A scholar and playwright from New London has been promoted to one of the top positions at the University of Connecticut: vice provost for faculty, staff, and student development.

Michael Bradford, who has lived in the city for more than 35 years, was promoted to the role at his alma mater in late September. In the new position, he will serve as a point of contact for any students, staff or faculty members looking for support while studying or working at the university.

“What this role really is, is asking ‘How can I support the people on campus?’” said Bradford. “It’s really a people job, focusing on how we take care of the people.”

Bradford, formerly the head of the university’s Dramatic Arts department and artistic director of the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, has been a full-time faculty member at UConn since 2000. His new role will focus on faculty recruitment, retention and onboarding; student success; staff development and recognition; and equity and success across the campus, according to the university’s provost, Carl Lejuez.

As vice provost, Bradford will work to streamline faculty and staff members’ roles to make their jobs easier and will strive to create an environment on campus that promotes success and equity for all students.

“[Bradford] will oversee all activities in the office aimed at transforming the experience and success of all members of our community,” said Lejuez, also executive vice president for academic affairs, in a statement.

The playwright and theater enthusiast will continue teaching a graduate course on theater history and will continue his work as the faculty director for the Schola2rs House Learning Community, a program for Black men studying a UConn. The Schola2rs House focuses on persistence rates for African American men in predominantly white institutions, according to Bradford. The persistence rate measures the percentage of students who return to college at any institution for their second year. 

Bradford meets with the group every Friday to participate in conversations about how the students can navigate the campus and work on things such as study skills and preparation for graduate school.

A native of Arkansas City, Kan., Bradford moved to Connecticut in 1982 to join the Navy, where he served as an electrician and then went on to work at Electric Boat. He moved to New London in 1995. 

He said one of the things he has loved most about living in New London, is the art scene that feeds and creates space for his passions. He loves the city’s grit and diversity, but his favorite thing is the multitude of opportunities to experience the offerings of his fellow artists. 

 “The biggest reason I love New London is because of the artists; the visual artists, the gallery spaces, the theater that is happening and the art community is so cohesive,” he said.

He found his artistic calling when he was brought to a production of “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom” by August Wilson, during which he discovered his love of theater.

“I was undone,” he said. “You talk about a life transforming moment - we walked out of that theater and that’s all I wanted to do was write plays for the theater, it just shifted my life.”

To pursue his dreams of becoming a playwright, he enrolled at UConn in 1994 where he earned his bachelor’s degree in General Studies, and then became an adjunct professor. He went on to earn his MFA in playwriting from Brooklyn College CUNY and begin his career-long involvement in the New York theater scene before returning to UConn full-time.

Fits both roles

The university’s provost said that this summer, he decided to open two vice provost positions, one focused on student success and one focused on staff and faculty development - but Bradford fit the bill for both. Bradford, said Lejuez, “evidenced a unique skill set” that would allow him to fulfill the needs of both planned vice provost positions using “a holistic approach to supporting all members of our community,” and so, Bradford’s role was born.

In the weeks since his promotion, Bradford has begun to navigate the role of supporting everyone at UConn - whether virtually or on campus - in the midst of a tumultuous academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of Bradford’s first steps has been to hold open office hours with students and forums for administrators to facilitate conversations.

“At the end of the day it's really about creating space for people to come in and have a conversation about what's on their minds,” he said.

On Oct. 21, Bradford hosted a virtual meet-and-greet, giving students the chance to chat with him via video call.

Brianna Chance, a sophomore studying music education and vocal performance, was one of the students who logged on to participate in the discussion. Chance, 19, works as a residence assistant and lives on UConn's Storrs' campus. When she is not living on campus during the school year, she is homeless.

Chance, of New Haven, helps run an organization on campus called Creating Caring Communities that helps students, like herself, who are homeless or housing insecure. The meet-and-greet with Bradford, she said, gave her an opportunity to advocate for the needs of her peers who face housing-related struggles.

“I thought it was such a great way to connect with the higher-ups at the university,” said Chance, who said that having a virtual event due to the pandemic made the opportunity more accessible for everyone.

Chance said she was able to engage in a meaningful conversation with Bradford, and called it one of the more rewarding discussions she has had with university administrators.

“He was able to hear me and be receptive,” Chance said of Bradford,“He spoke to me with empathy and care and immediately I could tell he was thinking ‘what can I do to help?’”

Helping students navigate the impact of COVID-19 

Bradford has been helping folks across campus, and in the virtual sphere, navigate a plethora of problems so far this year, many related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, in a theatrical lens, he looks at the UConn community as an “ensemble” working together to keep the whole production going.

At UConn, only 4,000 to 5,000 students are on campus this semester, and the rest are learning virtually. He said he knows students are missing the buzz of campus life and that he’s been especially hard for this year’s freshmen who are losing the dynamic culture of life on campus in their first year of college.

“It's difficult but I’m also enthused that people are really trying to find ways to make it work for them, so we’re going to get through it,” he said.

 “What people are really missing is that community, so we’re looking at how we can maintain that from a distance,” he said.

Bradford is helping the theater program shift from a focus on live performance to adaptations in digital media in film and hopes his fellow thespians will recognize that even though the curtains are closed, this is an important time for artists and actors.

“This is a moment where the artistic voice, the theater voice is more necessary than ever to help us contextualize this moment,” he said, “and so you've got to be really innovative about how you put your voice out there, do not let this moment stop you.”

Campuswide, he wants students, faculty and staff in every field of study to know that they have his support and that his door - or email inbox - is always open.

“We will come out on the other side of this,” he said. “I don't know what that means or what that looks like but we will be needed on the other side of this.”