Category Archives: Bradley University

Bradley University

Bradley reaches out to geriatric alums, books Leno for homecoming

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I received the following press release today from Bradley University:

Jay Leno will headline Bradley Homecoming

Peoria, IL (July 26, 2010) Late night television superstar Jay Leno will be the headline entertainer at Bradley University’s Homecoming on Saturday, October 16 in the university’s new on-campus arena. The arena will be dedicated during Homecoming.

“We are very excited to bring a recognized comedian and entertainer like Jay Leno to help dedicate our arena,” Bradley University President Joanne Glasser said. “Jay Leno will be a marvelous attraction for our alumni, our students and community members, helping make the 2010 Homecoming a special celebration.”

Leno became host of NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1992, replacing the legendary Johnny Carson. Leno began his career in nightclubs, where he worked 300 nights a year before hitting it big as a frequent guest and then hosting The Tonight Show. Despite his television commitment, he continues to perform live a clubs and venues over 150 nights a year. He has appeared on television, acted in several films, wrote a number of books and is one of the most recognizable figures in the entertainment industry. A 2009 Harris Poll named the Emmy Award winning comedian America’s Favorite TV Personality.

Homecoming will kick-off on October 13 with the traditional lighting of the “B” atop Bradley Hall. Other activities over the four-day event include a tailgate party and bonfire, a Saturday soccer game against the University of Central Arkansas, “Midnight Madness” basketball practice for both the men’s and women’s teams, dedication ceremonies for the new arena, campus and arena tours, Late Night BU for students and alumni, an alumni luncheon, and much more.

The $50 million arena, opening this fall, is a 4500-seat venue that will host major campus activities as well as serve as home to Bradley athletics. The arena houses athletic offices, state-of-the-art practice, training/conditioning facilities, the athletics hall of fame and other features, along with serving as home court for both the women’s basketball and volleyball teams. The structure was built on the site of the historic Robertson Memorial Field House, a venue where the University hosted major concerts and athletic events for six decades. The arena is one of the capital improvements that are the focus of The Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance launched in April 2008 with a goal of $150 million.

Ticket information for Jay Leno’s appearance will be released when it becomes available.

Jay Leno? Bradley is obviously not trying to appeal to young people with that move. This is aimed directly at the aging baby boomers who just love Leno’s … “humor.” They’re the ones with the bucks, seeking immortality by getting their names on things like recreation centers. So, from a fundraising perspective, this is a good move on Bradley’s part.

Still, it’s too bad they couldn’t book a classier act for this event. Like a real comedian, for instance.

Bradley University

Bradley student senate wants new mascot committee

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The Bradley Scout reports:

Student Senate passed a resolution this week calling for University President Joanne Glasser to form a mascot committee. If formed, that committee would be responsible for slating ideas for a new mascot….

[Student Body President Kyle] Malinowski said there are several reasons senate wants to make the change now. Philosophically, it fits with the Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance because of the mindset of being in a renaissance as well as campus’ physical changes.

“The less philosophical reason is we have the best people in the position right now to do it,” he said. “We have a new university president who is all about shaking things up, a new athletic director, a new director of marketing whose job was charged by President Glasser to brand the university and we’ll eventually have a new provost.”

In 1993, Bradley decided to keep the Braves name, but use a bobcat as its mascot. In 2000, officials said the students had a “lack of affinity” for the bobcat and got rid of it. Then a survey for a new mascot was circulated in 2006-7 resulting in several options (including oddities like a fighting squirrel and a clock tower) but the university didn’t choose any of them.

Bradley University

Bradley to temporarily lease Campustown space

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It turns out the rumors were true: Bradley is going to lease considerable space in Campustown for offices and classrooms (not a bookstore). However, it’s only going to be for a few years while they’re renovating Westlake Hall and constructing the Engineering and Business Convergence Center.

Here’s the full press release:

Bradley to lease two Campustown locations

Peoria, IL (January 13, 2010) – Bradley University will lease two locations in the Campustown Shopping Center to provide faculty office space during upcoming campus construction projects.

