level privates that will face difficulty. |
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Post by Braves4Life on Jun 3, 2024 11:35:53 GMT -6
If he got canned because there were board members who were acting like snowflakes about a little love to LGBQT+ community, I'd have to believe that will not help us in the long run. On the other hand Peoria metro area does tend to hop on their right foot. I'm hoping the school in itself is not taking orders from anyone from a political or religious power base on how the school overall should brand itself. Young adults need to learn critical thinking skills along with a proper foundation in studies with real positive economic impact. Critical thinking skills allows you to self correct and understand those that believe in things differently. It's not all black or white. On another subject, I'm not a fan of the school eliminating math. If anything they should be doubling down on math and physics. The tools that are being built today and into the future for Engineering, Business and CS are being developed by Math and Physic Ph.Ds as we post. The USA may not be leading the charge. That is scary. If any of you want to take a peak of the future please read Quantum Supremacy: How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything by Michio Kaku. He got canned because the enrollment sucks. The enrollment sucks because student recruitment and marketing was terrible under his watch. Doing things that are not perceived to help with (and maybe hinder) these efforts are just the cherry on top. Bradley’s recent presentation to the market place has been bad for business. Bradley has allowed itself to get so far behind that it will be extremely difficult to catch up without the help of some major donors. First order of business has to be building NEW student housing, second is to change recruiting strategy. Lower the standards for a few years to get your enrollment up and financial house in order and then tighten up academic recruiting standards once things get more financially sound. What other choice is there? |
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Post by squirrel on Jun 3, 2024 11:44:37 GMT -6
The Provost should be toast as well - starving some programs and taking vital resources away to the point of intentionally jeopardizing accreditation, a plan which largely backfired in the wake of many of the recent cuts - the targets programs and majors still standing.
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Post by squirrel on Jun 3, 2024 12:26:50 GMT -6
A brief timeline of Bradley, 2014-2024:
2014-15 Low tide for Bradley Basketball, the program in the middle of a three-year stretch where it won 26 games total. President Glasser retires. Chris Reynolds hired as AD.
2015-16 My personal employment with Bradley ends. Wardle restoration of Bradley Basketball begins.
2016-17 Gary Roberts hired as President, largely to placate the anti-Glasser crowd.
2017-18 Gary Anna retires, his job will be split into 3 VP and Executive-level positions: CFO, VP for Legal Counsel and VP for Budgeting and Planning.
2018-19 Bradley MBB reaches NCAA Tournament for first time since 2006.
2019-20 Building & Engineering Convergence Center (BECC) "Completed" after fundraising fails to make half its target and the plans dramatically reduced - meaning the building was done in true Bradley tradition and fashion - half-assed and in need of significant expansion and upgrades from the moment it opened its doors. School announces plan to cut theater program and department, one of several potentially lucrative development areas, long-term. Bradley qualifies for 2nd consecutive NCAA Tournament, but the event is canceled. Gary Roberts retires after a very non-distinguished 4 years.
2020-21 The COVID year - by all accounts Bradley weathered this about as well as they could be expected. Basketball season tanks when Elijah decided to go spelunking in Springfield. It is announced that Bradley will retain the Theater Department.
2021-22 Couldn't immediately find or recall anything super-dramatic or catastrophic for this year.
2022-23 125th Anniversary. Did you know that? Bradley celebrated 125 years last year. No fanfare, a three-year fundraising cycle completely missed, undervalued, and squandered. A one-off celebration event on a bad day for lots of other activities in the area. You should be all over it the year leading in, then bringing in new community and corporate partners the year of the celebration, while re-connecting with lost alums, and then another year to capitalize on the excitement and reconnections. Three utterly embarrassing whiffs. You can't even consider next year because the first two years were total misses. Bradley MBB wins first regular season championship since 1996.
2023-24 Marketing and website images still show students wearing masks, 4 years removed from COVID. School announces plan to eliminate 15 programs and 61 faculty positions. School cited and punished for violating the stipulations of its bonds for the completion of the BECC. Stephen Standifird resigns as President. No apparent in-house leaders to serve in an interim capacity.
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Post by Butler Blue on Jun 3, 2024 15:48:20 GMT -6
The Provost should be toast as well - starving some programs and taking vital resources away to the point of intentionally jeopardizing accreditation, a plan which largely backfired in the wake of many of the recent cuts - the targets programs and majors still standing. Probably so. The entire executive leadership team (outside of Chris Reynolds) was generally weak and underperforming. |
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Post by Braves4Life on Jun 3, 2024 16:02:50 GMT -6
So was Gary Anna really good at keeping Bradley's balance sheet sound, or was he able to cover up Bradley's financial issues? Was his leaving and stewardship a big cause of the slide?
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Post by Butler Blue on Jun 4, 2024 7:50:08 GMT -6
So was Gary Anna really good at keeping Bradley's balance sheet sound, or was he able to cover up Bradley's financial issues? Was his leaving and stewardship a big cause of the slide? I think it was a little bit of both. Gary was VERY conservative, which probably saved Bradley at times, but also held them back. |
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Post by realbayo on Jun 4, 2024 14:09:59 GMT -6
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Post by SFP on Jun 4, 2024 17:26:13 GMT -6
Solutions are what the University needs. The business world is changing. I believe BU has the foundation to adjust and pivot. Someone needs to go out to the major commercial and government organizations and figure out what their needs are today and tomorrow. Then have them provide financial backing in designing the next generation curriculum to help them grow to as well. The needs are changing quickly. I loved the Business & Engineering Convergence Center when it first came out but that needs to conform to the changing landscape. The new tomorrow needs to be lead by those outside of the University, IMO. I'm sure our board is comprised of very successful business people but that was all about yesterday's business.
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Post by squirrel on Jun 5, 2024 7:30:41 GMT -6
When you let the inmates (faculty) run the asylum, you get the last 10 years. They have nothing but themselves to blame. And NONE of those inmates were able to distinguish themselves as a competent enough leader to even get a sniff as an interim president. And yes, boosting enrollment is a pretty big deal - which should be a huge selling point for keeping a guy around - but he was so big a deficit in other areas, after 4 years the college absolutely could not afford to continue in that direction. |
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Post by tribecalledquest2024 on Jun 5, 2024 7:43:10 GMT -6
Having a discussion about who was the worst of the last three fired Bradley presidents seems a lot like a Tallest Midget Contest.
I know some people have an obsession with certain past BU administrators but clearly none of what BU has tried has been good enough.
Time to get it right.
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Post by squirrel on Jun 5, 2024 7:48:59 GMT -6
Having a discussion about who was the worst of the last three fired Bradley presidents seems a lot like a Tallest Midget Contest. I know some people have an obsession with certain past BU administrators but clearly none of what BU has tried has been good enough. Time to get it right. Exactly. |
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Post by ollie on Jun 5, 2024 20:31:55 GMT -6
The Provost should be toast as well - starving some programs and taking vital resources away to the point of intentionally jeopardizing accreditation, a plan which largely backfired in the wake of many of the recent cuts - the targets programs and majors still standing. The Provost announced his retirement in May |
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