BRADLEY UNIVERSITYLeadership Statement

APPLICATION AND NOMINATION PROCESSOUR VISIONBradley University is the leader in student engagement.

MISSIONBradley University empowers students for immediate and sustained success in their personal and professional endeavors by combining professional preparation, liberal arts and sciences, and co-curricular experiences. Alongside our dedication to students, we embrace the generation, application and interpretation of knowledge.

CORE VALUESAt the heart of Bradley University is a community built upon the valued relationships we find in each other as students, staff, faculty, administrators and alumni. At the core of these relationships are the values of student success, knowledge and discovery, inclusiveness and connectivity, and excellence.

STUDENT SUCCESS

We are a community that ensures student access to an individualized learning experience. This is characterized by broad opportunities for students to marry their passions and skills, by innovative academic programming and by an exceptional level of engagement between students, staff and faculty, such that all students acquire the skills and dispositions essential to purposeful and productive living.

KNOWLEDGE AND DISCOVERY

We are a community that prioritizes academic excellence by nurturing critical inquiry, research, creativity and technical skills development. We work collaboratively to engage learners in high-impact practices, in scholarship, and in leadership development opportunities in order to foster lives of purpose and advance a better world.

INCLUSIVENESS AND CONNECTIVITY

We are a community that strives to contribute meaningfully to understanding and resolving the problems around us.

By embracing servant leadership, purposeful civil discourse and an inclusive identity whereby we understand that our differences are our strengths, we lend our passions and knowledge to build valued relationships with local, regional and global partners.

EXCELLENCE

We are a dynamic community committed to the continuous pursuit of excellence. As individuals, as units and across campus, we welcome mutual accountability and are strengthened by our shared, collaborative efforts to ensure that we are each exceptional and passionate stewards of Bradley University.

Bradley University seeks a talented and visionary leader to become its 12th president. These are exciting times at the university, and the new president will work with a highly talented and dedicated team of professionals who care deeply about the institution. The search is the result of President Gary R. Roberts ’70’s decision to retire when his contract ends in May 2020.

As a highly visible advocate for the university, the ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker who brings a successful track record of innovation and results. The world of higher education has significant challenges today;

the new president will have to face them by bringing a broad range of financial acumen and a focus on fundraising and fiscal responsibility.

Preferred candidates will also understand the importance of all aspects of the university’s operations, e.g., academics, athletics, student affairs, development, etc., and should engage regularly with students. They will enhance Bradley’s recognition regionally and nationally, as well as strengthen the university’s community partnerships and relationships.

THE OPPORTUNITY

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

Located in the historic West Bluff neighborhood, Bradley University is a mid-sized, private, top-10 Midwest Regional University in Peoria, Illinois, that offers its students the opportunities and resources of a larger university and the personal attention and exceptional learning experiences of a smaller university.

Bradley enrolls nearly 5,900 students (4,606 undergrads, 379 graduate students on campus and 897 graduate students online), employs approximately 1,300 people (354 FTE faculty), has an annual operating budget of $161 million and an endowment of $309 million. The university has more than 185 undergraduate and graduate academic programs in business, communications, education, engineering, fine arts, health sciences, liberal arts and sciences, and technology in five colleges and three schools:

• Foster College of Business

• Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts

• College of Education and Health Sciences

• Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology

• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

• The Graduate School

• The Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

• The Charley Steiner School of Sports Communication

A Bradley education emphasizes convergence, an innovative and interdisciplinary kind of study that gives students additional opportunities to be leaders. To further this idea, this fall the university will open a new $100 million-plus Business and Engineering Convergence Center. Additionally, Bradley links academic excellence, experiential learning and leadership development with an entrepreneurial spirit to provide a world-class education and a commitment to excellent teaching and student success.

In 2019, U.S. News and World Report recognized Bradley as the top Illinois university of its type and No. 6 overall among Midwest universities providing a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs. Also this year, The Princeton Review ranked Bradley’s game design program among the top 15 undergraduate programs in the U.S. and first in Illinois for the fifth consecutive time. In 2018, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings placed the university in the top 15 schools in the U.S. for student engagement for the third straight year. The Princeton Review listed Bradley among its “Best 384 Colleges” that year.

In 2015, the university launched several online programs in its nursing and counseling departments, including two master of science degrees, two doctor of nursing practice degrees and a family nurse practitioner certificate. This fall, Bradley will add another doctorate to its suite of online programs — a doctorate of education with a concentration in higher education administration. The Foster College of Business plans to launch new online programs this year.

