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Bentley Equity Experience

The Bentley Equity Experience

Discovering Who We Are, Uncovering Who We Can Be

The Bentley Equity Experience

As part of its efforts to embrace a culture of inclusion and achieve equity, Bentley University has launched the Bentley Equity Experience study to positively impact our living, learning, and working environment. The study is a concerted effort to invite the entire Bentley community to better understand and improve its campus climate, culture, and values by addressing the challenges and seizing the opportunities for change. Bentley invites all community members to participate in this campaign to help the university better understand their lived experiences and feelings of belonging on campus.

The campaign included a campus climate survey completed during the Fall 2021 semester. Over the Spring 2022 semester, Bentley will host a series of engagement events to bring the campus together to reflect on the survey's data and to engage deeper with themes that emerged from the Quick Questions and Community Polls conducted alongside the climate survey.

Big Questions for Bentley

Grapple with Big Questions

How do Bentley staff, faculty, and students experience the campus? What aspects of Bentley's culture are driving some experiences, for better or for worse?

The Big Questions for Bentley dialogues will bring together students, alumni, faculty, and staff to openly and bravely examine and uncover the ways in which our campus climate and culture impacts the lived experiences of our community members. These workshops will combine self-reflection, facilitated dialogues and targeted activities to provide participants multiple ways to understand and engage with the culture and climate. 

Join Us for Dialogue

Come and learn some of the findings from the Bentley Equity Experience campus climate study to begin uncovering what is behind some of our community's experiences and identify new possibilities for a healthier Bentley community and culture.

Check below for the dates and times of the three Big Questions sessions!

Big Question Session Dates

21 Thursday Apr 12:00PM

Big Questions for Bentley #2

Register for Event
26 Tuesday Apr 2:00PM

Big Questions for Bentley #3

Register for Event

Back to Quick Question #2: Helping or Hindering

In Fall 2021, The Quick Questions series asked community members to provide an insight about Bentley's culture around a specific theme. For our Quick Question #2, over 90 Bentley community members shared their response to the question:

How has the culture at Bentley University helped or hindered your success?

Below you will find a summary of themes from Quick Question #2 and a sample of community member's response. Take a look through the quotes. What stood out to you? What do you think of the themes that were identified? How can Bentley be better?

QQ2 Summary of Themes: How Bentley's Culture Has Helped Success
QQ2 Summary of Themes: How Bentley's Culture Has Hindered Success
Image with the text "I had experienced microaggressions in the classroom (even from a couple professors) and heard numerous stories about others' poor experiences (@sexism.at.bentley and @blackatbentley….)"

I had experienced microaggressions in the classroom (even from a couple professors) and heard numerous stories about others' poor experiences (@sexism.at.bentley and @blackatbentley….)

Image with the text "The assumption that bias and discriminatory treatment against female faculty isn’t sexism or is unrelated to institutional sexism. "

The assumption that bias and discriminatory treatment against female faculty isn’t sexism or is unrelated to institutional sexism.

Image with the text "Bentley has a culture of helping students learn inside and outside the classroom, where emphasis is placed on sharing experiences with fellow students…."

Bentley has a culture of helping students learn inside and outside the classroom, where emphasis is placed on sharing experiences with fellow students….

Image with the text "Some people have been impacted negatively in the past by Bentley’s culture on account of being different: black, gay, trans, POC, differently abled, or woman."

Some people have been impacted negatively in the past by Bentley’s culture on account of being different: black, gay, trans, POC, differently abled, or woman.

Image with the text "…there is an expectation to maintain elitist culture."

…there is an expectation to maintain elitist culture.

Image with the text "The culture of diversity helps in gaining exposure to varied and diverse views, experiences, and information… It has also assisted in building a wider network with people from different walks of life, whom I can reach out to."

The culture of diversity helps in gaining exposure to varied and diverse views, experiences, and information… It has also assisted in building a wider network with people from different walks of life, whom I can reach out to.

Image with the text "…the athletic department places a lot of emphasis on the value of putting your education here at Bentley first, and that has definitely helped me succeed in the classroom and on the field. "

…the athletic department places a lot of emphasis on the value of putting your education here at Bentley first, and that has definitely helped me succeed in the classroom and on the field.

Image with the text "… an extremely positive learning environment where everyone cares about each other and is supportive in their educational goals."

… an extremely positive learning environment where everyone cares about each other and is supportive in their educational goals.

Image with the text "Helping my success by having members of the community be genuinely interested in my development."

Helping my success by having members of the community be genuinely interested in my development.

Image with the text "There is a serious aversion to risk at Bentley…. On the one hand, it is keeping us from big moves and bold thinking. On the other, it has kept us relatively stable over the past few years of turmoil."

There is a serious aversion to risk at Bentley…. On the one hand, it is keeping us from big moves and bold thinking. On the other, it has kept us relatively stable over the past few years of turmoil.

Image with the text "I am appalled every day by the lack of knowledge Bentley students have about equality and equity."

I am appalled every day by the lack of knowledge Bentley students have about equality and equity.

Image with the text "Bentley…fails to recognize systematic inequalities that have place me farther behind the finish line than many others."

Bentley…fails to recognize systematic inequalities that have place me farther behind the finish line than many others.

Image with the text "…we do not have a culture at Bentley that embraces mistakes or shortcomings, especially in matters related to [diversity, equity, inclusion and justice]."

…we do not have a culture at Bentley that embraces mistakes or shortcomings, especially in matters related to [diversity, equity, inclusion and justice].

Back to Community Poll #2: Bentley's Image

On our second Survey Completion Day (November 17th, 2021), nearly 220 Bentley students, faculty and staff were asked to choose an image that best described Bentley's culture.

We offered fifteen different cards for community members to select from and give a short response about why they selected that particular card. Below is a gallery showing a collage of all possible cards.

The four most selected images were:

The Open Door (15.5% of respondents)

The Checklist (13.2% of respondents)

The Gears (10% of respondents)

The Target (8.7% of respondents)

The most popular images are included with a sample of the reasons individuals selected it. Take a moment to reflect on the responses. What stood out to you? What image do you think best describes Bentley's culture? How can Bentley be better?

A collage showing all the possible cards for the Community Poll activity from the Survey Completion Day on November 17th, 2021
A summary of the responses for the Open Door image showing a 15.5% selection rate
A summary of the responses for the Checklist image showing a 13.2% selection rate
A summary of the responses for the Gears image showing a 10% selection rate
A summary of the responses for the Target image showing a 8.7% selection rate

Be Part of the Bentley Equity Experience

The study will consist of various components to get feedback and insights from community members:

  • Campus Climate Survey
  • Big Questions for Bentley
  • Quick Questions for Bentley

Through these events, we hope to gain insights from all community members to understand who we truly are as a community and can become a place where all of us can lead, grow, and thrive.

Be a force for discovery.
Be a force for possibility.
Be a force for change.

I am proud that we as a community are engaging in the Bentley Equity Experience campaign. This effort will help us to better understand who we truly are as a university and help us to create paths forward towards a better campus climate and culture for everyone at Bentley.
Patrick Couillard Hale
Director, Office of Diversity & Inclusion

Feedback or Questions for the BEX Team?

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Campus Resources

In addition to the Bentley Equity Experience, we encourage you to seek out resources to support you as you navigate your experiences on campus.

Resources for All

Resources for Faculty & Staff

Resources for Students