New and returning students made their way to campus last week to move in for the start of the new academic year. Orientation leaders could be heard enthusiastically greeting new students across campus as first-year and transfer students moved in to begin their Bentley journeys. And while each new class is special, the Class of 2026 holds the distinction of being the largest and most diverse in Bentley's history! The 1,154 students who make up the Class of 2026 come to Bentley from 34 states and 51 countries and territories. 364 students identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian or Native American, while 292 are first-generation students.

The incoming class was officially welcomed to campus during Convocation in the Bentley Arena, where family members, faculty and staff celebrated the new additions to our community. In his welcome address during the ceremony, President Chrite remarked that bringing the most diverse class in Bentley's history was intentional to create a campus environment that mirrors the world that students will enter post graduation. “You can expect to be surrounded by a community that mirrors the pluralism of the world around you,” he said. “We seek to create a community that brings together students with differences in background, belief, orientation, experience and opinion.”

After the ceremony, the Class of 2026 began their orientation program as they continued to get acclimated to campus. Over the course of the weekend, the new additions to campus got to know Bentley and each other a bit more through resource fairs, a block party, bingo night and a scavenger hunt.

Welcome to Bentley, Class of 2026! 

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Faculty and staff spent the summer connecting with colleagues during a number of events and engagement opportunities on and off campus. From the fourth annual Community Learning Conference to Campus Connections’ trip to Canobie Lake Park, there was no shortage of chances for our community to catch up. Here's a recap of some of the ways we connected this summer:

Pride Flag Raising
We joined together on June 1 by the flag pole to hear reflections and kick off Pride Month with the fifth annual Pride Flag raising ceremony. 

Pride Block Party
We closed Pride Month with the first-ever Pride Block Party on campus, where 100 faculty and staff gathered to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community at Bentley. “When we were thinking about an event to close out Pride Month, we wanted to create a space where we could come together to create a joyous moment as we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community,” said Gender and Sexuality Student Programs Coordinator Nana Adu. “Inspired by an ongoing theme of ‘community,’ we also wanted to make sure that folks felt comfortable inviting family members and friends to the event. The Pride Block Party provided an opportunity to do that.” Read more


Fourth Annual Community Learning Conference
For the first time in person since 2019, the Community Learning Conference brought hundreds of faculty and staff together to focus on personal and professional development. The three-day conference kicked off with breakfast and a keynote address by Dr. Jacinta M. Jiménez, an award-winning author and psychologist, about how to avoid burnout in the workplace. Between sessions, conference attendees enjoyed lunch together in the LaCava tent with Flex and cooled off with an ice cream from the Cookie Monstah truck. University Police's support dog Blue helped clean up any stray drops of the tasty treats. 

Out with the Old, In with the New!
During the Community Learning Conference, the Brand team and Office of Sustainability invited faculty and staff to recycle printed materials with old branding or otherwise out-of-date information like business cards, envelopes, clothing or merchandise in exchange for new Bentley branded blankets and other SWAG. By the end of the conference, close to 1,000 items of apparel and 2,000 promotional items like totes and umbrellas were donated to a local nonprofit.

Did you miss out on the recycling/upcycling event and have materials you'd like to recycle? Reach out to brand@bentley.edu!
 

Annual Picnic at Canobie Lake Park
Faculty and staff brought their family members to Canobie Lake Park on Aug. 12 for Campus Connections’ annual summer picnic. They enjoyed a day of rides, entertainment and a picnic lunch together to cap off the last summer Friday. Together with their families, Bentley was well represented at the park that day. Ombudsperson Eliane Markoff took the day as an opportunity to introduce her twin grandchildren to the Bentley community. 

Welcome Back Luncheon
More than 400 faculty and staff came together to kick off the new academic year with lunch in the LaCava Tent and Executive Dining Room on first-year student move-in day. The event was a great way to reconnect with colleagues and share a meal before the start of another exciting semester at Bentley. 

The Buzz Celebrates Issue #50
Also this summer, we celebrated the 50th issue of the Bentley Buzz by sharing 50 facts, tidbits and interesting details about our university's past and present. Did you miss the issue? Check out the archived edition below!

Explore 50 Facts about Bentley

The RSM Gallery is proud to present “Touching the Pond,” an exhibit by the Massachusetts-based artist, educator and curator AJ Rombach. The Hermetic Phrase, “As above, so below, and as below, so above.”, with its reference to the connection between the physical and spiritual plane, is a key inspiration for AJ's recent artwork. The artist’s mixed media installation explores spirituality, magic, animism and the nature of perception.

The exhibit will feature three interconnected bodies of work: landscape paintings on canvas and on ceramic tile; ceramic relief symbol portraits; and wood bird sculptures. AJ's landscape paintings are based on photos taken while walking in the woods of Massachusetts. The artwork represents living things and environments, but AJ also offers up the potential for animism within each material part of the work, from a calligraphic brightly hued brushstroke to a bent piece of clay, down to the wood, pigments and canvas.

Come to the RSM Gallery on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 5:00 p.m. in the library for a conversation with the artist and opening reception. The exhibit will be on display from Sept. 15 to Oct. 14.

On Sept. 27 from 2:00 to 3:15 p.m. in the Wilder Pavilion, the Office of Sustainability and partnering offices will bring real estate developer, urban revitalization strategy consultant, MacArthur Fellow and Peabody Award winning broadcaster Majora Carter to campus to deliver a keynote address marking the launch of Bentley's Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. Majora has long used business to transform communities, and notably has worked to revitalize her South Bronx community and provide economic opportunity for its residents while focusing on environmental justice. During the address, Majora will give insights into how she's kept the environment at the forefront of her community-driven work.

Learn More about the Climate Action Plan