Bradley University

Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and 22 specialized and professional accreditors.[3]

Bradley University
Former name
Bradley Polytechnic Institute (1897–1946)
TypePrivate university
Established1897 (1897)
AccreditationHLC
Academic affiliations
Space-grant
Endowment$324.9 million (2020)[1]
PresidentStephen Standifird
ProvostWalter Zakahi
Academic staff
389
Undergraduates4,636[2]
Postgraduates1,293[2]
Location
Peoria
,
Illinois
,
United States

40°41′53″N 89°37′01″W
CampusUrban, 84 acres (340,000 m2)
Colors   Red & white
NicknameBraves
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division I – MVC
Mascot"Kaboom!" the gargoyle
Websitewww.bradley.edu

History
Bradley Hall is one of the first buildings constructed for the university and bears the name of the university's founder.

The Bradley Polytechnic Institute was founded by philanthropist Lydia Moss Bradley in 1897 in memory of her husband, Tobias, and their six children, all of whom died before Bradley, leaving her a childless widow. As a first step toward her goal, in 1892 she purchased a controlling interest in Parsons Horological School in LaPorte, Indiana, the first school for watchmakers in America, and moved it to Peoria. She specified in her will that the school should be expanded after her death to include a classical education as well as industrial arts and home economics.

In October 1896 Mrs. Bradley was introduced to William Rainey Harper, president of the University of Chicago. He convinced her to move ahead with her plans and establish the school during her lifetime. Bradley Polytechnic Institute was chartered on November 13, 1896. Mrs. Bradley provided 17.5 acres (71,000 m2) of land, $170,000 for buildings, equipment, and a library, and $30,000 per year for operating expenses. Harper served as president of both institutions (Chicago and Bradley) for some years.[4]

Fourteen faculty and 150 students began classes in Bradley Hall on October 4, 1897 with construction workers still onsite. The Horological Department added another eight faculty and 70 students. Bradley Polytechnic Institute was formally dedicated on October 8, 1897. Its first graduate, in June 1898, was Cora Unland.

Originally, the institute was organized as a four-year academy as well as a two-year college. By 1899 the institute had expanded to accommodate nearly 500 pupils, and study fields included biology, chemistry, food work, sewing, English, German, French, Latin, Greek, history, manual arts, drawing, mathematics, and physics. By 1920 the institute dropped the academy orientation and adopted a four-year collegial program. Enrollment continued to grow over the coming decades and the name Bradley University was adopted in 1946.[5]

The first music building on Bradley's Campus, Constance Hall, was built in 1930. In 1962 the building was renovated to become the music building of Bradley's Campus.[6]

Academics
Westlake Hall was recently renovated and expanded to six times its original size.

Bradley University was ranked second among 157 Midwest Regional Universities in the 2022 edition of America's Best Colleges published by U.S. News & World Report.[7] The annual survey also recognized Bradley as the 36th "best value" Midwestern school in the ranking of Great Schools at Great Prices.[8]

The Bradley University Department of Teacher Education and College of Education and Health Sciences is NCATE-approved.[9] Additionally, Bradley University's Foster College of Business is one of less than 2% of business schools worldwide to achieve and maintain AACSB International accreditation for both business and accounting programs.

Bradley University is organized into the following colleges and schools:

Undergraduate colleges
  • College of Education and Health Sciences
  • Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Foster College of Business
  • Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts
  • Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Students without a declared major may also be admitted to the Academic Exploration Program (AEP).

The university is also home to the Charley Steiner School of Sports Communication, the first such named school in the U.S.[10]

Graduate school

Bradley University offers Masters level graduate degrees in business, communication and fine arts, education and health sciences, engineering, and liberal arts and sciences. The program of physical therapy offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Bradley University is among the first universities in the nation to have a school of entrepreneurship and the first established as a freestanding academic unit. The Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation[11] is named in honor of Bob and Carolyn Turner, long-time supporters of Bradley. The Turners established the Robert and Carolyn Turner Center for Entrepreneurship in 2002.[12] Gerald Hills, the school's founding academic executive director, received the Karl Vesper Entrepreneurship Pioneer Award in 2012 and the Babson Lifetime Award in 2011. Hills served as the Turner Chair of Entrepreneurship until he retired in December 2014.[13]

Bradley is headquarters for the national Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (CEO), with CEO student chapters at 240 universities.

Tuition and financial aid

As of the 2022-2023 school year, students who are enrolled full-time at Bradley University pay $37,380 for tuition. Students living in the residence halls on campus pay an additional $12,196 for room and board, along with a $420 activity and health fee.[14] The total cost for full-time students living on campus is $49,996.[14] The university offers hundreds of different scholarships and grants from numerous sources such as federal, state and private entities. They provide financial aid in the form of loans, work study, scholarship, and grants.[15] Financial assistance awards are typically received by more than 85% of the university's students.[16]

Campus
Bradley's 84 acre campus on Peoria's west bluff.

