If you are experiencing academic difficulty in a course, there are many support services available to you. We suggest that you take the following steps:
- Make an appointment with your instructor to discuss your status in the course, to develop a realistic assessment of how you are doing, and to begin outlining a plan to improve your performance.
- Meet with an advisor to discuss the concerns raised by your faculty and get information about existing resources that are available to you. You may also want to discuss whether the issues that are surfacing in one course exist in other courses to get a greater understanding of individual strengths and weaknesses and how to best address the areas of concern.
- Depending on your area of concern, seek out assistance through the Counseling Center, the Multicultural Center, the Center for International Students and Scholars, or the Athletics Center.
- Seek out help through Bentley’s Academic Resources
- For those of you who would like to discuss your academic concerns or would like additional help in sorting out your academic needs, you are encouraged to meet with Leslie Doolittle, Assistant Dean, Academic Support & Advocacy. You can schedule appointment with Leslie via email.
- If you are debating whether or not to withdraw from a course, be mindful of the University's deadlines (which can be found on the Registrar’s web site), and discuss the pro’s and con’s with your advisor. Remember the following considerations:
To maintain full-time status, you must be registered for a minimum of 12 credits.
- International students must be registered for a minimum of 12 credits to maintain visa status. (If there are extenuating circumstances, you should contact the Center for International Students and Scholars, in Student Center 350, to discuss obtaining special permission to drop below the minimum.
- If you drop below 12 credits, financial aid, on-campus housing, and health insurance coverage may be affected. You should check with the Office of Financial Assistance, the Residential Center, and your health insurer to ask about implications.
- Pre-requisite satisfaction and course registration for subsequent semesters may be affected.
Academic Resources
Faculty Office Hours
The majority of Bentley faculty hold weekly office hours, which are listed on the course syllabus and posted in the department. If you cannot meet with the instructor during posted office hours, please email your faculty member to see if you can make alternative arrangements.
Office hours are a great opportunity to talk with your faculty member one-on-one. You can utilize office hours to discuss challenges you are having with the course material, ask questions about an assignment, or build a relationship with your faculty.
Peer Tutoring Services
One-on-one and small group peer tutoring services are available for undergraduate students who qualify. Students who are working diligently and taking responsibility to learn the course material but are still at risk for failure may apply for peer tutoring services. A referral from a faculty or staff member is required.
Academic Success Tools & Programs
Check out our helpful videos, programs and worksheets on a variety of topics, including: time management, study skills, test prep, creating a master syllabus, using Outlook, and much more.
Academic Learning Centers
The goal of the Center for Languages and International Collaboration (CLIC) is to provide support services for both faculty and students in exploring pedagogical innovation in the fields of language learning. CLIC offers an array of ground-breaking technology, such as original language software and virtual reality, that aims at enhancing the Modern Languages course curricula. CLIC intends to create a social space and develop communities of practice where intercultural exchanges can flourish, and multilingual communication can thrive.
Location: Adamian 162
Celebrating its 10th year during 2020-2021 as Bentley's Technology Social Learning Space, the CIS Sandbox prepares students to succeed in their CIS courses and to thrive in a technology-driven business world. As a campus destination for informal technology education, the CIS Sandbox distinguishes itself through its ability to provide peer-led tutoring services and online resources for students in CIS and IT courses and offer cutting-edge technology presentations and educational events for students and campus partners. In addition to visiting the CIS Sandbox for tutoring support, students make use of large tables with 50-inch monitors and glass-board for group collaboration. The CIS Sandbox also offers desktop computers running Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems, and specialized software, Android tablet, Raspberry Pi devices, Amazon Alexa and Google Home smart speakers, an Oculus Rift Virtual Reality Headset, large wall displays, a talking robot, and other high-tech gadgets.
The CIS Sandbox provides one-on-one and group tutoring sessions and informal learning activities both online and in person.
Location: Smith 234
The goal of the LEAF is to provide a welcoming and inclusive learning environment where students are encouraged to seek academic support for their accounting, economics and finance courses. Students utilizing the LEAF will find peer tutors knowledgeable in accounting, economics, and finance, ready to help and prepare students to thrive in the Bentley business curriculum.
The LEAF is designed to allow students hands-on experience by integrating technology into their areas of study and work together on group projects and case studies. Additionally, students will find peer led tutoring for the subject areas covered by the lab.
The LEAF has networked individual workstations plus group workstations with 42" display screens, and a conference room with a Smartboard.
Location: Lindsay 21
The Math Center provides drop-in tutoring to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in mathematics or statistics courses at Bentley. The goal is to have students leave a tutoring session with an increased understanding and confidence in their own ability to do mathematics. The center is directed by a full-time faculty member but is staffed entirely by Bentley students. During the academic year, the center is open most days and evenings, including weekends. During all hours of operation, students may get help with all 100-level math courses, and there are selected hours in which students may get help with math electives, graduate courses and GB 213 (Business Statistics). Computer assistance as it relates to a mathematics course is also provided.
Location: Jennison 218
Few students find it easy to do all the writing required of them in college. Forms of writing assigned in college often differ from those assigned in high-school, and college professors’ standards are often higher than those of high school teachers. The Writing Center offers one-to-one assistance with writing skills. It is staffed by a writing instructor and by peer tutors and offers guidance at all stages of the writing process, through tutoring, writing workshops, diagnostic testing and self-paced instruction.
Location: Library, Lower Level, 023
Bentley University students who are English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) can receive English-language support for their writing and academic coursework at the ESOL Center. Faculty tutors who specialize in working with multilingual learners offer feedback and strategies for writing at any stage from the brainstorming through the drafting process. Additionally, students can receive help related to research, documenting sources, oral presentations, Power Point slides, pronunciation, and conversation enrichment.
Location: Library, Lower Level, 026
High-Tech Labs
The Media and Culture Labs and Studio supports the English and Media Studies Department’s media and culture major, the joint Creative Industries major, as well as the university’s double major in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Media, Arts and Society. This state-of-the-art facility provides resources for all forms of media production: video, sound, digital photography and design. The labs house industry-standard software for video editing, screenwriting, sound mixing, animation, as well as graphic and motion design. The professional production tools available include digital and 4K HD cameras, lighting and grip equipment, microphones, and audio accessories. A soundproofed studio with green screen and lighting grid complete the professional production environment. Students are encouraged to visit the labs and studio in Lindsay Hall.
Location: Lindsay Hall, Room 10
We are a global user experience consulting group based at Bentley University. Since our foundation in 1999, we have provided hundreds of clients around the world with user experience research, design, and strategy services.
Our affiliation with the master’s program in Human Factors in Information Design provides the center with unique access to internationally-recognized experts and the latest research in the fields of user experience, design, human factors, usability, marketing, and business.
Location: Smith Academic Technology Center
The Hughey Center for Financial Services (or the Trading Room) is a world class academic facility providing students with hands-on, practical, and experiential learning opportunities in areas such as equity and fixed income research, portfolio management, risk management, and analytical decision making. The HCFS enables students to stay current in their fields and gain certifications in Bloomberg (Bloomberg Markets Concepts), Factset (Financial Modeling), and Morningstar. In addition, students have the opportunity to engage in multiple thought leadership sessions that are run throughout the year, including sessions on Blockchain, Behavioral Finance, ESG, Lifecycle of a Trade and Conversations with Senior Investment Professionals. For more information, please contact Jay Sultan, Director of The Hughey Center for Financial Services at jsultan@bentley.edu.
Location: Smith Academic Technology Center
Provides assistance for GB310, AC340, IPM450, GR602, AC730, AC731, and AC742.