From the President

Fall on a college campus always feels to me like a time for new beginnings. The cooling of the air and changing of the leaves go hand in hand with the feeling of a fresh start. I've been lucky to experience that rejuvenation as a student, faculty member, department chair, dean and president. 
    
It’s an exciting time for our university, there’s no question about that. As we build a new strategic plan that will guide us into our second century, there is a definite buzz on campus about how we will continue to evolve and take our next big step. That notion of innovating and looking ahead is not a new one for Bentley — just ask any of our 65,000 proud Falcon alumni. We’ve always been forward-thinking. Harry Bentley first opened our doors over 100 years ago to address a need for leaders in the accounting field. As the years went by, we could have taken the safe route and continued to focus on educating accountants at 921 Boylston Street in Boston. But we took a risk in the 1960s by moving to Waltham to provide larger facilities for our growing student population. 
    
Our academic horizons expanded, too. When the world needed well-rounded students who could lead with purpose, we answered the call by integrating our business focus with the arts and sciences to emphasize ethical leadership. 
    

Today, we’re staying true to that spirit of continuing to reinvent the way we provide a modern business education for a new generation of learners. As you’ll read in the fall 2019 issue of Bentley Magazine, Generation Z approaches the world differently, even from the millennials who preceded them. We’re making sure that the Bentley education of 2019 and beyond provides them with the tools to succeed in a competitive world that looks different from 10, 20 or 50 years ago. By continuing to adapt, we’re both creating a strong foundation for Bentley’s future and honoring our past as a university unafraid of the challenges of tomorrow. 

So while it feels like an exciting new beginning on campus, it also feels true to what Bentley has always been — a place that opens doors for our students and prepares them to change the world. I’m excited, as I know you’ll be after reading this issue, for what comes next.