Alumni employees of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and the Deloitte Foundation have successfully completed a $500,000 fund-raising campaign to support the renovated Bentley Library.
The lead gift came from trustee William Freda and his wife, Angela, both members of the Class of 1974. Bill Freda is a vice chairman of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP. Scores of Bentley alumni and friends at Deloitte subsequently joined the effort and pledged $250,000; all gifts will be matched by the Deloitte Foundation.
A dramatic $16 million expansion and renovation, in 2005-2006, has put this Bentley resource among the finest and most technologically advanced business college libraries in the country.
“Just as envisioned, the library has truly become the academic hub of the campus – for faculty and students, including those pursuing degrees in accountancy and in business through our PhD program,” says President Gloria Cordes Larson. “The space is magnificent and gets extensive use. It also has proved to be a significant draw for prospective Bentley students.”
Beyond Books and Bytes
In planning the renovation, Bentley officials surveyed students on the amenities beyond academics would make the building more accommodating for long hours of research and study. Chief among the recommendations: a state-of-the-art café with top-shelf refreshments, large LCD monitors featuring business news and entertainment channels, and WiFi access to the Internet.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on February 29 formally dedicated the library’s hugely popular Deloitte Café. The naming recognizes not only the successful fund-raising campaign, but a long-standing, multifaceted partnership between Bentley and Deloitte. The event brought together Bentley administrators and faculty, Deloitte employees, and several current students who have accepted internships or full-time positions at the firm.
Bill Freda addressed the crowd.
“The people of Deloitte who stepped up to this challenge are graduates of what clearly is one of the nation’s pre-eminent business colleges,” he said. “The value they bring to Deloitte as contributors to our success is beyond measure – so it is with real pride and gratitude that Deloitte now gives back to Bentley.
“We constantly seek those who will build and renew Deloitte. Our support of the Bentley Library makes a statement that we fully expect to welcome more alumni to our ranks this year, and well into the future.”
More than a million visitors have passed through the library doors since it re-opened in spring 2006. The café has been a particular hit, serving up 67,000 bagels, 17,000 cups of orange juice, 38,000 cups of coffee, and 45,000 sandwiches in the past year alone.