Bradley's 84-acre (340,000 m2) campus is located on Peoria's west bluff and is minutes from downtown. The campus of Bradley University is relatively compact. Bradley's student housing is concentrated on the campus's east side, and the residence halls include College (transfer community), Geisert, Harper, Heitz, University, Williams, and Wyckoff Halls. There is also a complex of singles dormitories (Elmwood, Wendle, and Lovelace) and two university-owned apartment complexes.[17]

Also located on the south side of Bradley's campus is Dingeldine Music Center.

Bradley University is also the site of Peoria's National Public Radio affiliate, WCBU-FM, located in Jobst Hall.[18]

Westlake Hall renovation

Built in 1897, Westlake Hall is the oldest building on campus and has been utilized as a learning facility for over 100 years. This building is home to Bradley's College of Education and Health Sciences. In March 2010, this building underwent a $24 million renovation that was officially completed in June 2012. This renovation increased the building to four stories tall consisting of academic classrooms and offices. The building went from 13,500 square ft to 84,500 square ft, six times its original size.[19] The building's signature clock tower and limestone was incorporated into the renovation to keep some of the building's originality. The building was also designed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification standards, which includes qualities such as energy saving, water efficiencies, and CO2 emission reductions.[20] The remodel was recognized by American School and University for its remarkable design in adaptive reuse.[21]

Athletics
Main article: Bradley Braves
Renaissance Coliseum

Bradley University is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. Conference-approved sports at Bradley for men are baseball, basketball, cross country running, golf, indoor and outdoor track, and soccer. Women's' sports consist of basketball, cross country running, golf, indoor and outdoor track, softball, tennis, and volleyball. The men's basketball team has appeared nine times in the NCAA Tournament: 1950, 1954, 1955, 1980, 1986, 1988, 1996, 2006, 2019 and would have appeared in the 2020 NCAA tournament as the MVC Tournament Champions. In 1950 and 1954 they were national runners up in the Final Four, and in 2006 the Braves made their first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1955, defeating 4th seed Kansas and 5th seed Pittsburgh. Bradley's run came to an end in the Sweet Sixteen with a loss to the University of Memphis. Bradley also won the National Invitation Tournament in 1957, 1960, 1964, and 1982. In 2008, the men's basketball team was selected to participate in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational. They defeated Cincinnati and Virginia en route to the Championship but lost to Tulsa 2–1 in a 3-game series.

In 2007, the Bradley soccer team defeated Creighton 1–0 to claim their first MVC Tournament Championship and fourth appearance in the NCAA postseason soccer tournament. Following their first ever NCAA tournament game victory over DePaul 2–0, the Braves continued on a magical run to the Elite Eight by defeating seven-time national champion Indiana University on penalty kicks (5–4) and the University of Maryland in overtime, both on the road. During the Maryland game they were down 2–0 with less than three minutes left and won. The match has been referred to as "The Miracle in Maryland." Bradley's coach, Jim DeRose, was named the national Coach of the Year by Soccer America after their great season.

Bradley baseball advanced to the College World Series in 1950 and 1956. In 1956, the team qualified for the Final Four, falling to eventual champion Minnesota in the semifinals. In 2015, the Bradley baseball team received an at-large bid to the NCAA postseason baseball tournament, the school's first appearance in the tournament since 1968. After finishing the regular season with a record of 32–18, the Braves advanced to the Missouri Valley conference tournament championship game by defeating Evansville, Indiana State, and #11 nationally ranked Dallas Baptist and were ultimately defeated by #8 nationally ranked Missouri State 5–2. After finishing the season with the #19 RPI in the nation and a record of 35–19, the Braves were placed in the Louisville regional as the #2 seed, along with #3 seeded Michigan, #4 seeded Morehead State and #1 seed host Louisville. Video taken at the team's selection show viewing party shows the team excitement when they learned they would be participating in the NCAA tournament. When the Braves earned a 9–4 victory over Morehead State, they snapped a streak of 9 straight losses in NCAA postseason play dating back to the third round of the College World Series in 1956 when they defeated Wyoming 12–8.[22]

The Bradley men's and women's cross country teams were MVC champions in 2015. In 2016 the men won the MVC championship again and placed 5th at regionals while the women were MVC runner ups. In 2018, the BU men's cross country team won the MVC yet again and qualified for the NCAA Championship meet in Madison, Wisconsin, where they finished 24th, outpacing their #25 national ranking.

The university does not have a football team. The football program was disbanded in 1970.[23]

Bradley University was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1910 to 1937.