Bradley also holds the record for having the winningest speech team in the nation, with 42 team national championships and more than 160 individual national titles; the most recent national championship win was in 2019. According to the Associated Press, Bradley’s speech team is not only the most successful collegiate forensics program in the country, it is the most successful collegiate team in any capacity, including sports.

On the athletic front, Bradley has a rich Division I athletic tradition within the Missouri Valley Conference with numerous championships. The university is home to 13 varsity sports and an active intramural and recreational sports program. The Braves’ men’s basketball program is an important link to the Peoria community, and in 2019 the team won the Missouri Valley Conference Championship, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Athletics also garnered its third-straight conference All-Academic Award and a record 46 conference scholar-athletes.

Bradley is accredited by 22 national accrediting agencies, including the Higher Learning Commission. For more information about Bradley, visit bradley.edu.

BY THE NUMBERSACADEMICS

• 185 areas of study• 130 undergraduate majors • 38 graduate programs • 7 graduate certificates• 7 online graduate degrees/certificates

ENROLLMENT (FALL 2017)

• Total Enrollment: 5,882• Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,606 • Graduate Enrollment: 379 • Online Graduate Enrollment: 897• In Undergraduate Enrollment: 49% Men / 51% Women 24% Students of Color • Average Class Size: 21

FACULTY

• 354 FTE faculty• Full-time with doctorate or terminal degree: 85%• Student/faculty ratio: 12:1

ADVANCEMENT

• Endowment: $309 million• Annual Budget: $161 million

NOTABLE ALUMNI

• Ray LaHood ’71, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation

• Congressman Robert H. Michel ’48*, retired Congressman and longest-serving Republican Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives

• Laura Kelly ’71, 48th Governor of Kansas• Robin Kelly ’78 M.A. ’82, Representative

for Illinois’ 2nd District• Charley Steiner ’71, sportscaster, ESPN’s

“SportsCenter,” and radio announcer for the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers

• Hersey Hawkins Jr. ’88, professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics, Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers; bronze medalist, 1988 Summer Olympics; all-time leading scorer for Bradley men’s basketball

• Tami Lane ’96, Academy Award-winning prosthetic make-up artist

* deceased

What had once been a large prairie cornfield became a seat of learning because of the remarkable courage, strength and determination of one woman, Lydia Moss Bradley.

Lydia had seen all her hopes, ambitions and dreams for her six children end in their untimely deaths. She and her husband, Tobias, had considered establishing an orphanage as a fitting memorial, but he died before the couple could achieve their dream.

After some study, Lydia decided instead to establish a school where young people could learn practical things for living in the modern world. In 1892, she purchased a controlling interest in Parsons Horological School in LaPorte, Indiana — the first school for watchmakers in America — and moved it to Peoria. She specified in her will that the school should expand after her death to include a classical education as well as industrial arts and home economics.

William Rainey Harper, president of the University of Chicago, convinced Lydia to move ahead with her plans and establish the school during her lifetime. Bradley Polytechnic Institute received its charter Nov. 13, 1896. Less than a year later, 14 faculty and 150 students began classes in Bradley Hall with 500 workers still hammering away.

Lydia Moss Bradley remained devoted to the school and its students for the remainder of her life. She died Jan. 16, 1908, at the age of 91. Bradley Polytechnic Institute continued to grow and develop to meet the educational needs of the region. The school became a four-year college offering bachelor’s degrees in 1920 and a full university offering graduate programs in 1946, when it was renamed Bradley University.

CAMPUS LIFE

One of the things Bradley prides itself on is the sense of community and involvement developed on campus every day. There are more than 240 student organizations and a healthy Greek Life system featuring 30 fraternity and sorority chapters that represent about 30% of the undergraduate population. Students also give over 45,000 hours each year to nonprofits through community service activities.

The Markin Family Student Recreation Center is home to Health Services and the Wellness Center, and the facility features a 46-foot rock climbing wall, an indoor pool, four full-size basketball courts, an 1/8-mile indoor track and three multi-purpose rooms. Bradley has more than 30 different intramural sports for students with all levels of experience. The 84-acre campus offers students a choice of 11 living spaces, with options ranging from traditional residence halls to apartments. There are also 12 dining options, including dining halls, bistros, snacks at the Michel Student Center and much more.

