Bradley Scout calls out Administration on honesty & transparency

[tornado]

http://www.bradleyscout.com/opinion/editorial-administrative-transparency-desired-valued/

(not for the feint of heart - and certainly not anything the PJS would cover unless we're already talking about it here)


"Monday’s Speak Up event, hosted by Student Senate, provided the opportunity
for students to speak directly to administrators

.... with regard to honesty, openness and transparency...
....this is how every question should have been answered.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Administrators such as Vice President for Business Affairs Gary Anna and
Director of Athletics Michael Cross approached questions directed at their
positions by side-stepping the answers entirely.

Cross, who was asked questions such as the rationale behind a losing men’s
basketball coach with a 37-64 record being paid a $750,000 salary,
answered with responses that were so vague they could have been applied
to just about anything.

Likewise, Anna responded to questions regarding larger increases in athletic
spending than in academic spending by presenting a question of the
statistics’ sample sizes and repeating that “an investment has been made,”
although no indication of what exactly this investment is was provided.

.... avoiding an answer is reason for speculation, distrust and criticism.
Furthermore, it’s a waste of time.....
....why, if you voluntarily attended, would you waste everyone’s time in not
answering a question? Walking around the answer does not make you any
more credible or trustworthy. Instead, it shows you are content with
sweeping issues under the rug.....
And to those such as Cross and Anna: actions speak louder than words, and
honesty is the best policy."

[Toyota12]

We can all see what is going on here! Cross is way in over his head with no way to defend his actions other than avoid and spin the truth. Gary IMO is in a bad spot he has become a pawn of JG to keep his job. He has been at BU a very long time and do not think he likes what is going on either if you could speak with him off the record. He was here during the good times and I am sure he knows what is wrong but can not speak without consequences. Was the great JG at this session?

[tornado]

I have heard reports that Bradley has drawn down the endowment - would love to hear the facts but as a private institution we may never know

[molar50]

There are only two choices right now: Either borrow money or draw money from the endowment. Finally, they need to raise revenue by attracting more students, more donors, and cutting expenses.

[tornado]

Bradley faculty also upset with current situation

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20141121/NEWS/141129754

[Da Coach]

Bradley faculty also upset with current situation
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20141121/NEWS/141129754

???There??™s a lot of fear out there,???....
Faculty concerns...revenue losses....hiring and wage freezes, have had a greater impact on academic programs than....athletics and non-academic administrative staff...
Concerns were exacerbated by a recent University Senate resources report that found, among other disparities, spending on athletics has risen 240 percent over the past decade while spending devoted to academics had increased only 47 percent.
Bradley President Joanne Glasser notified Bradley staff not to expect salary increases this year. The university also is looking for ways to reduce at least $1 million more in costs from inter-collegiate athletics besides the $600,000 in savings already implemented.

I have spoken to several professors who have had classes eliminated, and budgets cut. They believe this is a serious problem that will affect the university for years to come. It will be interesting to see if this affects the University's standing with those yearly "Best Colleges" reports that Bradley has always been ranked highly in.

[tornado]

The main sports writer for the Bradley Scout, Aaron Freeman has written his final column...
he is leaving Bradley at the semester end...

Here is his final contribution...he seems a little discouraged....

"Underwhelming: A semester of Bradley sports"

...just a couple clips...

I’m starting to re-think some of my past enthusiasm toward Bradley athletics, after what can only be described as a major disappointment so far this year.
... a Bradley men’s basketball player was arrested
...both (Volleyball & Soccer) teams fell flat of any major goals they had, and in the process, took a large step backwards
...With the volleyball team finishing the year off with a remarkably poor record of 2-26, there are simply no words to touch on the disappointment of that program. The 2-26 mark is the worst in the 31-year history of the program in which statistics were kept.

..Women’s basketball’s record (0-6)

...Now for the men’s basketball team, that now sit at 3-4 ..."

http://www.bradleyscout.com/sports/underwhelming-a-semester-of-bradley-sports/

for those who cannot get the original column - here's a cached copy - LINK

[tornado]

Bradley faculty also upset with current situation
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20141121/NEWS/141129754

Good news....
a couple of long time faculty members that I encountered this week have reported good news...that things are changing and dramatically.

Night & Day.... - seems this admin is working tirelessly & endlessly to fix the problems that were so badly apparent just a few months back...

not saying every problem has been solved overnight, but as far as problems of honesty, transparency, fairness, and the focus on academic excellence and dedication to supporting the FACULTY & staff are "light years" better - to borrow a phrase from someone else...

This is good to hear and I would love to hear more if there's anyone else who hears from the faculty point of view.
If you go back & read that link above, it's a vague summary of some of the issues from before (ignoring the real causes of the problems) and touches only a little on the faculty dissatisfaction with the inept & incompetent administration - almost all of whom are now gone.

[tornado]

... Finally, they need to raise revenue by attracting more students, more donors, and cutting expenses.

Remember the really bad financial situation from just 1-2 years ago that resulted in an unprecedented housecleaning and firing of all our top administration?
The numbers were made public and it was said that Glasser & Cross had wasted & overspent by $7 million each year (mostly in Athletics) as the source of the problem.

Well, recent news said that Bradley's new freshman enrollment is up to 1100.
That is a huge uptick over last year when there were just 929 freshmen.
A huge chunk of the increase are students in Bradley's highly successful Nursing program that produces graduates who become living, walking, talking ads that can draw more people to Bradley - so it's a win-win.

Then do the math..
Bradley's tuition is $31K and total costs with fees, room & board, etc. is $41K/yr

$41K x 171 MORE students this year than last year = >$7 million in additional revenue.
Now we need to sustain this improvement into the future and I am confident Dr. Roberts is the man to get it done.
And in Athletics, Dr. Reynolds & Coach Wardle are the guys to get it done there. (btw- here's the hierarchy at BU- Organizational chart - link)


BTW- here's one of the biggest problem statewide for all colleges - public & private..

http://ilnews.org/9105/public-universities-fiscal-woes-stem-states-pension-mess/

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-26/illinois-colleges-besieged-by-cuts-as-budget-fight-trickles-down