Property previously occupied by Blockbuster Video and Sav-A-Lot grocery will be converted to temporary space for educational offices and classrooms during the expansion and renovation of Westlake Hall. That construction is expected to take more than two years.

“We are looking forward to making this move so that progress can continue on restoring historic Westlake Hall,” said Dr. Joan Sattler, dean of the College of Education and Health Sciences. “The temporary inconvenience of this relocation of offices and academic support to Campustown will be well worth it when the University realizes the great benefit of the transformed Westlake.”

The use of the Campustown locations as transitional space for faculty and staff will allow the University to complete the new Alumni Quad and west campus landscaping earlier than planned. The University had previously intended to relocate faculty and staff from the College of Education and Health Sciences to Haussler Hall, but that plan changed once space became available in Campustown. Haussler Hall will be razed after members of the Athletic Department move from there to the new arena later this year.

Bradley will undertake an analysis of space in both Campustown locations to determine how they can best be utilized. The Sav-A-Lot site has 20,100 square feet and Blockbuster totals 6,020 square feet. The grocery closed on January 3 and the video store was shuttered in November. Bradley will have both properties under lease on February 1.

The University expects to continue to use the Campustown locations for transitional space once the Engineering and Business Convergence Center is under construction. No timetable has been established for that project.

The $22 million expansion and renovation of Westlake Hall, one of the University’s original campus buildings, will transform the facility into a modern academic building with 85,000 square feet of academic space, while retaining its classic architectural features. The transformed building will be six times larger than the original and the addition will rise to four stories, rather than three. A glass atrium will allow unique views of the historic clock tower from inside the building.

Westlake Hall will be home to the College of Education and Health Sciences and the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service. The project is one of six in the $150 million Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance. Launched in April 2008, the Renaissance Campaign has amassed more than $125 million to date.

Bradley University, City of Peoria

Campustown Save-a-Lot to be leased to Bradley?

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Here’s what we know for sure: Campustown developer David Joseph already has another tenant lined up to replace Save-a-Lot, and it’s not a grocery store. Other than that, no one will comment for the record. So the question on everyone’s mind is, “who will the new tenant be?”

Over on Billy’s blog, one commenter suggests it will be an Ashley Furniture store. But in WEEK-TV’s news coverage, the manager of the Save-a-Lot tells a different story:

The Save-A-Lot store manager says the building won’t be empty for long, and he is hearing that it could be replaced with a Bradley bookstore.

I have heard Bradley rumored as a possible tenant from several sources — although they don’t all agree on what exactly Bradley will do with it. Possible uses run the gamut from a bookstore, as WEEK suggests, to offices, to an education center. I wrote to Bradley’s public relations rep — former Journal Star editor Shelley Epstein — but my inquiries have not been answered. Read into that what you will he’s out of town and unable to answer me until he gets back Sunday or Monday.

If the rumors are true and Bradley is going to be Campustown’s largest tenant, is that good or bad for the West Bluff? Let’s weigh the pros and cons.

Pros

  • Bradley would be a stabilizing presence in Campustown. Presumably, security would be increased, which will make the area safer.
  • Since Bradley isn’t buying the space, but rather leasing it, the city will continue to collect property tax revenue. And since the Campustown TIF ended this year, the property taxes will go back to the local governments again, and the city’s portion will go into the general fund.
  • More students and/or employees of Bradley going to school and/or working at Campustown may increase business for the remaining retail stores and restaurants.

Cons

  • The city will lose sales tax revenue. If the store is converted to an office or education center, no sales tax revenue at all will be collected. If it’s converted to a new Bradley bookstore, the old bookstore would likely close, so there would be a net loss in commercial square footage, which translates to a net loss in sales tax revenue.
  • A quality commercial anchor would better serve the West Bluff. As Campustown was originally conceived, a grocery store was supposed to provide basic infrastructure to the West Bluff that would be convenient for residents and an attractive amenity for people considering a move into the neighborhood. Thompson’s/Sullivan’s were excellent tenants toward furthering that vision, but Save-a-Lot (being a low-end grocer) sent a different message. While acknowledging that Save-a-Lot was a poor choice for a commercial anchor, the way to improve Campustown would be to bring in a better grocer, not convert retail space to institutional.

