PRESIDENT ’S REPORT 2008
As a result, faculty and staff have been implementing costsaving measures that will reduce our costs without sacrificing our core mission. I have made it clear that we cannot — we will not — cut our way to excellence and that any changes we make should not impact the outstanding academic experience we provide our students. Even in these difficult economic times, we must ensure that we maintain — and even improve — what is important to us academically, operationally and structurally. As we shape our future, we must preserve our past. Let me give you an example. This year we renovated the Westlake Hall clock. Its works were aging and last summer a storm damaged its south face. Donated by the first class of horology students, this clock is a Bradley landmark. It reminds us of Lydia Moss Bradley’s goal that all graduates leave with skills that will allow them to support themselves and contribute to society.
Dear alumni and friends, As spring emerges on the Hilltop, we enjoy the blossoming trees, the budding flowers and the long-awaited sunshine. This year spring is most welcome. As I watch students throwing footballs or studying on blankets, I feel a renewed sense of hope — the exhilaration that comes after a long winter. This past winter brought uncertainty to all Americans and to Bradley as well; we face a new economic landscape. But I believe we can face it with purpose and optimism and that, ultimately, the experience — as with most challenges — will make us stronger. In this year’s President’s Report, I want to share with you all the excitement of the past year, from the gala that kicked off the Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance to the introduction of a new tradition for students — Late Night BU at the Markin Center. Our generous donors have helped us build new facilities and beautify the campus. And we received two significant grants, one to expand educational opportunities and another to fund an important research project. There is much on the bright side, besides the spring sunshine. Nevertheless, I want to take this opportunity to address how the world’s economic crisis has affected Bradley University. One of our foundations is the strength of our endowment. These assets help underpin our University’s capital structure, provide financial assistance to attract and retain high-quality students, support teaching, learning and research, assist access to financial markets for our building program, and supply critical support for our operations. Universities across the country with a strong endowment have seen it drop in value recently. Bradley’s endowment declined 26 percent the last six months of 2008, performing better than many others. Still this has put a strain on our budget and our operations.
Although we no longer train watchmakers, we remain true to Mrs. Bradley’s vision. We offer many opportunities for students to collaborate on practical projects and to do hands-on research with professors. We encourage students to participate in internships and cooperative work experiences. Despite the challenging economy, I want to assure you that we are continuing the goals of the Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance. We are working diligently to secure funds for a new Hayden-Clark Alumni Center and a renovation and expansion of Westlake Hall. Construction continues on the Athletic Performance Center and the Puterbaugh Men’s Basketball Practice Facility. The Markin Family Student Recreation Center opened in October; the first jewel of our Renaissance Campaign is magnificent. And we remain committed to building our Engineering-Business Convergence Center, a facility that will become a signature structure on our campus. I hope you will take a moment to review the year’s highlights and the Honor Roll of Donors that follow. I want to extend a sincere “thank you” to each individual who contributes time, talent and resources to make Bradley the unique and outstanding institution it is. The Renaissance Campaign is transforming our campus, creating new and vibrant space for our students to learn, recreate and participate. The Campaign is our keystone in making Bradley a university of national distinction. With your support, imagine what we will do next. I wish the best for you and your family in the coming year. Warm regards,
Joanne Glasser President
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Mark Ballogg/PSA Dewberry
Mark Ballogg/PSA Dewberry
The Renaissance begins. Any night of the week, the Markin Family Student Recreation Center is filled with students running, walking, swimming, studying or visiting with friends. Students come to learn new skills, such as fencing or yoga, in one of the five multipurpose rooms. They love the climbing and bouldering walls and have kept the exercise equipment in constant use. Since opening in October 2008, the Markin Center has become the hub of student life on campus, with nearly 1,600 students, faculty and staff members using it each day. We have seen how the addition of this magnificent new facility has enhanced the Bradley Experience for our students and the entire campus community. We have also seen how the center’s new nursing labs, with their sophisticated electronic manikins, have transformed the learning experience for nursing students. Students also benefit from the convenient new Health Center, Counseling Center and Wellness Program in the Markin Center. This is the first major construction project completed in the Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance. As we move forward, we will continue to see how thoughtful investment will help the Bradley Experience flourish.
able to enjoy popular performers right on campus in the 4,200seat arena, which will also serve as home court for women’s basketball and volleyball. The Puterbaugh Facility will ensure that the men’s basketball team has first-rate, dedicated practice courts that will allow the program to compete at the highest levels in the nation.
