Move with purpose. Embrace our values. Create honest conversations.
Be Bentley is a leadership charge from the Inclusive Excellence Council inviting every member of our community to reflect on what it means to truly live Bentley's seven Core Values: Caring, Collaboration, Diversity, Honesty, Impact, Learning, and Respect.
This initiative is grounded in data. In 2021 and again in 2024, we asked the Bentley community to rate the degree to which our institution lives up to its core values through the Bentley Equity Experience (BEX) campus climate study. The results showed real progress: gains across all seven values between the two surveys. But progress isn't the same as arrival. Be Bentley is our invitation to close the gap between the values we claim and the culture we actually create — together, and every day.
Our Core Values aren't aspirational slogans. They are commitments. Be Bentley asks all of us to recommit to living them, especially when it's hard.
Share Your Reflection
We want to hear from you. The Be Bentley Core Values Reflection Survey is an anonymous Qualtrics form that takes just 5 minutes to complete. You can reflect on any of our seven Core Values, and you can submit more than once.
Everyone who completes the survey is entered into a raffle for a $100 Visa gift card. One card will be awarded to an undergraduate student, graduate student, faculty member, and staff member at the close of the survey on Friday, April 24, 2026.
Note: The $100 Visa gift card is considered taxable income. Prize recipients will be responsible for taxes upon acceptance. Raffle prize for currently enrolled or employed Bentley University community members only.
What the BEX Data Tells Us
+13%
Largest Single Gain in Core Value Ratings
Respect saw the strongest growth of any value, rising from 62% to 75% Good or Excellent between 2021 and 2024.
80%
Rated "Learning" as Good or Excellent in 2024
Learning maintains its position as the highest-rated value since BEX 2021, up 2% from the prior survey.
7/7
Core Values Improved Across BEX Surveys
Every Core Value saw growth between BEX 2021 and BEX 2024, a sign that our community is moving in the right direction.
Be Bentley is inspired by findings from the Bentley Equity Experience (BEX), our institution-wide campus climate study conducted in 2021 and 2024. In both surveys, we asked community members to rate the degree to which Bentley lives up to its Core Values. Below are some notable trends in the data regarding how the Bentley community felt about our commitment to our values:
- Between 2021 and 2024, the percentage of community members rating our values as "Good" or "Excellent" increased across all seven Core Values, with gains ranging from 2 to 13 percentage points
- Respect showed the strongest growth of any value (+13 points), followed closely by Diversity (+12 points) and Caring (+10 points)
- Learning has been our highest-rated Core Value in both 2021 and 2024, reflecting a consistent community strength
- Despite meaningful progress, Honesty and Diversity remain our two lowest-rated values — reminding us that our work is far from done
The overall trajectory reflects a community that is moving in the right direction. At the same time, the data reminds us that progress is uneven. Not every group has experienced these gains equally, and some values still have significant room to grow. Be Bentley exists to keep that conversation honest, and to make sure every voice in our community is part of shaping what comes next.
Below is a small gallery that shows graphs detailing how the Bentley community rated our commitment to our values. More descriptive data can be found in the BEX 2024 Results Document.
What the Community Has Said So Far
Since launching in February 2026, over 240 community members have shared their reflections on Bentley's Core Values in the Be Bentley Core Values Reflection Survey. Here are just a few examples of what we’re hearing thus far:
CARING
“The Swipe Out Hunger program was one of the first things that surprised me. As a grad student without a meal plan, managing expenses is constant math. The fact that Bentley has a confidential process where you can request up to 25 meal swipes per semester at The 921 — no judgment, no long explanations — that meant something. The Falcon Family Fridge outside Jennison is the same idea. Take what you need, leave what you can. It is small but it tells you the university actually thought about this.”
— Graduate Student
COLLABORATION
“I work with students and faculty from every department, and staff from every division, frequently on a daily basis. I feel very fortunate to work with people that see a common mission, saying ‘yes...and’ to my ideas, even in the darkest of times. In my eyes, Collaboration is not only a Core Value at Bentley, it’s also a key differentiator in higher education and a great source of pride.”
— Faculty
DIVERSITY
“Diversity at Bentley looks like classrooms where different perspectives are genuinely welcomed and encouraged, not just tolerated. It shows up when professors intentionally include authors, case studies, and examples from different cultural, racial, and global backgrounds so students can see themselves reflected in the material. It also looks like group projects where students value different communication styles and lived experiences instead of defaulting to one dominant voice.”