From the city’s standpoint, there’s no question that the cons outweigh the pros. They’re going to lose money. Sales tax is the city’s bread and butter. In an effort to keep property taxes low, the city has been piling up sales taxes and fees to cover the rising costs of public works, public safety, and developer incentives.

It’s not as if the city couldn’t absorb the loss of Save-a-Lot’s tax revenue by itself. But this isn’t an isolated incident. There seems to be somewhat of a trend in retail outlets and residential properties being taken over by non-tax-producing entities. For example, the old K’s Merchandise was taken over by OSF. The old Damon’s restaurant in Riverfront Village was taken over by Heartland Partnership. The old Leath Furniture was converted to a church. And huge swaths of land and houses that used to be on the property tax rolls have been taken over by District 150 for various building projects — or, in the case of the Prospect road properties, expensive blunders. In the case of District 150, taxpayers get hit with a double-whammy: we have to pay millions to acquire the properties, plus we lose the revenue they produced. The city can’t sustain such a trend without compensating growth.

From a neighborhood standpoint, the problem with Campustown has always been crime. The place has a reputation for being unsafe, and until that changes, you’ll have a hard time getting tenants to locate there and you’ll have a hard time getting patrons for those tenants. If Bradley’s presence were to reduce crime in Campustown, I think most residents would see it as a net gain for the West Bluff. Conversely, if Save-a-Lot is gone (and, despite its faults, the store was serving the needs of some lower-income West Bluff residents) and there is no increase in safety in return, that will certainly be a net loss for the area.

Bradley University

Les sees 60% raise over two years

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I heard about this Bradley Scout article from Mazr via Billy’s blog. The article is mainly about how Joanne Glasser is one of the highest-paid college presidents in Illinois, but both Mazr and Billy picked up on Bradley Basketball coach Jim Les’s jaw-dropping salary of $419,414 (including benefits) for the 2007-08 school year. That’s just $1,586 shy of the college president’s salary.

What really floored me, though, was this: “Two years earlier, Les earned $262,905.” That means Les’s salary increased $156,509, or nearly 60%, in just two years. This raise coincides with Bradley’s NCAA appearance in 2006, when they made it to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1955. I presume the NCAA berth and his salary bump are connected.

It sounds like a lot of money to me, and I find it strange that the basketball coach would be on equal salary terms with the college president. It gives the impression that athletics and academics are of equal value. However, Les’s salary was actually quite low compared to other NCAA Division I coaches, according to this USA Today report from 2006. Before his salary bump, Les was one of the 20 lowest-paid coaches. At that time, 17 coaches made over $1 million, and 33 made over a half million.

I can’t find a recent salary comparison, but I would assume Les is making a respectable average salary among coaches in his division now. Is he worth it? I’ll let those who follow basketball more than I answer that question.

Bradley University

Bradley parking deck “too far” for some students, teachers

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My wife happened to pick up a copy of the Bradley Scout while walking through campus the other day, and this article on the new five-story parking deck at Main and Maplewood caught my attention:

Parking deck isn’t used to full capacity

The Main West Parking Deck is a year old, but it isn’t being used to its full capacity.

The deck, located on the corners of Main Street and Maplewood Avenue, was built in August 2008 for commuter students, faculty and staff with a valid permit, said Charmin Hibberd, director of Conference Facilities and Parking.

But Hibberd added that the deck isn’t being fully used.

She said the current construction on the Athletic Performance Arena, occurring directly next to the parking deck, is likely deterring students, faculty and staff from the area.

“People are leery of walking through there, even though there is a sidewalk and it’s safe,” Hibberd said.