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Among the best. We continued the tradition of being ranked as one
of the top universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report in its “America’s Best Colleges” listing. Earning a top spot for more than 10 consecutive years, Bradley ranked sixth among comprehensive universities in the region and we were the fourth highest Midwestern school in the ranking of Great Schools, Great Prices. In addition, the College of Engineering and Technology ranked 27th nationally with its manufacturing program rated third nationally. BU has also been included in the Princeton Review’s 368 Best Colleges and on Forbes.com’s list of top undergraduate colleges and universities in America.
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Late Night BU. With the opening of the Markin Center, we began a
new tradition — Late Night BU. These fun, themed events offer plenty of food, games and entertainment and provide an alcoholfree alternative for late-night activity. Developed as part of the Comprehensive Alcohol Action Plan, Late Night BU events are held several times throughout the semester and have drawn as many as 900 students between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Additionally, Lydia’s Lounge provides an alcohol-free social environment with late-night entertainment every weekend during regular semesters.
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Lydia’s favorite flower. When we decided to enhance the beauty of
our campus, we knew what flowers to plant. Lydia Moss Bradley’s statue in Founder’s Circle is now surrounded by beautiful red roses — the same flowers she planted in her own garden on Moss Avenue. We also added a modern look by surrounding the perimeter of campus with bright red banners. Throughout the year, we hope to add banners promoting the best the university has to offer. This summer look for banners featuring extraordinary students from each of our five colleges.
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A new era. Construction began last fall on the Athletic
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Performance Center and the Puterbaugh Men’s Basketball Practice Facility. The APC will provide a new visual identity for the university. The entryway to the Athletic Performance Center will reflect the familiar arched lines of Robertson Memorial Field House, but make its own architectural statement. Students will be
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Since opening in October 2008, the Markin Center has become
Improving medical training. With the help of an $850,000 grant from the United States Army Medical Research and Material Command, a group of Bradley professors and local medical professionals is working to create a new generation of costeffective medical simulators. The group, Peoria Robotics, wants to simulate tests that require the sense of touch for diagnostic perceptions and develop a means to teach and duplicate a widerange of exam experiences and pathological conditions. Peoria Robotics dreams of developing technology that can provide a realistic experience for medical students. Ultimately, they hope to start a small company in the Peoria area to produce the simulators.
the hub of student life on campus….
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Award-winning performances. Our Theatre Department, along with theatre units at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, and the University of Central Florida in Orlando, received two prestigious awards for their collaborative efforts: the 2008 ORION Learning Award of Merit for Alice (Experiments) in Wonderland: A Convergent Telematic Performance and the 2008 Internet2 IDEA Award for The Adding Machine. The three campuses simultaneously presented the performances in their theaters in front of live audiences through the use of broadband computers and 2-D and 3-D sets with multiple screens and lighting effects with live actors appearing on stage in each venue.
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First time, first place. In 2008, a team of MBA students represented Bradley in the Society for the Advancement of Management International Case Competition for the first time. And they took first place, besting teams from 38 other schools. The team, Helena Racicka, Hana Syslova, Jennifer Franczak and Abishek Manmadhan, prepared a strategic turnaround and execution plan for a real company that has seen consistent decline in its sales and profits over the last few years. After researching the company, they presented a new strategic direction through a three-year plan. They then answered questions from the panel of judges.
A Springboard for businesses. Memwäs, an easy-to-use, interactive audiovisual guestbook experience for weddings and special events, was chosen as the winner of the 2008 Second Annual Springboard Business Plan Competition. Offering students reallife experience in business plan development and the opportunity to win cash and services valued at more than $100,000, Project Springboard encourages and educates aspiring entrepreneurs in the creation and start-up of companies. The hope is that Springboard launches potentially high-growth businesses. Through the use of a kiosk, or the Memwäs Interactive Guestbook, guests record personal video messages, providing a video keepsake of special events. Memwäs set up a kiosk at the Markin Family Student Recreation Center dedication and created a video memory of people’s first impressions of the facility. ■
PT program evolves. Sixteen Doctor of Physical Therapy students made history in 2008 when they became the first to graduate from Bradley’s sole doctoral program. Seeking to stay on the cutting edge of physical therapy education, we decided this was the time to launch downstate Illinois’ first DPT. The DPT evolved from the department’s original bachelor’s degree established in 1990, which later developed into the master’s degree. Both of these programs were phased out with the introduction of the DPT.
