Welcome to the New U
The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (MBHE) has approved a change of designation and name for Bentley, granting university status to the 91-year-old institution. Announced in early October by the Board of Trustees, the move met with enthusiasm on campus and beyond.
“Bentley has become the model of a 21st-century business university,” says President Gloria Cordes Larson, noting the school’s “highly integrated business and arts and sciences curriculum, industry-leading technology facilities, and innovative teaching and research agendas. We are extremely pleased to have the MBHE recognize that.”
Much planning and research preceded the change. A survey, conducted in 2006, sought input from key Bentley stakeholders on how university status might affect institutional operations, prestige, financial support, and other issues. Close to 60 percent of the students, faculty, staff, alumni and trustees who responded supported the move.
The work to establish university-level credentials in key strategic areas has forged ahead. Investments include distinctive PhD programs in accountancy and in business; an innovative undergraduate program that combines business with the liberal arts through an optional second major in Liberal Studies; and noteworthy research that crosses academic disciplines.
“The hallmark of a first-rate business university is faculty research that informs teaching and impacts practice,” observes Bob Galliers, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We see teaching and research as mutually reinforcing; this will continue to be the case for us as a university.”
Bentley is similarly committed to raising its national and international profile. The university designation adds heft to the work of recruiting students, faculty and staff; creating partnerships with academic institutions worldwide; expanding study-abroad sites; and sponsoring conferences that reflect the school’s areas of strength.
“As a university, we will provide the breadth and technological reach we always have,” says Larson. “At the same time, Bentley retains the core values and student focus of a close-knit campus.”