Wednesday marked the one-year mark of James Shadid’s term as president of Bradley University. On his anniversary, he took some time to sit down with The Bradley Scout to discuss his first year in office.
The following interview has been edited for conciseness and clarity.
Q: In comparison to other university presidents, you’ve been quite accessible to the student body. Is that something you wanted to prioritize when you accepted the job?
Shadid: It is clearly what I wanted to do, and actually, it’s a point I made over and over during the search for this job. I believe that we exist because of our students, and I’ve discussed the great relationship our faculty and students have shared over the year. These are the stories that we need to tell. These are the things that differentiate us: our faculty, staff and student relationships. My goal here is to enhance the student experience, making this a place where young people want to come. And I think we do that by me being visible, and it’s as simple as that.
Q: Do you feel you have shown that you were the correct choice as president in your first year?
Shadid: I do feel that. If there were, to be really honest, concerns about me – that I didn’t come from academia, I was prohibited by law, as a federal judge, from fundraising or that I hadn’t run a large organization – those were all very fair questions to raise about whether I could be president of the university. But I wasn’t trying to be president of any university. I was trying to be president of Bradley University, a university I felt I knew, in a community I felt I knew, and I think we’ve had a really successful first year.
Q: How have the decisions to cut programs and let teachers go positively or negatively impacted Bradley’s financial situation?
Shadid: Well, I think it even goes beyond the financial situation. The financial strain is likely due to several factors. One is clearly a four-year decline in enrollment, which I’m hopeful and encouraged that we will be able to stop and actually turn it around, heading enrollment in the right direction, which is the main focus of what we’re doing right now.
Second, the program cuts or the faculty positions that were eliminated three or four years ago negatively affected the culture on this campus, created tensions, and eroded credibility among faculty. And I’ve worked very hard this past year to rebuild those relationships, engage all the stakeholders, and rebuild the culture on this campus. I also think that the publicity that arose from those actually affected enrollment. I’m very aware of that past; it’s been my goal to do what we can to repair the tensions and move us forward.
Q: Is there anything you wish you could have done differently in your first year?
Shadid: The answer to that is probably no. I feel that I came here aware of and focused on prioritizing the challenges we need to face. Enrollment is one of them. I feel I had a learning curve as president, and I will continue to have one. I’m grateful to the students, the faculty and the staff on this campus for helping me with that learning curve, for helping me grow into this job, and, I hope, for helping me continue to work towards being a better president.
Q: Is there something that you’re really proud of accomplishing in your first year here?
Shadid: I’m proud that, from the day I got this job, we have focused on improving the student experience. I’m proud that we were able to focus on three or four things at once and drive them all. For example, our property initiatives include the new entryway, the renovation of University Hall and the establishment of the pickleball courts. All these things will be done by the time students arrive or return in August.
I’m proud that we were able to take on some academic initiatives, such as the partnership with ICC to make it easier for ICC students to transfer to this campus. I’m proud of the fact that we thought of students first when we just announced the five women’s club sports that we are going to move forward with – women’s hockey and flag football, the first ones. So I’m proud that we were able to take these three things, stay focused and get them on track to, I believe, enhance the student experience.
Q: Do you have any favorite moments from this first year?
Shadid: Yes. My favorite moments are in the quad when I’m interacting with students, whether that’s grilling hot dogs or asking me to throw pies in somebody’s face, which I didn’t do. I let them throw it at me. I’m just proud of the moments where I’m interacting with students in the quad. Those are my favorite moments on campus, and I will continue to do so.
Q: Let’s fast forward to April 2027. By that point, you’ll have completed your second year. What do you hope you will have accomplished?
Shadid: I want to build on the property initiatives and keep expanding this campus so we can grow and continue to provide enhanced housing and dining options for our students. I want to build on what I hope will be a turnaround year in enrollment and continue to grow it. And to do that, continue building on the academic excellence our faculty and staff provide so we can attract and retain students. And I want to be able to say by April of 2027 that the culture on this campus has continued to improve, that we continue to work alongside each other, so that our students continue to have a better experience every year.
