EDUCATION

Amid challenging times, Bradley University president to resign

Portrait of Zach Roth Zach Roth
Peoria Journal Star

Stephen Standifird, the embattled president of Bradley University, announced his resignation Friday, effective June 15 after just over four years in the role.

Standifird informed campus faculty and students Friday of his decision, saying that while it had been a challenging decision, he felt that it was the right one for him to take at this time.

"Serving as your President has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career," Standifird said in a statement. "I will always cherish my time at Bradley and look forward to watching its continued growth and achievements from a new vantage point."

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Standifird became president of Bradley in May 2020, after six years as dean of the business school at Butler University in Indianapolis. His official appointment came right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he steered the university through the issues stemming from that crisis, such as disease outbreaks and reintegrating students back to in-person learning.

However, his biggest issues came through attempts to deal with the university's financial issues. One month after taking office, 60 faculty members took buyouts, with job cuts likely on the horizon. In July 2023, the university faced a $13 million budget shortfall, with a goal put in place to cut costs by 10% over the course of the recently completed 2023-24 school year.

The cuts affected some 15 academic programs, with 61 faculty members losing their jobs. The cuts caused outrage among faculty at the university, with many saying that Standifird, despite being brought in to deal with long-standing financial issues, wasn't fit to lead the school.

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Standifird's resignation makes him the shortest-tenured president in Bradley's history, with his immediate predecessor, Gary Roberts, serving for five months longer during his tenure from 2016-2020. Roberts and Standifird served as co-presidents in May 2020, with Roberts dealing with the day-to-day operations of the university and Standifird working on the financial problems.

Jonathan Michael, chair of the Board of Trustees, will replace Standifird in an interim role while he and the other members of the board begin their search for a new president. Michael is the recently retired chairman and chief executive officer for RLI Corporation, a property, casualty and surety insurance company based in Peoria.

Michael said in a statement that Standifird made "difficult" decisions to deal with the many issues, but felt that he left the university in a better position than he found it.

"Like many universities, Bradley faced significant challenges during the last four years," Michael said. "We are grateful to Dr. Standifird for his hard work and leadership during this historic time. He helped the university navigate the pandemic, address enrollment issues, and he took steps to meet financial challenges. The difficult work done during the last four years is one reason the future of Bradley is very bright."

Matthew Vonachen, vice chair of the Board of Trustees, will assume Michael's duties during the interim period.

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