The campus is just a mile from the city’s downtown and 8 miles from The General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport. Bradley is within three hours’ driving distance from Chicago, St. Louis and Indianapolis. The O’Hare bus service provides easy transportation between the Chicago airport and the Bradley campus. Peoria’s airport offers daily jet service from Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

HISTORY

PEORIA, ILLINOIS

Peoria is the largest metropolitan area in downstate Illinois with a beautiful skyline situated along the Illinois River. With a population of nearly 375,000, its major industries include health care, manufacturing and retail. Peoria has also ranked as one of the country’s best places to live, in part due to its additional ranking of being the best-mannered.

Companies like Peoria’s AutonomouStuff are creating world-changing technology. The Jump Trading Simulation Center provides innovative technology in health care, a nod to the city’s distinction for where scientists first discovered how to mass-produce penicillin. In fact, Peoria’s OSF Healthcare Saint Francis Medical Center ranked last year as one of the best hospitals in Illinois.

Teddy Roosevelt called the city’s Grandview Drive “the world’s most beautiful,” and Peoria boasts the oldest and largest park district in Illinois, thanks to the donation of land from the university’s founder, Lydia Moss Bradley. The city offers a bustling arts scene and is home to one of the nation’s oldest symphonies. Peoria also has the longest-running Santa Claus parade in the U.S. Other cultural events include an Irish festival, annual Oktoberfest, concerts and one of the state’s largest fireworks displays. In sports, the Peoria Chiefs play minor league baseball, and the Peoria Rivermen is the city’s semi-pro hockey team. There’s always something to do in Peoria.

THE POSITION

The president is the university’s chief executive officer and reports directly to the Board of Trustees. The ideal candidate will have strategic vision, exemplary communication and interpersonal skills; they will also possess an understanding of the mission and role of a modern, comprehensive university in the ever-changing higher education landscape. As an accomplished friend-raiser and assertive fund-raiser, the ideal candidate will be excited about launching a capital campaign.

Bradley’s next president should have an accessible leadership style, and be an excellent listener who is encouraging and responsive to a talented faculty and staff. A clear communicator who believes in transparency, they should trust team members to execute goals.

Dedication to the ideal of preparing students for successful lives and careers is paramount. The ideal candidate should have a clear, forward-looking vision, a commitment to diversity and a strong financial acumen. Additionally, they will also have unquestioned integrity and will actively engage in university life and with the city of Peoria. As such, they should be comfortable in a mid-sized institution and in a Midwestern city. They will have consensus-building and team building as a central value of their leadership style; they will be decisive and action-oriented. Bradley’s next president should demonstrate talents that will inspire the entire university and its constituents and work constructively with the Board of Trustees.

Other qualifications and characteristics:

• Meaningful administrative experience in complex organizations as well as a record of achievement in a leadership role

• A record of pursuing diversity within an organization in terms of race, religion, sexual orientation and gender

• Ability to develop and support efforts aimed at recruiting, retaining and advancing quality students, faculty and staff

• Capable of enhancing the university’s image and broadening its reputation among local, state and national audiences

• Strong commitment to interacting with students, faculty, staff, alumni and to being a central part of university life

• A strong appreciation for a successful, rule-abiding athletic program

• A visible presence on and off campus by cultivating positive town-gown relations and building partnerships with a wide range of organizations

• A problem-solver who has the ability to establish priorities and engage in contingency planning

• Understanding of and effective user of technology

PEORIA

INDIANAPOLIS

QUAD CITIES

ST. LOUIS

CHICAGO

MILWAUKEE

MINNEAPOLIS

KANSAS CITY

LOUISVILLE

CINCINNATI

COLUMBUS

CLEVELAND

DETROIT

DES MOINES

I-74

I-55

BRADLEYUNIVERSITY

BRADLEY.EDU/ PRESIDENTIAL-SEARCH

SEARCH INFORMATION

THE SEARCH COMMITTEE AND SEARCH PROCESS

This May, President Gary R. Roberts ’70 announced his retirement and intent to step down when his contract expires May 31, 2020. Roberts has served as Bradley’s president since 2016.

As outlined in board policy, the Presidential Search Committee will guide the search. Bradley University’s Board of Trustees has retained a search firm to provide executive search consulting services.

The Presidential Search Committee co-chairs are:

• The Honorable James E. Shadid ’79, vice chair and search committee co-chair

• Kathi Holst ’79, secretary and search committee co-chair

NOMINATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS

While the position will remain open until filled, interested parties should submit their materials by Oct. 15, 2019, for optimal consideration. Please address materials to:

Bradley University Presidential Search R. William Funk & Associates 2911 Turtle Creek Blvd Dallas, Texas 752195

krisha.creal@rwilliamfunk.com

Bradley University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Qualified persons from all racial, ethnic or other minority groups are strongly encouraged to apply.