The Bentley Buzz

On May 15, longtime women's basketball coach Barbara Stevens was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in recognition of her extraordinary 44-year coaching career. Over the course of 34 seasons at Bentley, Coach Stevens led the women's basketball program to an impressive 901-200 record. In 2014, she led the team to an undefeated season that was capped off with the program's first NCAA championship.

Coach Stevens entered the Hall of Fame in good company, with fellow inductees including NBA legends Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. “To be honored tonight for my life’s work is overwhelming,” said Coach Stevens in her induction ceremony remarks. “Growing up in Southbridge, Massachusetts, 35 miles from the Hall of Fame, I never envisioned I would be standing here. The game of basketball has taken me on an incredible journey. Tonight, I want to thank those who helped to make this possible.”

Over the course of her illustrious career, Coach Stevens finished with an impressive record of 1058-291, only surpassed in victories by fellow Hall of Fame coaches Pat Summitt, Tara VanDerveer and Geno Auriemma. She is one of six NCAA women's basketball coaches with at least 1,000 wins and was honored as the Division II National Coach of the Year five times and the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year 16 times.  

Congratulations on an incredible career, Coach Stevens! 

Read More about Coach Stevens' Induction

Have you saved the date for Bentley's third annual Community Learning Conference? This year's conference will take place virtually from July 19 to 21 and will give faculty and staff the opportunity to engage with colleagues and learn about topics that impact our community from experts across campus. 

“For the past two years, the Community Learning Conference has given a chance for faculty and staff to come together and share their expertise with their peers in a way that promotes growth and collaboration in support of our core values and positive principles," said Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer George Cangiano. "We’re lucky to have so many experts in our community and are looking forward to another conference filled with personal and professional development.”

With so many experts on our campus, the learning conference gives the faculty and staff who help make Bentley special an opportunity to share tips and best practices with the entire community. To help keep our community connected during these remote times, this year's conference will include virtual community-building sessions created for socializing and getting to know one another across campus. 

“The conference is something that my colleagues in University Advancement and I look forward to every year," said Manager of Advancement Applications Dan Wilga. "What makes this conference unique is that it brings faculty and staff together to inform, collaborate, share experiences and enhance their understanding of specific human capital topics which are not only relevant in today’s higher education market, but are concerns that matter most to employees."

Are you interested in sharing your expertise with the community during this year's conference? Click here to submit a proposal to present!

Have a new pandemic hobby? Have any interesting summer plans? We want to feature you! 

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Earlier this month, Alexa Erb, Jess Sumney and Ben Longstreth were invited to speak about the Student Affairs division's initiatives on racial justice and equity and inclusion by NASPA, an organization that supports student affairs professionals across the country. During the webinar, titled Cultivating Anti-Racism on Campus: Student Affairs Racial Justice Initiatives, the group spoke with college administrators from across the country on the practices that Bentley's Student Affairs team has developed related to anti-racist advocacy and fostering student accountability and growth.

Over the past year, Student Affairs has developed a number of initiatives aimed at fostering an anti-racist community and educating students about the importance of equity and inclusion. To support these efforts, the Equity and Inclusion Committee worked closely with students by creating the Student Equity and Inclusion Consultant Group, which consults with the division to provide valuable student oversight and engagement. In addition to working closely with student leaders, Student Affairs has scheduled racial justice education presentations during their bi-weekly meetings to help staff continue to work on their own racial justice action plans. 

Congratulations to the Student Affairs division for serving as a model in racial justice advocacy for student affairs teams across the country! 

Check out Student Affairs' Racial Justice Action Plan and Dashboard