Yet another new BU President

[Bravesfanchicago]

“Anybody wanna take bets about when, exactly, the university will bother to let us know that Standifird has been fired ? “

[Da Coach]

“Anybody wanna take bets about when, exactly, the university will bother to let us know that Standifird has been fired ? “

You heard it here first.

This time they better get it right, or the future looks very dim.

[Da Coach]

I have heard confirmation from a second source, a current Bradley Trustee, that this is true. President Standifird has been relieved of his duty by the Bradley Board of Trustees. His last day will be June 15.
I hear that Bradley is rushing to put out an official release today now that Bradleyfans.com has broken the exclusive news.
The current Chairman of the Bradley Board of Trustees, Jonathan E. Michael, will be named Interim President while a search for a new President takes place.

[molar50]

This is not an excuse for Bradley or Standifird, but I have heard that 20% of all universities are searching for presidents. It isn’t easy to find a person that wants to serve in that position for lots of reasons.

[Stryker]

Things are changing a lot. Men are no longer going to college like they used too, the gender split is nearly 60/40 at universities across the country in favor of girls. Enrollment overall is down, people have woke up to the "paper mill" scam of universities and colleges. The student loan bubble is popping despite the government trying to buy votes by wiping it away. I predict a lot of schools will be closing over the next 10 years, maybe even 5 years, as these trends accelerate and AI tutoring and skill learning really take off. Major disruptions to peoples lives are coming, and a lot of it will be unpredictable.

[yoda]

Thank you Bravesfanchicago, always appreciate your knowledge & input - almost as if you have the President's office bugged
but, there were clues and some saw this coming.....

anyway
-Bradley does not get state or taxpayer money
-Bradley is 90% dependent on tuition for revenue
-tuition is 90% dependent on enrollment
-and Bradley's enrollment was just fine to outstanding for 40 years until Glasser came along
-enrollment tanked under Glasser while she wasted & overspent horribly in other areas, incl her own salary & buyout
-Roberts helped restore sustainable enrollment largely by expanding Bradley's nursing degree program & it remained fine until he left
-Standifird has quickly wasted and blown all the progress Roberts made and now his mismanagement has cost him the job as well.
(figures and references for all these factors are included in multiple posts that are already on this board)

[JMM28]

Go woke go broke.

[BUfan17]

Is Standifird taking the fall for all the budget/program cuts? I mean it was very unpopular to have to make all those cuts, I'm not really surprised he is leaving.

[BUfan17]

Things are changing a lot. Men are no longer going to college like they used too, the gender split is nearly 60/40 at universities across the country in favor of girls. Enrollment overall is down, people have woke up to the "paper mill" scam of universities and colleges. The student loan bubble is popping despite the government trying to buy votes by wiping it away. I predict a lot of schools will be closing over the next 10 years, maybe even 5 years, as these trends accelerate and AI tutoring and skill learning really take off. Major disruptions to peoples lives are coming, and a lot of it will be unpredictable.

It is going to be rough times ahead for higher education indeed.

The issues stems from schools being so bloated with the easy money from student loans over the past 40 years. It has gotten to a point that many young people find college not worth the cost anymore, as evidenced by decreasing enrollment. Student loans really need addressed in a permanent way (not just forgiveness which just kicks the can down the road while not solving the issue). That is the difficult part, how do you deflate a bubble carefully without it popping and hundreds of schools closing?

[Da Coach]

Is Standifird taking the fall for all the budget/program cuts? I mean it was very unpopular to have to make all those cuts, I'm not really surprised he is leaving.

It's more than just the cuts.
Yes, he is being attacked by the teaching staff, but the cuts needed to be made, and were not just his decision. They were recommended and approved by the board. And they would have have happened regardless of who was the President.

[Stryker]

It's more than just the cuts.
Yes, he is being attacked by the teaching staff, but the cuts needed to be made, and were not just his decision. They were recommended and approved by the board. And they would have have happened regardless of who was the President.

Concur, the cuts had to be made, and many other colleges have had to do the same. Its just a trimming of fat, and adjustment to jettison malinvestment.

[JMM28]

Is Standifird taking the fall for all the budget/program cuts? I mean it was very unpopular to have to make all those cuts, I'm not really surprised he is leaving.

Partly. When Gary Roberts was brought in, he was supposed to be the 'bad guy' and make these cuts knowing he was not ever going to be a long term president - somewhat of an extended-interim duty. Unfortunately he kowtowed early and just said "ok nevermind just everyone make a 10% cut to your budget" instead of having hard conversations and making hard decisions. There were no structural changes so as soon as costs went up across the board, you're right back to where ya started.

