Our Mission:
As a catalyst for academic innovation, the Badavas Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning advances effective teaching and forward-looking course design at Bentley University. We work alongside faculty and staff to explore, experiment, and share practices that prepare learners with the skills and mindsets needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. Through strategic partnerships and evidence-based approaches, the Center develops sustainable, scalable, and inclusive initiatives that enhance teaching excellence and shape the future of learning at Bentley and beyond.
Our Approach:
At the Badavas Center, we design learning that is active, inclusive, and grounded in research. Our approach connects sound design foundations with practical instructional strategies that faculty can apply right away.
We take a student-centered approach, align outcomes with meaningful assessments, and foster collaboration and innovation among instructors. Through active learning, reflection, community, and adaptive design, we help faculty create courses where students don’t just absorb information; they practice, apply, discover, and grow.
How Can We Help?
Our team supports education and innovation every step of the way, from ideation to implementation. Here are a few of the ways we're here to help:
The Badavas Center connects Bentley’s academic innovation with the evolving needs of today’s learners and organizations. We collaborate with Executive and Professional Education to design learner-centered programs and manage digital learning experiences that bring Bentley’s faculty expertise to professionals worldwide. In partnership with the Academic Technology Center (ATC), we help faculty integrate emerging technologies and learning science into their teaching. Through collaborations with corporate and nonprofit partners, we co-create applied learning pathways that extend Bentley’s impact beyond campus, bridging academic excellence with real-world application.
At the Badavas Center, our Learning Design team creates innovative learning experiences that meet students where they are. We design, develop, and continuously refine Bentley’s online asynchronous courses and hybrid Professional MBA (PMBA) program, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience across modalities. Each course is intentionally crafted to balance flexibility with structure, helping students manage their learning on their own schedule while maintaining clear pathways for connection, feedback, and success. Our work also extends to creating digital research and experiential learning modules that enrich the undergraduate experience, ensuring that every Bentley learner (whether on campus or online) benefits from a high-impact, learner-centered design.
Looking for your next big idea? The Badavas Center offers thought partnership to help faculty and academic teams imagine what’s possible. Our learning scientists and designers collaborate with individuals, departments, and programs to spark new approaches to teaching, design innovative courses, or develop pilot programs aligned with Bentley’s mission of academic innovation. Whether you’re refining a course concept or launching something entirely new, we’ll help you move from idea to implementation.
Contact us at BadavasCenter@Bentley.edu to schedule an ideation session for your team or program.
The Badavas Center empowers Bentley faculty to grow, experiment, and innovate in their teaching. Through Faculty Learning Communities, interactive workshops, and individual consultations, we help faculty explore new pedagogical approaches, integrate emerging technologies, and strengthen student engagement. Our team serves as a thought partner, supporting everything from course design and assessment to creative experimentation in the classroom.
For faculty who prefer self-paced learning, we also offer Workday modules on topics such as asynchronous teaching strategies, inclusive pedagogy, and academic integrity. Each experience is designed to foster reflection, collaboration, and continuous growth.
If you or your department would like to explore new ideas or develop customized faculty learning opportunities, contact us at BadavasCenter@Bentley.edu.
Where We Started:
Bentley launched the Robert P. and Kalliope Badavas Center in 2019, thanks to a generous gift from Bob Badavas ’74 and his wife Kally, to support faculty and initiatives focused on curriculum redesign. The center was founded to drive educational innovation across campus by exploring new learning experiences, supporting faculty development, and adapting to the evolving needs of future learners.