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On Monday, Bradley University’s President Gary Roberts set up a forum for faculty and students to ask question about the 8 million dollar decifit. While having this forum was important for everyone to be informed about what is going on, students had no idea it was even happening.
This begs the question, why didn’t students know? As a Bradley student, I had no idea it happened until during Student Senate’s General Assembly meeting. When our advisor let us know that it had happened and that we should attend the next meeting.
But, for those who weren’t there, how would they have known? Bradley offers many forms of advertising, from the TV screens at Markin to flyers to posting on HilltopHappenings, the weekly newsletter.
There was a lack of communication between the school and it’s students. As students, we pay money to go here, and we have the right to know if rumors are true. Rumors that include cutting majors and the graduate school. We have the right to be informed.
I think the school could’ve done better. Not only are they aware of all the kinds of advertising you can do on campus, they have a pretty high social media following. Most Bradley students follow the school on instagram, snapchat, twitter and facebook. They had so many opportunities to make this a campus-known event.
I’m sure the turnout would have been a lot higher (and more chaotic) if the school had taken student interest more serious.
Moving forward, the school still has opportunities to make change and provide a closer relationship with students by offering transparency.
In order to allow Bradley students to be informed, I think the school should do a lot more to make students come to events such as these, or be encouraged to ask questions.
From being on senate, I’ve come to learn that our student body is very passionate about our school, they want to better it as much as the school does.
Social media is a big tool. Students won’t just benefit from it, faculty, the media and the Peoria community will. Additionally, opening a PUBLIC forum for the entire community to come together and be informed on the changes that are going to occur and address them.
Personally, what I’d like for the school to address are a few things. Bradley hasn’t had a big class since my class (class of 2021). Since then they’ve lowered acceptance due to there not being enough space.
I believe that does more harm than anything else. The school is turning away students who will pay tuition. I think a posible solution to this is to lower the time needed in the dorms to only freshman.
The city of Peoria would benefit from the real estate and Bradley wouldn’t be over crowded.
The next issue is lack of diversity, and its a lot easier to solve than you think. By hiring more POC professors, there will be more students inclined to come to the school.
As a POC myself, if I saw more POC professors I know I’d be a lot more enthusiatic and excited to be at Bradley. Fresman year, for me, was scary because I wasn’t entirely used to be the odd one out because I was a LatinX student.
By having POC professors a sense of comfort is created for students.
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