FAQs
How does BUCCS relate to Bradley’s Strategic Plan?
Our first conversation, “The Bradley Graduate of the Class of 2010”, resulted in a list of attributes that the BU community feels should be fostered in every student graduating from Bradley, and possible curricular structures to support the development of these attributes. Our second conversation, “Transformations: What will a Bradley Education be in 2010?" focused on taking the next step, and articulating in some detail the curricular structures that will need to be in place and how to implement them. Engaging the campus in this direction-setting exercise is a critical immediate action step listed in the Strategic Plan implementation plan. Taking ideas generated through the BUCCS process to action is a critical short-term goal listed in the Strategic Plan implementation plan.
What is Bradley University Campus-wide Conversation Series (BUCCS)?
BUCCS is a series of facilitated discussions on issues of interest to the Bradley community.
What is the goal of the BUCCS program?
The goal of the BUCCS is simple: to stimulate discussions across the University on issues that can and should affect what Bradley is in the future.
How did BUCCS originate?
The Undergraduate Research Committee and the Office of Teaching Excellence, along with several other faculty members from across campus, initiated the BUCCS program in Fall 2006. Our goal was to provide an opportunity for people from across campus to share ideas and to discuss issues of importance to members of an institution of higher education.
What are the topics of the conversations?
Our first conversation, The Bradley Graduate of the Class of 2010, focused on the skills, attributes and experiences that every Bradley student should have upon graduating, and explored curricular structures that would support the development of those traits. Our second conversation, Transformations: What will a Bradley Education be in 2010, extends our first conversation to examine these curricular structures in depth and to determine what aspects of our current culture and infrastructure support or hinder the development of those programs. Future conversations may focus on aspects of teaching, campus climate, or other issues that emerge as important areas of concern to BUCCS participants.
What is the structure of the conversations?
The format of the conversation will include focused small-group discussions surrounding a common set of questions and facilitated discussions among all participants, with time for free exchange of ideas among all participants. The structured conversation (small-group discussions, large group sharing and free exchange) takes place in two consecutive hour-long sessions; while we prefer that all participants attend both sessions, attendance at both sessions is neither required nor necessary for meaningful participation.
What if one of the times doesn’t fit my schedule?
Each conversation will be held at three or four different times over the span of one to two weeks, in order to accommodate as many schedules as possible. If you are unable to attend any of the sessions and you wish to participate electronically, you can download the conversation materials and respond electronically to any of the listed conversation conveners, who will ensure that your thoughts are included in our conversation minutes.
Who can attend a conversation?
Any member of the Bradley community, including part-time and full-time faculty and staff, hourly employees, students, administrators, and others associated with Bradley are welcome to participate.
What happens after a conversation?
First, two documents are prepared: a comprehensive list of conversation notes, transcribed from conversation sheets supplied during each event, and a summary report of the key points that were raised throughout the series. The conversation notes are verbatim transcriptions of all written statements of all participants, as collated by group-selected recorders on sheets provided at each conversation. The summary report is a synthesis of the key issues raised in one or more of the conversations. The summary report is written and vetted by the panel of conveners for that conversation and others from the BUCCS steering group.
What are possible outcomes of BUCCS?
Outcomes are expected to include the development of one or more white papers on issues of importance to the Bradley community, recommendations to various University committees as appropriate, and increased engagement of the Bradley community in directing programmatic and policy changes that will positively impact our students.