P.E.T. Projects are designed for faculty and staff to work together in a cross-divisional, collaborative team to advance changes or new initiatives at a systemic level. These projects offer faculty and staff with a particular passion area an opportunity to utilize their own skills along with the expertise of other campus partners to foster institutional change to promote more equitable experiences and outcomes for all community members
Definition of a P.E.T. Project
Each project will involve the creation of a working group dedicated to developing strategic efforts to implement institutional change and impact on key organizational issues or needs. Cross-divisional ad-hoc teams are then created to address and meet these critical needs.
For a project to be considered a P.E.T. project, it must meet the following criteria:
- Aims to address a systemic issue that touches across the institution. (Projects that are focused on specific divisions or departments will not be considered.)
- Has a well-defined outcome for achieving equity around a specific issue or challenge.
- The working group created for the project must consist of faculty and staff across multiple divisions at the University. Student membership may also be required if the project is addressing a need that impacts the student experience.
- Involves a learning and development component to increase individual and collective knowledge on the topic of interest or concern.
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Develops a series of recommendations for addressing issues of inequity in a timely and procedural manner. Additional project deliverables may be developed as needed but are not expected.
Featured Project: Lowering the Cost of Educational Materials
We are excited to announce the launch of a new Promoting Equity Together (P.E.T.) project, Lowering the Cost of Course Materials, which aims to explore the true cost of course materials and identify opportunities to decrease the costs for students.
Rationale: Affordability of course materials is a pervasive issue that impacts many students across campus. For some, the unexpected high cost of educational resources negatively impacts their personal finances. While most Bentley students today can afford the course materials required, there are some that cannot. Whether students can or cannot afford textbooks, all students deserve a less expensive way to complete their education and save money. According to a survey of undergraduate and graduate students, conducted by the Bentley University Library, close to half (48%) of survey respondents spent $300 or more on course materials for the Fall 2023 semester. Given the possible financial burdens that some students experience due to high-cost course materials, the committee aims to explore solutions that make educational resources more affordable and accessible for all students.
The project proposed outcomes include:
- Enhancing awareness of existing affordable course material initiatives.
- Development of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the costs of course materials including suggestions for:
- Modifications to existing systems, structures, and processes to better enable and support the adoption of affordable course materials.
- Methods to assess and evaluate the impact of affordable material initiatives.
Project Team Chairs:
- Katie Penn, Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
- James Thibeault, Senior Librarian, Open Educational Resources
Project Team Members:
- Patrick Couillard Hale, Director, Diversity and Inclusion
- Cindy DeGrave, Associate Registrar
- Jane De Leon Griffin, Associate Provost, Student Success
- Hope Houston, Executive Director, Library
- Lauren Hubacheck, Interim Associate Dean for Health, Wellbeing and Counseling
- Lauren Sullivan, Executive Director, Student Financial Services
- Susan Vroman, Lecturer and MG 116 Coordinator, Management
Questions or Feedback?
If you are interested in learning more about this P.E.T. Project, please contact Katie Penn (kpenn@bentley.edu) or James Thibeault (jamesthibeault@bentley.edu).
If you would like to share your ideas or offer feedback on this project, please complete the following form below.
Proposing a Project
In addition to the projects that may be initiated by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, community members may propose projects that meet the stated criteria.
When suggesting a P.E.T. project, consider the following questions:
- What specific need are you trying to meet that exists across the institution?
- How will this project contribute to promoting inclusive excellence at Bentley University?
- What is your ultimate goal or objective, and how attainable and relevant is it to the Bentley University of today?
- What learning have you engaged in to understand the importance of addressing this issue, topic or concern?
- How will this project promote and advance equity across the Bentley experience?
- How will this project foster continued learning and development for you and the greater Bentley community?
- How will you know that you are successful? How would you measure progress after the project is completed?
For information on how to propose a project, please contact Patrick Couillard Hale, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at phale@bentley.edu.
What If I Have Questions?
If you are unsure if a project idea that you have fits the criteria stated above or if you want more information about how to get involved in P.E.T. projects in general, please feel free to contact Patrick Couillard Hale, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at phale@bentley.edu.