President Bradley enters third year as Sycamore

Since ISU President Daniel J. Bradley took office two years ago, students have been his focus, even those not in college.

In May, Bradley, his wife Cheri and ISU students who received the President’s Scholarship visited ISU alumna Kristen Monts and read to her middle-school English class on a Navajo reservation in Pinon, Arizona.

During the trip he said he and the students were “getting to know each other [and] form stronger relationships” with each other.

“I got to know the students pretty well,” he said.

While this trip was one of his more recent, his most memorable was when he met with Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education, and Martha Kanter, the U.S. Under Secretary of Education, to discuss student-retention techniques he and Southern Illinois State University President Glenn Poshard have been developing.

“I never met [a U.S.] Under Secretary or a Secretary of Education before,” he said.

Along with these retention techniques, Bradley is excited about the upcoming year.

“I think the big thing, really, is that we will be in year two in our strategic planning,” he said.

According to the Office of the President’s Web site, this strategic plan focuses on six goals: increasing student retention, implementing experiential-learning experiences, increasing ISU’s involvement with the Terre Haute community, strengthing promising programs at ISU, diversifying revenue and improving faculty and staff recruitment.

Bradley said there are several projects that are coming to fruition, including construction projects, student retention and fundraising.

“The hope is that we can build on that momentum,” he said.

Bradley said the start of the school year is his favorite thing about the next semester.

“I just love the start of school,” he said.  “One of the joys of education is that you get to start over on a regular basis.”

Bradley also said he is excited about Homecoming this year, especially the football game, as football is one of his favorite sports.

“Of course, we will win the ball game again,” he said.

Alongside his duties as university president, Bradley instructs a Chemistry 105 lab, which, he said, allows him to interact with students in a whole new way.

“It’s nice for me,” he said.  “It’s a different relationship.”