Bradley University utilizes a Campus Framework Plan in order to reach its desired position in the marketplace

Bradley University’s Strategic Plan clearly outlines the school’s focus on student success, innovation, and the pursuit of excellence to advance its mission. However, increasing competition within the marketplace in combination with shifting demographics in Illinois and the broader Midwest posed immediate threats to the school as it sought to implement its strategic initiatives.

With limited time and resources, the need for intentional decision making—rooted in Bradley’s strategic goals—was paramount. B&D led the university through a campus framework planning process that established targets and set criteria for organized decision making—ensuring that all future capital investments produce effective, transformational outcomes. The Campus Framework Plan allows for rooted, long-term coordination of plan execution amidst an ever-changing environment and competitive context.

With this goal in mind, B&D gained essential input from student focus groups and stakeholder interviews, followed by comprehensive building tours to understand existing conditions, challenges, and opportunities with campus infrastructure. From these analyses, B&D developed a prioritization matrix tool that ranked 59 campus initiatives including physical assets, operational components, and landholdings. These prioritized initiatives—determined based on each individual asset’s ability to provide value to the school—present a clear roadmap for Bradley University as they continue to examine their capital investments in the context of limited resources.