So Standifird inherited a shit sandwich in that regard. But he didn't hit goals in a lot of financial areas, had a transient executive staff/cabinet (why is your CFO in Ohio? Why is your head of failing enrollment also a realtor? Why is your chief counsel living in Madison Wisconsin?), and couldn't turn things around. Whoever made the cuts was never going to survive long term, frankly. There were some social media posts that turned off a lot of large donors over the last couple of months that sealed the deal.

Things will start looking back up for BU as an academic institution. The need for better housing on campus has to be a priority. Nathan Thomas needs to stop his decades long war on campus Greek life. Start recruiting normal people from the suburbs. Get Johnny 2.7 and Janie 2.9 from Naperville to come be mediocre students and full tuition payers before they go back to take over the family business. Make it a good environment for the masses.

[molar50]

Partly. When Gary Roberts was brought in, he was supposed to be the 'bad guy' and make these cuts knowing he was not ever going to be a long term president - somewhat of an extended-interim duty. Unfortunately he kowtowed early and just said "ok nevermind just everyone make a 10% cut to your budget" instead of having hard conversations and making hard decisions. There were no structural changes so as soon as costs went up across the board, you're right back to where ya started.

So Standifird inherited a shit sandwich in that regard. But he didn't hit goals in a lot of financial areas, had a transient executive staff/cabinet (why is your CFO in Ohio? Why is your head of failing enrollment also a realtor? Why is your chief counsel living in Madison Wisconsin?), and couldn't turn things around. Whoever made the cuts was never going to survive long term, frankly. There were some social media posts that turned off a lot of large donors over the last couple of months that sealed the deal.

Things will start looking back up for BU as an academic institution. The need for better housing on campus has to be a priority. Nathan Thomas needs to stop his decades long war on campus Greek life. Start recruiting normal people from the suburbs. Get Johnny 2.7 and Janie 2.9 from Naperville to come be mediocre students and full tuition payers before they go back to take over the family business. Make it a good environment for the masses.

[molar50]

Well stated. I know of countless opportunities in Peoria that admissions could have easily recruited visitors for a campus visit or hand out items for recruitment. Included are: state chess competition, robotics competition, cross country at Detweiler Park, softball at Louisville Slugger. I know they try to utilize the internet to recruit, but a personal connection and a campus visit is more valuable

[yoda]

The alums & season ticket holders in their database just got this email:

-

After leading Bradley University through some of the most challenging years in higher education, President Stephen Standifird has announced his decision to resign from his position, effective June 15. Dr. Standifird has served as the university's leader since May 2020 and played a pivotal role in advancing the institution's mission and strategic goals. Current Board of Trustees Chair Jonathan Michael has agreed to serve as Interim President while Vice Chair Matthew Vonachen will perform the duties of the Board Chair. In his announcement to the campus community, Dr. Standifird expressed his gratitude for the support and collaboration he has received from the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students and the broader Bradley University community during his tenure. He highlighted collective achievements during the last four years, including creating a more inclusive campus, introducing a number of new programs that respond to the needs and desires of today’s students, and creating the nation’s first 5G Digitally Connected Campus.

“Serving as the President of Bradley University has been an incredible honor and privilege,” said Dr. Standifird. “Together, we have navigated numerous challenges and celebrated many successes. I am proud of what we have accomplished and am confident that Bradley University will continue to thrive and achieve great things in the future.”

The Board of Trustees, Interim President Michael and Dr. Standifird are committed to a seamless transition and steady leadership for the university. Interim President Michael will work closely with Dr. Standifird, faculty, staff, students and other members of the Bradley community to ensure continuity across university operations. The leadership team remains focused on providing Bradley students with an exceptional learning environment and a wide range of programs to prepare them for personal and professional success. Interim President Michael recognized Dr. Standifird's contributions and dedication to the university.

“Like many universities, Bradley faced significant challenges during the last four years,” Michael said. “We are grateful to Dr. Standifird for his hard work and leadership during this historic time. He helped the university navigate the pandemic, address enrollment issues, and he took steps to meet financial challenges. The difficult work done during the last four years is one reason the future of Bradley is very bright. We wish Dr. Standifird the very best in his next leadership role.”

As Interim President, Jonathan Michael will be responsible for all university operations. Interim President Michael is the retired chairman and CEO of RLI Corp. He has served on the Bradley University Board of Trustees since 2016. The Board of Trustees will initiate a comprehensive search for a new president, including the use of a nationally recognized search firm. The Board is committed to an extremely thorough search process that will result in the right leader for Bradley University and its future.