Announcing Bentley NEST
Dear Parents,
I am excited to share with you that we successfully launched our Bentley NEST program over the weekend. All students received this email from me on Saturday and by now a NEST Mentor has already reached out to each individual student. I am very proud to say that EVERY Bentley student has a staff member ready to assist them through this difficult period. I am particularly looking forward to working with my assigned students: the residents of the first floor of Collins Hall.
NEST means:
NAVIGATE
We will navigate the new challenges and experiences that you are having from your "satellite campuses" this semester as a team.
ENGAGE
We aim to create environments where you can engage with each other as well as staff members from anywhere in the world.
SUPPORT
We are here to support you as questions come up during this historic time.
TOGETHER
We might be a campus spread all over the world, but we are in this together.
How can you help?
- Ask your student about their mentor and that individual’s role on campus. This is a great opportunity for our students to meet a staff member or make a connection they may not have already made.
- Each mentor has asked students to fill out a poll to identify times for a weekly Zoom meeting. Encourage your student to fill out this poll to make sure their first meeting is set.
- Encourage your student to participate in the weekly Zoom meetings. I strongly believe that students learn from each other and I will work with my group to help them share their experiences and what is helping them keep track.
- Remind your student that there is someone there to assist them. They may not need it this week, but they might need that nudge down the road. Please encourage your student to take advantage of this innovative program.
Thank you for the questions that came in after last week’s email. I appreciate hearing from you. We have updated the FAQs for students with new information related to pro-rated housing and meal plan adjustments, the Pulsifer Career Development Center and an important decision regarding Commencement. We will be sharing more information on dealing with stress and anxiety next week.
Over the next two weeks students will select housing for next year and complete course registration for the summer and fall. We hope this look to the future will be reassuring to students (and parents!). We know that both processes can produce anxiety for students. When students are on campus, we have open office hours and in-person meetings to help students. Please know we are still here and students can always reach out for that personal touch. They will be receiving emails from housing and the registrar’s office on how to connect.
And remember, each student has a NEST mentor ready to guide them!
Take care and let us know if we can help.
J. Andrew Shepardson
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students