She also said some students and faculty have told her they think the deck is too far from the buildings they visit most often.

The article goes on, but I couldn’t get past that last sentence. The deck is “too far from the buildings they visit most often”? What buildings are they visiting? From the parking deck to the opposite corner of campus is about a quarter of a mile. Considering the average person walks about three miles an hour, that represents a five-minute walk at most. How much closer do these students and faculty expect to be able to park? Is walking up to five minutes from your car to your class really that inconvenient? Or have college students just become so lazy and auto-dependent that they can’t travel more than a few feet on foot nowadays?

No wonder obesity is on the rise on college campuses.

Bradley University

Bradley alcohol policy put to test

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I first saw the report on the Journal Star’s website last night that over 60 people — most of them Bradley students — were ticketed at an underage drinking party near Bradley’s campus. This morning, the paper reports that two-thirds of them were Bradley athletes.

Forty-four were listed on the rosters of Bradley athletic teams, including men’s cross country, soccer, baseball and tennis, and women’s tennis, softball, cross country and track and field.

After the deaths of two Bradley students last year, the university stated it was really going to crack down on underage drinking, not so much because it’s illegal, but because it had become a safety problem and was hurting the university’s image. So they came up with an “action plan” that was implemented in April of this year. Now we’ll get to see how effective the university’s Comprehensive Alcohol Action Plan is, especially for student athletes:

Student-athletes found to be in violation of these guidelines will be subject to penalties imposed by the Head Coach and/or the Director of Athletics. Penalties will be in addition to those imposed by the University and/or the Court of Law.

I will be interested to hear what penalties the Head Coach and/or the Director of Athletics imposes on these 44 student athletes.

Bradley University

Pamphlet over the top, but not “first volley”

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Phil Luciano has another article today about the strained relations between Bradley frat houses and surrounding neighborhood associations, especially the Moss-Bradley Neighborhood Association. The story states that Moss-Bradley distributed pamphlets to student housing in the neighborhood, including Greek row, welcoming them to the neighborhood and letting them know what the expectations were from neighbors. Some of the statements in the pamphlet were a bit excessive:

For instance, there is this dart: “Red plastic cups or similar containers will be presumed to be disguising alcohol by underage drinkers. These activities will be reported to the Peoria Police Department.” Further, another line barks, “The presence of a beer keg at a student party indicates underage drinking and excessive consumption. We … Immediately will report such suspected activities to the Peoria Police Department and Bradley University officials.”

I think statements like these go too far. They’re paternalistic, not neighborly. It’s not the neighbors’ responsibility to ensure that underage college students are not drinking, anymore than it’s the neighbors’ responsibility to ensure that city council members are not drinking to excess at dinner parties. It’s fair to point out that excessive noise, littering, etc., will not be tolerated because these are the things that affect neighborhood quality of life. The presence of red plastic cups or kegs do not; calling the police over their mere presence is picking a fight.

However, I’m not buying the victim mentality of the students and their parents as presented in Luciano’s article, especially this idea that the neighborhood “fired the first volley” with this pamphlet. Pamphlets like these do not materialize in a vacuum. They were created because the student noise and littering problems came first. If we’re looking for a first cause here, it’s years of inconsiderate student behavior that has caused residents to organize and become more proactive. It reflects the frustration residents have with recurring problems they feel have not been adequately dealt with by the university and police enforcement.

Bradley University, City of Peoria

Van Auken lambasted by Luciano, BU students

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Councilwoman Barbara Van Auken is taking a beating in the press and on student internet forums over her confrontation with an allegedly noisy frat house. Journal Star columnist Phil Luciano ticks off the facts that are continuing to come out regarding the incident, then offers this advice:

I don’t know what she plans to do this weekend. But the next time she hears a crime complaint, perhaps she’d best put down the wine, leave her Superwoman outfit hanging in her closet and let the cops do their job.