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Student-athletes excel. An important part of Bradley’s strong athletic
history is that our student-athletes understand the importance of balancing academics with athletics. For 2007-2008, the Bradley University men’s golf and soccer teams and women’s tennis and volleyball teams received Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA in honor of their academic achievements. For this same period, Bradley was second in the Missouri Valley Conference with four team awards. In the most recent release of four-class graduation rates from the NCAA, we continued to lead The Valley at 77 percent. Also in 2007-2008, Eitan Barbalat, baseball; Todd Reedy, soccer; and Evgeny Samoylov, men’s tennis, were named Academic All-Americans, while Reedy and Barbalat were both candidates for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in their respective sports. In 2008, Kim Braun, women’s tennis, was named to the Academic All-District V At-Large First Team and the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team. Reedy, a major in mechanical engineering, went on to become the fifth player in Braves history to receive a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
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A perfect fit. With our rich history in Division I sports, outstanding
communication programs and nationally renowned alumni, such as Charley Steiner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the new concentration in sports communication is a perfect fit for Bradley. Sports com will provide a strong academic foundation in diverse aspects of sports communications, including sports promotion, marketing and management. The program will offer partnerships with major sports and media organizations, guest professors and lecturers from the professional world of sports communication, and expedition courses to major sports and media venues.
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Support for STEM scholars. A $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will allow us to provide financial assistance so talented, economically disadvantaged students can attend Bradley and study in the STEM areas. By encouraging students to study science, technology, engineering and math, we will help create the workforce needed for the 21st century — and we will help provide a promising future for these students. The inaugural group of STEM Scholars, composed of incoming freshmen and transfers from two-year colleges, will enroll this fall. They will also participate in the upcoming three-week STEM Scholars Summer Program and will be eligible for paid summer research internship positions prior to enrollment.
A new Pre-Law Center. We have added a Pre-Law Center to help
students prepare for and apply to law school and learn more about the legal profession. Future plans include the development of classes to introduce undergraduate students to the legal profession and to prepare more senior students for internships. Maria Vertuno, J.D., is the center’s first full-time director.
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Honoring our first Cabinet secretary. Shortly after retiring from the
18th Congressional District seat, Ray LaHood ’71 was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the new Secretary of Transportation. LaHood became the first Peorian — and first Bradley alumnus — to occupy a Cabinet position. The 52-year tradition of a Bradley alum occupying the 18th Congressional District seat continued in November when Aaron Schock ’02 won the election. Bradley alum Bob Michel ’48 occupied the seat from 1957-1995. LaHood, who held the seat from 1995-2009, was named Bradley’s 2008 Distinguished Alumnus and became a member of the Centurion Society.
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The ForeWarn initiative. We have put in place a multi-dimensional plan — ForeWarn — to help prepare our campus in the event of an emergency, whether it be a natural or manmade disaster. We have a text messaging system that sends emergency alerts to registered cell phones. Additionally, faculty or staff members in charge of a classroom must ensure that a registered cell phone is on during class. We also have installed public address emergency alert systems in many buildings across campus. As necessary, emergency notifications will be put on our Web site, sent to campus e-mail addresses, and recorded on our telephone hotline.
Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service at Bradley explored a controversial national topic at its Midwest Energy Solutions symposium in October 2008. Eager to help the region play a critical role in reshaping the national energy strategy, IPL brought together a wide range of experts to discuss ideas on solving this crisis. We will send the symposium’s findings and recommendations to the National Science Foundation, from where they will make their way to the 111th Congress as it begins to map a new energy strategy for the country.
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President’s office hours. President Joanne Glasser wants to keep in touch with students. So she has begun a new tradition of holding monthly office hours open to all students. This marks the first time that a Bradley president has held open office hours for students. At the three sessions during the spring semester, about 100 students visited her office in Swords Hall. Their concerns ranged from recycling, graduate assistantships, the Pre-Law Center, a university mascot and more. President Glasser will continue to hold office hours once a month during the fall and spring semesters.
An energetic conference. For the second consecutive year, the
Sharing his story. In December 2008, Hallmark Hall of Fame aired a movie about the life of a remarkable Bradley alumnus, Brad Cohen ’96. Based on his book, Front of the Class, the movie follows Cohen’s life from the time he was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome to when he landed his first teaching job. Cohen, now a lead teacher in suburban Atlanta, said the movie is a celebration of everyone who has supported him throughout his life. ■
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Stressing public service. Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, spoke to graduates at Mid-Year Commencement in December, where he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Fitzgerald, who spoke about the importance of public service, is the district’s top federal law enforcement official. Eleven days prior to giving the commencement address, his office charged former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich with various counts of public corruption. In 2006, Fitzgerald’s office obtained the conviction of former Gov. George Ryan on similar charges.
Mindful of the significance of this building’s history,
we will preserve the memories that it inspires and continue to honor
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Coach A.J. Robertson,
for whom it was named.
