Prospective students who visit Bradley are experiencing the new look of campus in a way previous classes could not.
The Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance, a 15-year plan dedicated to maintaining the ideals Lydia Moss Bradley began when she founded Bradley, may positively affect enrollment, Director of Admissions Tom Richmond said.
“Having the 15-year plan should affect enrollment for at least one reason – there is something exciting happening,” he said. “People are looking for that, a university where things are growing and changing.”
Richmond said the idea of the 15-year plan has been nice for students to hear, but is even better now that it’s finally tangible.
Prospective students are being shown what is going on around campus, rather than be told about a plan to be completed after their graduation, he said.
“We show students the model of campus and say, ‘This building opened in October,’ ‘This building will be open in 18 months, you will be a freshman then,’ “ Richmond said. “These facilities then mean something to those students.”
Richmond also said he tells the Student Admissions Representatives to highlight the parts of the 15-year plan that will be important to the prospective students they meet.
“I tell [the STARs] to only sell the things about Bradley that will be true for the student you are talking to,” he said.
The 15-year plan is expected to help overall enrollment, but the new amenities may also attract more out-of-state students as well, Richmond said.
“A first class facility will cause Bradley to compete with universities that are more convenient for students, but don’t have the facilities,” he said.
Students choosing to attend Bradley now and in the future will become part of something bigger, Richmond said.
“They will be part of the new ‘Bradley brand,’ “ he said.
The new pre-law center, the sports communication major and 3-2 programs such as the new finance program also help attract students, Richmond said.
“They know they can come here and stay here,” he said. “Which is better than spending four years here then spending two at a completely different university.”
Although higher out-of-state enrollment is a nice statistic, Richmond said the most important part of the campaign is how it will better the campus environment for all students who choose to attend Bradley.
“The timing of [the 15-year plan] is absolutely perfect,” he said.
