As they plan the next five years of Bradley’s growth, the Strategic Planning Committee has just recently increased its profile with a host of emails and an open meeting,
“The committee is very pleased with the involvement people are showing,” Provost David Glassman said. “It’s obviously a huge responsibility. You’re trying to arrange the goals for the university for the next five years.”
The Strategic Planning Committee is made up of professors, administration, graduate students and a few undergraduate students who will analyze the data from the survey and take into account the concerns of those who spoke at the April 4 meeting. These sorts of meetings as well as the survey encourage transparency, Glassman said.
“There will be opportunities to see and view every part of the process,” he said. “We want to be very open.”
Although the data from the surveys has not been calculated, Glassman said funding for research, looking into sustainability on campus and entrepreneurship opportunities are all things that have been suggested to the committee. The one thing that he said many people have noted, however, is a sense of community between faculty members and the student body.
“When we’re asking people what they think Bradley’s strength is, they always come back to saying that there’s a great sense of community,” he said. “They see interaction between faculty and professors and students and they remembered it. I’m really pleased to hear that.”
Allowing students to contribute their ideas as well as general openness of the committee’s planning that is available on the Strategic Planning Committee’s website will all contribute to the plan that will be formed through the end of the semester and the summer before being unveiled to campus at the beginning of the 2011/2012 academic year.
“I think the campus is pleased to be as involved with this as we are,” Glassman said. “We want people to be able to contribute to what the next five years are going to look like.”