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BentleyPlus

A program that let's you take charge and develop the right skill sets for your future success

why bentleyplus?

BentleyPlus Logo

A 2018 study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers surveyed both graduating college seniors and employers and found that less than half of college graduates are proficient in professionalism/work ethic, leadership, and global/intercultural fluency (among other competencies). This same study showed that college graduates perceived their proficiency in these competencies to be much higher than their employers.

While Bentley students spend much of their time completing academic coursework and attending class, a critical component of a student’s Bentley education is their experiences outside of the classroom. These experiences have tangible impacts on strengths and skillsets students develop while in college and prepare students
for a lifetime of professional and personal success.

Taking advantage of opportunities outside of the classroom to develop competencies differentiates a Bentley education from others as BentleyPlus is the only program of its kind at all colleges and universities in the country. While Bentley offers many resources and opportunities to occupy students' time when not in class, BentleyPlus provides guidance to assist students in selecting opportunities that maximize learning in the competency areas they wish to develop and is open to all undergraduate students. 

Get the Most Out of Your Bentley Experience

Guided by BentleyPlus advisors, you'll select from a list of 11 competencies that top employers have named essential to your success. We'll show you how the activities you're already involved in will help you grow. Watch the video to learn more.

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bentleyplus benefits

✓ Utilize a valuable tool that helps you be strategic about how you spend your time outside of the classroom.

✓ Focus time and attention on developing skills that you and employers think are really important.

✓ Learn how to market yourself and your skills for future employers.

✓ Earn a certificate showing the competencies that you grew in.

✓ Add to your résumé to highlight your skills and show that you made the most out of your Bentley experience.

How it Works

Join BentleyPlus Orientation

Attend a live orientation led by a staff advisor to learn about the program and select two to three competencies to focus on for the academic year. 

Put Competencies into Action

Find opportunities to work on each competency by participating in student organizations, attending sports practices, working a job, or doing anything outside of class and meet with an advisor halfway through to check in on progress.

Reflect with an Advisor

Meet with an advisor to reflect on how you have grown in each competency and learn how to market these skills to future employers.

Attend a Ceremony

Celebrate your achievements and receive your official BentleyPlus certificate showing the competencies you developed and how to display them on your résumé.

Competencies

A team of 30 professionals from every department within Bentley's Division of Student Affairs organized co-curricular classroom experiences on campus into 11 competency areas. These competencies fall into three learning domains: Think, Develop, and Act. The competencies in each learning domain are:

competency diagram

Competency Descriptions

Think

  • Ethical Reasoning - The capacity to make values-based decisions.
  • Critical Thinking - The capacity to objectively analyze information before making a decision.            
  • Problem Solving - The capacity to design and implement a plan to address an identified need.
Think
students engaging in community service

Act

  • Community Engagement - The process of making a positive impact in communities.
  • Leadership - The practice of developing others' strengths, demonstrating empathy and emotional intelligence, and delegating work to advance common goals.
  • Teamwork - The practice of building collaborative relationships and managing group conflict while working toward common goals. 
  • Dialogue - The practice of collaboratively listening to, sharing, and discussing different perspectives and experiences with others in face-to-face interactions to facilitate deeper understanding.

Develop

  • Identity Awareness - The ability to enact an understanding of how components of social identity impact the experiences of self and others.
  • Resilience - The ability to utilize skills and strategies to anticipate, navigate and overcome challenges and failures.      
  • Well-being - The ability to practice balance within dimensions of well-being and cultivate habits of self-care.    
  • Work Ethic - The ability to reliably follow through on commitments.
students playing hockey

FAQ

Is there a cost associated with BentleyPlus? 

No. The BentleyPlus program is included in the undergraduate student Bentley experience. 

How much time does BentleyPlus take? 

A student only needs to attend THREE advising sessions throughout the year to earn their BentleyPlus certificate. Outside of these sessions, students are not required to add more to their plate. While some students may choose to get involved in more as a result of their reflections in BentleyPlus, the primary focus is to provide intentional reflection and strategy around the developmental experiences a typical Bentley student experiences outside of the classroom.

How should I select my competencies? 

Students can choose from 11 competencies and select 2 to 3 to focus on for the year. This process is very self-driven. A student may choose to develop competencies they feel are already strengths of theirs, competencies they do not feel as strong in, or a combination. Our trained staff advisors will walk students through this process during their first advising session. 

Is there a deadline for signing up for BentleyPlus? 

BentleyPlus was designed with as many "on-ramps" as possible. While we encourage students to sign up as early as possible to get the most out of their year, students are able to sign up at any point during the fall semester. We also provide an expedited version of BentleyPlus for any new spring undergraduates who join the Bentley community in January.

Who can participate in BentleyPlus?

BentleyPlus is open to all undergraduate students who wish to sign up.

What are some helpful terms to know?
  • Student Affairs: The Division of Student Affairs at Bentley encompasses departments that focus on the student experience outside of the classroom. This includes Student Programs and Engagement, Multicultural Center, Athletics, University Police, New Student Programs, Center for International Students and Scholars, Health, Counseling and Wellness, Residential Center Housing, Gender and Sexuality Student Programs and more.
  • Co-Curricular Experience: Opportunity offered outside of the classroom that helps students develop strengths and skills. Some examples of co-curricular experiences are participating in a student organization, being on a sports team, attending a campus event with a speaker, attending a community discussion about a current event, etc.)
  • Competency: Knowledge, skills and/or abilities that lead to superior performance in an area.

Earn your BentleyPlus Certificate

Staff and Faculty

If you are a staff or faculty member and manage a co-curricular program or experience that you would like to highlight with the BentleyPlus competencies, or you would like to learn more about the program, please complete this form or email jberman@bentley.edu.

Have Questions?