Bradley University Names Next Leader
Bradley Hall at Bradley University in Peoria Wikimedia Commons
Bradley University in Peoria has announced an alumnus and sports law expert as its 11th president. Gary Roberts outlined some broad goals for the school, and says he’s looking for input.
He graduated from Bradley in 1970, and founded the first sports law school program at Tulane University and is currently Dean Emeritus of the McKinney School of Law at Indiana University.
Roberts joins Bradley at a time the school faces shrinking enrollment and budget cuts.
He said Bradley needs to market itself better, keep campus safety as a top priority and change attitudes to promote diversity.
“Bradley needs to make changes to bend with the wind as the times change," he said. "We cannot simply accept the status quo. And yet, we cannot and should never compromise our integrity or our core values or our mission.”
Roberts says he doesn’t immediately know all the answers to best tackle enrollment issues, but says he’s open to collaboration with staff and getting input.
Bradley board of trustees chairman Doug Stewart said Roberts is a good choice for president in part because of his knowledge of the school.
Roberts officially takes the helm January first. Former Bradley president Joanne Glasser stepped down at the end of May. Doctor Stan Liberty was then selected to serve in an interim role.