The Bentley Buzz

This July, faculty and staff will gather for the Fifth Annual Bentley Community Learning Conference to engage in professional development opportunities and learn about topics that impact our community. Over the course of the three days, conferencegoers have the opportunity to share ideas and collaborate across departments with colleagues in peer-led sessions and workshops.

Faculty and staff participation in facilitating workshops and presenting on topics that are important to them is a cornerstone of the annual conference, and this year is no different. As the official call for proposals launches next week, we caught up with some of the presenters from previous Community Learning Conferences to learn what it’s like to present and how rewarding the experience can be. Presentations have ranged from professional skill building and methods for processing current events to personal passions and mindfulness best practices. 

“Presenting is actually one of my favorite aspects of my job,” said Multicultural Center Director Michael McCorvey, who has presented at each of the past four conferences and plans to submit another proposal this year. “Part of it is that I enjoy public speaking, but most of the reason why I submit proposals is the process of creating the presentations. It gives me a reason to learn more about a topic that interests me, and the conference gives me a platform to share that information with the rest of the community.”

With this knowledge sharing has come a more informed campus culture. “To me the benefit is threefold; I get to learn more about something that interests me, I get to share what I learned with the community, and because the topics are all related to my work in supporting students of color, the students benefit because our community is more knowledgeable about their experiences.”

While presenters who have been members of the community for many years often feel most comfortable submitting a proposal, newer faculty and staff are also encouraged to submit a proposal to present on something they’re passionate about during the conference, too. “I was inspired to present the first time because I was relatively new to Bentley and I wanted to connect with more staff and faculty,” shared Ombudsperson Eliane Markoff. “I met many new colleagues and gained their trust. It will be great to see more faculty share their areas of expertise. Many of the topics are indeed of great interest to our community!”

In the collaborative spirit of the conference, faculty and staff can call on peers to present as a team, as many have done in the past. Presenting alone can feel daunting at times, but creating a proposal to facilitate a session as a group provides an excellent opportunity to combine skillsets.

“Aside from sharing information from the presentation with the community, the most rewarding part is working with the people I present with,” said Michael. “I’ve only ever presented alone once, every other time I have been able to present with colleagues. I really like that because it gives me a chance to get to know some of the people I work with better, and the presentations are always better because of the diversity of ideas and different presentation styles. Having a chance to present with other people has made me a better presenter.” 

And while presenting on topics related to professional development and growth in the workplace is a core focus of the conference, sharing personal passions are also strongly encouraged. For Executive Director of Corporate and Industry Development Laura Aiken, that meant sharing her expertise in yoga to give community members a chance to stretch and relax during the conference. “I wanted to share something I love with the community I love,” remarked Laura. “Seeing people in a different element to recognize one another for talents outside of how we see each other during work was the most rewarding part.”  

The peer-led model for the Community Learning Conference is unique to Bentley, something that the conference organizers are reminded of each year as they sort through submitted proposals. “We are very lucky to work in higher education and be surrounded by people who are experts in areas, but we aren't always able to get exposed to that expertise,” said Director of Learning and Development and Engagement Strategies Melissa Looney. “It's common practice in higher education to go to conferences and to present your expertise. But I don't know that it's as common to look internally to do that. It’s great that we can leverage our expertise and come together and learn from each other and socialize.” 

In addition to coordinating the logistics of the conference, the Learning and Development team plays an active role supporting presenters and participants alike from the call for proposals process through the conclusion of the conference. Some presenters might be seasoned experts at public speaking, while others may be new to facilitating a workshop. Regardless of the level of comfort, the conference organizers want the entire community to know that the sessions are intentionally designed to provide a safe and open environment for learning and growth.  

“Whether someone has presented on a topic before or they’re looking to refine a presentation, we want to provide a safe community environment for presenters to work,” shared Associate Director of Learning and Development and Engagement Strategies Meg Ward. “I would love to see folks from all levels and all divisions feel like they’re empowered to submit a proposal. We make the submission process easy for that specific reason.” 

With the application process taking less than 30 minutes, the call for proposals is designed to remove any barriers that potential presenters may experience in registering for the conference. 

Proposals submissions open next week, so be sure to keep an eye out and submit your application to share your expertise with your colleagues in the upcoming Community Learning Conference! 

In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, on Wednesday, April 26 at 2:00 p.m., the Bentley community is invited to join together for a walk around campus to show support for survivors of sexual violence. The walk, which is co-sponsored by the Offices of Institutional Equity, Community Wellbeing and Health Promotion, University Police and Sexual Assault Resources and Advocacy, is open to all members of the community.

Walkers will gather on the Green Space at 2:00 p.m. and will walk a loop around campus as a group. The walk will end back at the Green Space where participants can connect over dessert from a surprise food truck. Those interested in joining the walk are encouraged to wear jeans in recognition of Denim Day — the national day devoted to spreading awareness around issues of sexual violence — and teal, the color of sexual assault awareness. Registration is required, so be sure to fill out the form below before April 26! 

Register for the Walk

The Office of Gender and Sexuality Student Programs and the Center for Women and Business are excited to announce the introduction of Rainbow Week at Bentley! During the week, community members are invited to attend the inaugural Rainbow Scholars Conference on April 18 and the annual Rainbow Graduation on April 19.

The Rainbow Scholars Conference workshops include Cultivating LGBTQ+ Positive Culture on Campus, LGBTQ+ Allyship and Solidarity and Global LGBTQ+ Perspectives. Participants are welcome to attend one or all workshops, but must register using the link below. 

Each year, the Rainbow Graduation honors graduating LGBTQ+ students and provides a space for the community to recognize and celebrate their contributions to Bentley. During the event, speakers will share reflections before students are presented with their graduation cords. 

Register for the Rainbow Conference           Register for the Rainbow Graduation

Miller Selected for CSC Academic All-America Hall of Fame Class of 2023
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Eight Falcons Named to the Hampshire Honor Society 
Eight former Bentley football players have been named to the 2023 Hampshire Honor Society by the National Football Foundation for their success in the classroom during their collegiate careers.

Softball Sweeps AIC to Reach 20-Win Plateau
The Falcons scored four runs in the first inning of the opener and rallied from a 4-1 deficit with another four-spot in the seventh inning of the nightcap to sweep American International College, 9-3 and 5-4, in Northeast-10 Conference softball Tuesday at Judy Groff Field.