Groups and activities
Markin Family Student Recreation Center

Speech Team

Bradley University is home to the most successful speech team in the nation, with their American Forensics Association Championship winning streak from 1980 through 2000 only broken in 1994 and 1995.[24][25] Bradley has garnered 141 individual national titles and 39 team sweepstakes over the last 30 years. Bradley's forensics team hosts the nation's oldest intercollegiate competition, known as the L.E. Norton Invitational. The team also hosts an annual tournament for high school speech teams, the George Armstrong Invitational.

Sales Team

Bradley University is home to the most successful sales team in the nation. Bradley defeated 66 other colleges to win their nation-leading third National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) championship on March 7, 2022, also becoming the first-ever back-to-back national champion.[26]

Broadside

The annual student literary journal is called Broadside.

The Scout

The student-run weekly newspaper is called The Scout.

Recognitions

Awards
  • "E" Award – In 2009, Bradley's International Trade Center was awarded the Presidential "E" Award for U.S. Exporters. Only 21 awards were given nationally and Bradley's ITC was the only trade center in the country to be recognized.[27]
  • Fulbright Program – Bradley was ranked sixth nationally among universities of its kind for producing Fulbright students in 2013–2014.[28]
  • Innovation in Leadership of Business Education Award – Bradley's Foster College of Business was one of three schools to receive this award given by the Mid-Continent East Division of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).[27]

Rankings
  • U.S. News & World Report ranks Bradley University 166th nationally,[29] 2nd Best College among 157 Midwest Regional Universities, and the top Illinois regional university.[30]
  • Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranked Bradley the #65 private university in the nation in terms of value.[31]
  • Money magazine ranked Bradley 88 out of 736 colleges and universities that delivers the most value.[32]
  • In The Princeton Review's 2018 "The Best 380 Colleges" list, Bradley was ranked once again. Bradley is consistently one of the 15% of all colleges that are ranked on this list. In the review, Bradley was noted for its wide-ranging academic resources, personal attention to students and class size.[27]
  • The Wall Street Journal ranked Bradley 164 out of 1,056 colleges and universities in the nation.[33]
  • Bloomberg Businessweek ranked Bradley's Foster College of Business 42nd in the nation and 10th in the Employer Satisfaction Survey.[34]
  • The Brookings Institution ranked Bradley the #19 salary boosting college in the nation.[35]
  • According to career site Zippia, Bradley is the best college in Illinois for landing a job after graduation.[36]
  • Washington Monthly ranked Bradley the #14 Midwest "Best Bang for the Buck" university and number 50 of 606 nationally for Masters Level Universities.

Notable people
Hayden-Clark Alumni Center
Main article: List of Bradley University people

See also

References
  1. As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  2. "Quickfacts".
  3. "Statement of Accreditation Status". Higher Learning Commission. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  4. Collins, Nina (2002). "Domestic Sciences at Bradley Polytechnic Institute and the University of Chicago". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 95 (3): 275–299.
  5. The Founding of Bradley. Bradley.edu.
  6. ""At Home on Campus"". Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  7. "US News Best Colleges 2022 Top Regional Universities Midwest". Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  8. "Bradley University". Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  9. NCATE Accredited Schools – Bradley University Archived June 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Bradley University: Major-league Naming for Steiner". Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  11. "Bradley University: Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation". Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  12. "Bradley University: Turner Center for Entrepreneurship". Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  13. "Bradley University: Profile". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  14. "Bradley University: Tuition and Fees". www.bradley.edu. March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. "Bradley University: Sources of Assistance". www.bradley.edu. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  16. "Bradley University: Quickfacts". www.bradley.edu. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  17. Center for Residential Living and Leadership Archived July 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  18. "About WCBU". Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  19. "Bradley University: Westlake Hall dedicated". Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  20. "Bradley University: Time for a new Westlake Hall". Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  21. "Bradley University - Westlake Hall Remodel and Addition - River City Construction". River City Construction. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  22. "Bradley Baseball Is Dancing". BradleyBraves. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  23. Blast from the past: A look back at Bradley football. The Scout, Garth Shanklin. September 12, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  24. Champions of the National Individual Events Tournament Archived September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Americanforensics.org.
  25. The Bradley University Speech Team. Bradleyspeechteam.com.
  26. A National Record Setting Weekend for Bradley's Sales Team
  27. "Bradley University: Rankings/Guidebooks". www.bradley.edu. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  28. "Bradley University: Rankings/Guidebooks". www.bradley.edu. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  29. "Bradley University". US News & World Report. Retrieved January 28, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. "US News Best Colleges 2022 Top Regional Universities Midwest". Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  31. "Kiplinger's Best College Values". www.kiplinger.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  32. "Bradley University". Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  33. "Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings 2018". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  34. Levy, Francesca; from, Jonathan Rodkin. "These Are the Best Undergraduate Business Schools of 2016". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  35. "Colleges that boost your salary the most". CNN.com.
  36. "These Are the Colleges Most Likely to Score You a Job in Every State". Thrillist.com.
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