— Undergraduate Student
HONESTY
“When the value of honesty is upheld we can share freely, respectfully, and without fear of retribution or punishment. When needed, we provide honest feedback that translates into feeling valued and cared for. The opportunities are distributed fairly and everyone has the same information. There is transparency and restorative justice to repair harm and hurt across different roles and levels within Bentley. When we are upholding this value, it is ok to be honest when we are unsure or don't know an answer; we admit mistakes honestly.”
— Staff
IMPACT
“Impact is demonstrated when individuals take initiative, collaborate across differences, and consider how their actions affect the larger community. Bentley offers many different activities and opportunities for students to engage in the community to make a positive impact on the cohesiveness of the institution. When faculty and staff invest time in mentorship, when students organize events that foster belonging, or when departments design experiences that encourage reflection and purpose, the value of impact is clearly being lived.”
— Undergraduate Student
LEARNING
“The main reason I work at Bentley is to play a (small) part in students learning and growing and becoming who they are meant to be. At risk of stating the obvious, I think many if not most faculty and staff are here because they genuinely feel strongly about helping people to learn — about themselves, others and the world around us…. If we at Bentley are doing our jobs correctly, students will become comfortable with and even welcome people and ideas different from themselves and their own — because they will recognize that's how we learn.”
— Staff
RESPECT
“Respect includes a constant consideration of all other [Core Values]. It means treating others as you wish to be treated and means taking time to appreciate the expertise and efforts of others. It means being conscious of those who go unrecognized while including in all affairs and events where each person’s skills and work are given a place. We could do better.”
— Faculty
Add Your Voice!
Take the Be Bentley Core Values Reflection Survey.
Recognize Someone: “Be Bentley” Values in Action
Do you know someone who embodies our Core Values? The Be Bentley: Values in Action recognition program makes those moments visible.
Anyone in the Bentley community — student, faculty, or staff — can nominate anyone else whose actions reflect one or more of our seven Core Values. Nominations are reviewed on a rolling basis by the Inclusive Excellence Council, and selected honorees are celebrated in Bentley communications throughout the semester.
Submitting a nomination takes about five minutes. The impact lasts longer than that.
Bring “Be Bentley” to Your Space
Be Bentley isn't just a campaign — it's an invitation to weave our Core Values into the everyday rhythms of life at Bentley. Here are some meaningful ways to do that:
Recognize Someone Who Embodies Our Values
Recognition is one of the most powerful ways to reinforce the culture we want to build. Consider:
- Nominating a staff member for a GEM Award: The GEM (Go the Extra Mile!) Award Program recognizes staff who go above and beyond in service to our community. If someone has demonstrated any of our other values in a meaningful way, they deserve to be seen.
- Nominating a staff member for a Founders Day Award: Founders Day Awards honor the lasting contributions and impact of staff members to the Bentley community. If someone embodies what it means to Be Bentley, consider putting their name forward.
- Recognizing a faculty member for excellence in teaching, research, or service: Faculty who create transformative learning experiences, foster inclusive classrooms, or go out of their way to support student growth are living our values in action every day.
- Nominating a student for the Falcon Society or other campus honors: Student recognition matters. If you know a student whose character, leadership, or commitment to our community reflects our Core Values, lift them up through one of Bentley's student recognition programs.
- Submitting a Be Bentley: Values in Action nomination: Our own recognition program is open to the full community. Anyone can nominate anyone — student, faculty, or staff — whose actions reflect one or more of our Core Values.
Make the Values Part of Your Everyday
Recognition is just one way to live our values. Here are others:
- In the classroom: Open a discussion with a values-based question. Ask students to connect a course concept to one of Bentley's Core Values. Create space for honest, respectful dialogue about complex topics.
- In team meetings: Use a Core Values check-in as a standing agenda item. Ask: "Where did we see our values in action this week?" or "Is there a place where we could have shown up better?"
- In advising and mentorship: Ask students what they value — and connect those values to how they make decisions, choose opportunities, and show up for others.
- In daily interactions: Notice when someone demonstrates a Core Value and tell them. Acknowledgment doesn't have to be formal to be meaningful.