Interim President Stan Liberty has been seen across campus throughout the summer and the beginning of fall semester: at orientation sessions, move-in day, Bradley Organization Leadership Training program, and even on a normal day of classes.
Liberty said he has been very busy since June 1, when he began as interim. He said they are “getting a lot done,” but are continuing to focus on the tactical aspects, not changes in strategic planning.
An immediate challenge Liberty said he faced was to improve the enrollment management and marketing process. He said an additional consultant was hired, and they are working on changing the look of much of the promotional materials for Bradley.
New strategies and tactics are being used to refresh Bradley and to ensure long-term enrollment recovery, according to Liberty.
One critical aspect to this will be a new social media platform. The new platform is intended to guide students through the early inquiry stage all the way through admission. This is one of the first platforms of its kind in the country, according to Liberty.
Additionally, the taglines “Be brave” and “Go far, go Bradley” are being phased out of use. Liberty said there would be a greater focus on the prestige and exceptional quality associated with Bradley.
Several other changes have been made to improve the social media aspects of Bradley’s image. The Bradley website homepage and admissions page have been revamped to be more user-friendly, along with fixing broken links and analysis of the website.
Many projects are in the works to unify and streamline Bradley’s social media platforms and brands, according to Liberty.
Liberty said he wants to encourage people to feel empowered and work together, using creativity and innovation.
Alongside these projects, Liberty is still teaching ECE 204 AC Circuits and Intro to Systems. In these classes, he is recording lectures and class periods to post on Sakai.
“I never actually used the technology [in the classroom] before I worked at Bradley University part-time,” Liberty said.
Liberty said he got this idea from a program MIT started, where whole classes can be found online for free. He said these kinds of technologies integrated into the classroom could enhance the learning experience and reach new markets.
Liberty said he wouldn’t be practicing office hours like former university president Joanne Glasser. He said his primary concern is for his circuit theory students, who he will be available to.
“I will be out and around campus,” Liberty said.
However, he proposed joint executive meetings between the president’s cabinet and student body officers to enhance communication between the student body and administration.
Liberty said he saw this interim position as a “good chance to give back to this institution” and has enjoyed seeing all the spirit on campus.