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Saying goodbye. We bid farewell this year to Robertson Memorial Field House. Built out of two World War II airplane hangars, the Field House had a raised court and, when fans began to stomp and cheer, deafening sound. Mindful of the significance of this building’s history, we will preserve the memories that it inspires and continue to honor Coach A.J. Robertson, for whom it was named. In his 28 years at Bradley, Robertson coached football, basketball and baseball simultaneously and also served as athletic director. A statue of Robertson will be erected near the Athletic Performance Center, which is being built on the site of the old Field House. Before the Field House was razed, a goodbye ceremony was held and Robertson’s great-grandson James made the last basket on the historic court. Memories of the Field House will be incorporated into the Athletic Hall of Fame, which will be a prominent feature of the Performance Center.
Imagine Bradley’s future. When Bradley University hosted its Red Tie Gala to kick off the Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance on April 24, 2008, the 1,000 alumni, employees, students and friends attending were encouraged to “imagine what we’ll do next.” Making it easier to imagine how we can shape Bradley’s future was the announcement of the largest gift in Bradley’s history, a $30 million contribution from Caterpillar Inc.; the recognition of 20 individual, corporate, foundation and estate gifts of $1 million or more; and the realization that nearly $105 million had already been raised toward a $150 million goal. “We want you to imagine, imagine, imagine, and together, we can seize the moment,” President Joanne Glasser told the audience. With the strength of our academic programs and with the help of the campaign, Bradley’s future looks bright. We can imagine a future full of possibilities and opportunities, a future in which Bradley will be recognized nationally for its outstanding and innovative academic programs. ■
Welcome alumni! With the announcement in fall 2008 of two $2.5
million gifts, we look forward to welcoming alumni to campus with a stunning new Alumni Center. The gifts, from Jerry ’59 and Marilyn Hayden ’61 and Bob ’67 and Kathleen Clark, will support the building of a new 34,700-square-foot Alumni Center. Looking out over a beautifully landscaped Alumni Quad behind Bradley Hall, the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center will connect the buildings on the west side of campus. It will include an alumni hall of pride, an alumni library, offices, conference rooms and a ballroom that can accommodate more than 200 guests. The cost of the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center is projected to be about $12 million.
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The time is now. For more than a century, Westlake Hall’s clock tower has silently kept time as Bradley has grown from an academy and two-year college into the outstanding comprehensive university of today. As a symbol of Lydia Moss Bradley’s goal that students learn practical skills, such as watchmaking, the clock reminds us of our past, just as it points to our future. We restored the condition and appearance of the clock this year, but now is the time to do even more. Westlake Hall no longer adequately serves the College of Education and Health Sciences and must be renovated and expanded. New classrooms, training areas and labs will help us better prepare students to teach in the essential areas of science, mathematics, language arts and reading. They will provide the space to train counselors and educational leaders. Plans for the new Westlake, which will retain its classic architectural features, include over 85,000 square feet of office and learning space. Once expanded and renovated, Westlake will also be home to the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service.
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FINANCIAL INDICATORS DEMAND Freshmen Applications Received Acceptance Rate
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
5,203 68.6%
5,757 64.3%
5,503 69.4%
5,187 68.8%
5,720 67.2%
60.5% 2.5%
60.6% 2.9%
57.7% 2.6%
8.3% 16.6%
8.4% 16.7%
10.5% 15.5%
208,089
245,507
242,512
10,301
11,462
11,857
CONTRIBUTION RATIOS percentage of current fund revenues Tuition and Fees 56.0% 58.9% Contributions 7.1% 5.2% Investment Return for Operations 7.6% 7.7% Auxiliary Income 16.5% 16.5% MARKET VALUE OF INVESTMENTS ($000S) Endowment Funds 163,886 185,450 Annuities & Funds Held in Trust 9,205 9,285 LIQUIDITY INDICATORS Cash & Cash Equivalents Cash & Investments to Operations Debt to Equity
6,569
4,148
7,569
11,641
17,901
166.2% 21.8%
182.0% 20.5%
204.0% 16.4%
231.4% 34.6%
216.6% 32.7%
5,497
5,560
5,537
5,508
268,624 10,288
310,331 10,136
366,473 10,736
386,135 18,312
OTHER SELECTED DATA Full-time Equivalent Enrollment 5,480 Total University Assets, Net ($000s) 249,166 Total Gifts ($000s) 13,682
Copies of the University’s audited 2007-2008 annual financial report and additional information are available from the Office of the Vice President for Business Affairs, 1501 W. Bradley Avenue, Peoria, IL 61625.
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President’s Repor t 1 2007 - 08 1 13
Office of the President 1501 West Bradley Avenue Peoria, Illinois 61625
Since opening in October 2008, the Markin Family Student Recreation Center has become the social and recreational hub of campus. Nearly 1,600 students, faculty and staff use it each day.
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PEORIA, IL PERMIT NO. 688