And he’s right — if we were to cuss out a police officer and poke him in the shoulder while we had alcohol on our breath, you can bet we’d be sitting in the back of a squad car and taken to the pokey.

Meanwhile, Bradley University students are having a field day with this on a Bradley Basketball internet forum. Here are some of the more scathing comments:

  • I was actually on the street that night, about a block away. I can assure you their music was inaudible from half a block away. Thankfully, I left before this crazy lady could make her way down the block. Even more thankful I didn’t see those teeth in person… WHY WASN’T SHE BREATHALYZED?????????? WHY WASN’T SHE TICKETED????? I guarantee I would have been, immediately. So were members of our bball team in the past.

  • Van Auken = Bully
    She should get raked over the coals.

  • This woman has a few drinks and then decides to have a power trip in front of some important people in the neighboorhood. What does Illinois law allow when it comes to confronting trespassers? They should have taken out the hose out and sprayed her down till she left the steps.

  • Typical politician – Thinking that the rules don’t apply to them. Drunkenness and belligerence is unacceptable…unless you’re the one partaking in it, right?

  • From all accounts (except her own of course), it seems that Van Auken got a little tipsy and decided to use her ‘beer muscles’ to try and bully some college kids and impress her friends.

  • I think that the fact that this may end of being a positive for the councilwoman is disgusting, and, in comparison if I were even to handle a situation after consuming even a sip of alcohol(which, from what I understand is MUCH less the VanAucken had) in my position as an RA I would be swiftly reprimanded, and find it disheartening that the expectation of a elected official is that much lower….

  • I’m surprised she didn’t tell the police she has many leather-bound books and her apartment smells of rich mahogany after she informed them of who she was.

  • And why doesn’t she go knock on the doors of some crack house (there are plenty in her district) with her ambulance buddy? Come on big hitter. Step up to the plate.

This ought to be a big embarrassment for Van Auken, the council, and the second district. But as has been stated by various commenters, this may actually be perceived by many in the second district as a positive thing. No doubt several residents see BVA as a hero, standing up to Bradley over noise violations. The more details that come out, though, the more I think that opinion will fade.

We’re all waiting with bated breath for the video to be put up on YouTube.

Bradley University, City Council, City of Peoria, Peoria Public Schools, Traffic

“In the News” for 9/23/08

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In the news today:

  • An allegedly inebriated council member confronts Bradley fraternity students over being too noisy in the middle of the night. Bradley police, then Peoria police are called to break things up. Van Auken says that neighbors have complained about this fraternity, Sigma Nu, 1300 W. Fredonia Ave., multiple times, but that things haven’t improved. Bradley police wouldn’t give the fraternity a citation for being too loud, but Peoria police did. The fraternity thinks they’re being treated unfairly, since the police didn’t cite Van Auken for disorderly conduct and trespassing after she and her companions refused to leave the premises. Van Auken says she acted appropriately. She also admitted to having a few drinks before the confrontation, and fraternity members and Bradley police said she showed signs of inebriation. My take: It’s laudable that Van Auken is willing to stand up to the university on this issue, but her apparent lack of sobriety calls her judgment — about the loudness of the party, for one thing — into question. It would have been better if she had confronted them while sober.

  • Public Works is going to recommend lane reductions for Main Street. The purpose of the meeting last night was to present their proposal and convince everyone in attendance that it was the best solution. They keep saying they want to hear from residents and are willing to do what the residents want, but when the residents asked for things, they were told that those ideas won’t work and we have to go with Public Works’ plans, based on their computer models. Perhaps the most telling statement was when I talked to Public Works Director Dave Barber after the meeting and expressed my concern over the traffic on Main Street consistently going 10-15 mph over the speed limit between University and Farmington Road, his response was, “The street was that way when you moved there, right?” So, apparently, if people are breaking the law, they’ve got a right to keep breaking the law. Good to know. Nevertheless, narrowing Main east of University will be a good thing.

  • District 150 is considering mandatory uniforms for primary and middle school students. My take: Great idea. Make it so.