As the Board of Trustees works to find a replacement after Governors State University President Cheryl Green’s retirement in early March, Vice President of Administration and Finance Dr. Corey S. Bradford, Sr., has taken the lead as head administrator.
Bradford said his priorities during the transitional period have been getting more students in classrooms and implementing tools and procedures to help them finish their programs. The plan to achieve this includes using new educational technology and leveraging AI tools to enhance student retention and enrollment efforts.
AI Recruiter is a service offering artificial intelligence agents capable of engaging with students and aiding enrollment. These automated services are available 24 hours daily to answer questions, follow up with students, and perform other tasks.
ReUp focuses on helping students who take a break from school get back into programs. The company uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict when students will be ready to return to classes. They also employ human career coaches to guide students toward graduation.
Bradford said the university will try AI Recruiter and ReUP and is excited to see the outcome.
“It does not do any good to bring students here if we don’t retain them,” Bradford said. “We’re also looking at students with small balances and removing holds from their accounts so that they can register for classes.”
Bradford said there are many federal challenges to the university, including attacks on universities, funding cuts and dismantling the Department of Education.
“We’re staying abreast of the situation. As you know, a lot of these changes are being challenged in court. We continue to advocate for higher education at all levels,” Bradford said. “We have to face those challenges here; you just have to be willing to fight for what you believe in.”
Bradford encouraged students to take advantage of the campus counseling center if they feel stressed about politics, classes, or anything else. “Students should focus on accomplishing their dreams,” he said. “Don’t get distracted by a lot of this fear and chaos that is going on. If they want to get involved, students should vote and contact their local politicians.”
Bradford expects the board to find a new president soon and negotiate a contract this summer. In the meantime, he hopes to engage with GovState community members and identify solutions to any problems that need attention.
After his time as interim president, Bradford will return to leading the university’s financial department. He encourages the new president, whoever they are, to be accessible to all stakeholders and to collaborate.
Bradford congratulated all students, including those who will graduate this year, and said he looks forward to celebrating their success at the ceremony.