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Alison Davis-Blake

­The spring semester is speeding by. Every day I learn more about Bentley and its remarkable community of students, faculty, staff and alumni. Your pride and commitment are evident at every turn. ­

These qualities helped us achieve an early success in our strategic planning initiative. Last fall, in workshops to share aspirations for the school’s future, participants discussed longstanding principles known as the Bentley Beliefs. ­These four pillars — learning, diversity, honesty and respect — resonated with everyone and inspired a deeper dive into the values that guide our university. ­

Through an online survey and two open focus groups, students, faculty and staff offered feedback on those current values and identified possible additions. A group of colleagues from across campus then set to sharpening language in the original four principles and developing three others. ­The seven core values, shared with the trustees and the campus community, are caring, collaboration, diversity, honesty, impact, learning and respect. Read more about each value.

I am grateful to the faculty, staff and students who took on this important task. ­They set a high bar for collaboration and positive leadership that is a model for strategic planning as a whole.

In recent months, I’ve been thrilled to see Bentley values in action. Scores of alumni around the country have turned out to meet with me and members of the university’s leadership team. ­They have spoken about pursuing lives and careers beyond what they had ever imagined. ­They have been eager to engage and help shape the school’s future, as many of you are. Th­e aspiration we heard again and again: Secure Bentley’s rightful place in the changing landscape of higher education.

As strategic planning moves toward completion in May 2019, you can track its progress. Please share your own ideas and feedback at strategicplanning@bentley.edu. I appreciate your trust, support and enthusiasm for ensuring the bright future that Bentley deserves.