Dear Bentley community,
Late summer / early fall might be my favorite time of year on our beautiful campus. The trees are full and green, the flowers are vibrant and colorful, but the best part is the energy and joy as students return to start a new year with the amazing faculty and staff that support this university. There’s nothing better than the excitement of students reconnecting with classmates and professors after a few months apart and the anticipation as courses begin again. It’s wonderful to have everyone back.
We begin this year with a strong foundation. Last fall, our community, after a year of thoughtful hard work, unveiled the Falcons Forward 2030 strategic plan to ensure that Bentley remains a leader in business education for the next decade and beyond. Since then, we’ve made progress in several areas, bringing this plan and our collective future to life in meaningful ways.
I’m proud to note that this fall we’re welcoming the first cohort of our new Executive PhD in Business program and launching a partnership with Kuwait College of Science and Technology to create an executive education program for Kuwaiti professionals. We’re continuing to build out the new E-Hub, helping students develop an entrepreneurial mindset and learn essential entrepreneurship skills; opening a Creativity Studio in Collins Hall, providing a new space for creative expression and design thinking; and beginning our first full academic year with the beautiful new Claudette Blot Multicultural Center Lounge, offering a dynamic space for students of color to collaborate and recharge.
These are just a few examples of the way Bentley is evolving and advancing, and it’s gratifying to see these initiatives come to life. Falcons Forward promises to take bold action to build the institution of the future our students, faculty, staff, alumni and other critical stakeholders deserve, and we’re just getting started.
Last year also marked the beginning of our partnership with Gallup, surveying how Americans feel businesses are doing in making a positive impact on society. The survey raised Bentley’s national profile, drew interest from prominent media and strengthened our relationship with top employers including State Street, Deloitte and Liberty Mutual. I’m excited to share the results of this year’s Bentley-Gallup survey with you next month.
The university’s successes have not gone unnoticed. Last month, the Princeton Review ranked Bentley’s career services #1 in the nation, the 10th year in a row we’ve been ranked in the top five nationally. Earlier in the year, the NCAA recognized Bentley’s student-athletes for having the highest graduation rate in the nation at 99%. And the New York Times ranked Bentley #4 in the U.S. for earning after graduation, ahead of schools including Stanford, Princeton and Georgetown.
While we enter this year with plenty of momentum, there is still much work to do. Achieving our vision for the decade will take dedication and perseverance, but I’m confident we are building a stronger, more innovative and better Bentley, one step at a time. I’m looking forward to what we will accomplish this year – as students, as faculty, as staff, and together as one Bentley community.
Welcome back.
Brent