STRATEGIC PLAN FRAMEWORK Achieving the Business University 2017-2019
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK No matter what our role at Bentley, our work here contributes to the foundational resources upon which our key initiatives are built. We all have a part to play in making this strategic plan a reality.
THE BENTLEY UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC PLAN In 1917, Harry Bentley transformed business education in America, introducing the sophisticated profession of accountancy, just as the financial industry was taking shape in the United States. Today, Bentley University is far bigger and more diverse than a one-room accounting school for men. We now offer 24 majors that span a broad spectrum of disciplines across business and the arts and sciences. As our educational focus has expanded, so too has our entire community, reflecting the gender, ethnic, cultural and religious diversity of the 21st century world we live in. I am pleased to introduce an update to the Bentley University Strategic Plan, Achieving the Business University, 2017-2019. As we celebrate our Centennial year, the vision laid out over the course of this document honors the legacy of our founder, Harry Bentley, while charting the exciting path forward into our university s second century. Throughout our history, Bentley has been dedicated to revolutionizing and advancing business education, with a commitment to success for our students and to excellence in education and research. I believe this strategic plan keeps us on a continued path to realize those aspirations far beyond what our founders ever imagined when they first opened the doors to Bentley 100 years ago. Our continued focus on education, student life, research and foundational resources will build our brand and will position Bentley for increasing successes. As we celebrate our Centennial and plan our upcoming Become Best capital campaign, the Cabinet has put forth an extension of the strategy developed in 2013, with important updates that reflect our progress. In particular, I d like to highlight priorities supported in this strategic plan: continued enhancements to undergraduate education and student life, a university-wide focus on graduate programs and diversity and inclusion, further refinements of our international strategy, improved technology, and development of our human capital. Critical to our continued success is a commitment to two enduring, foundational investments: Bentley produces highly respected scholarship and teaching which in turn produces graduates who are greatly in demand. Our faculty of outstanding teacher-scholars, who balance great teaching in the classroom with relevant, highimpact research. Continued investment in our teacher-scholar model of education will attract more top-tier faculty and students, help identify market changes, engage more academic, corporate and external partners, and grow Bentley s domestic and international reputation. Our physical, technological and human environment, which is designed to meet the dynamic, changing learning environment that characterizes higher education today. Constantly updating and improving these environments will support and enhance teaching, learning, student life and diversity at Bentley. Taken together, investments in these targeted areas will enhance our stature as a well-regarded, market-informed business university a university that produces highly respected scholarship and teaching which in turn produces graduates who are greatly in demand. They are core in enabling us to build a more differentiated, sustainable position for Bentley and a brand that will be recognized for preparing the next generation of smart, nimble, compassionate leaders. This is just the right value proposition needed to meet the evolving demands of the marketplace. As we unveil this updated Strategic Plan, I firmly believe that this institution has never been stronger, we have never been held in higher regard, and our entire Cabinet has never been more optimistic about the future. Bentley has 100 years of experience opening the doors of opportunity for generations of students providing them a unique educational experience, fueled always by innovation and real world experience. This next chapter of the Strategic Plan continues to celebrate that history while providing direction into the frontiers that lie ahead. I thank our dedicated board of trustees, faculty, staff, student body and alumni community for their faith and commitment in the Bentley mission. I look forward to our continuing our journey together as we look to Become Best! With warm regards, Gloria Cordes Larson President, Bentley University
MISSION, VISION AND VALUES OUR MISSION To educate creative, ethical and socially responsible organizational leaders by creating and disseminating impactful knowledge within and across business and the arts and sciences. OUR VISION Following our centennial celebration, by 2019: Bentley University is known nationally and internationally as a business-focused center of learning that operates in an ethical and socially engaged environment. It distinctively integrates business and arts and sciences to produce graduates respected for their professional and societal contributions throughout their lives. Its identity is based upon promoting principled and transformative enterprise through education and impactful research, building on its historical strengths in accountancy, business ethics and information technology. Thanks to its achievements, Bentley is highly sustainable in resources and scale, and an attractive partner for global centers of teaching and research excellence. It fosters a diverse and inclusive campus community whose members come from varied cultures and backgrounds. BENTLEY UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC PLAN
OUR VALUES The Bentley Beliefs, which govern our conduct in classrooms, residence halls and places of work, are informed by these values: DIVERSITY Appreciating diversity means that we work in an environment that embraces a rich array of background, perspective, experience and opinion that is free from hostility and intolerance. INTEGRITY Valuing integrity requires that we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. We believe that operating with integrity is essential for a successful professional and private life. RESPONSIBILITY Being responsible demands that we listen, respond thoughtfully, and strive to create sustainable outcomes at all times. EXCELLENCE Our commitment to excellence ensures that we have a passion for continuous improvement, for delivering high-quality results, and for going beyond what is expected. COURAGE Having courage means that we continually seek new and innovative solutions and we are tolerant of the honest mistakes that are a natural consequence of these endeavors. TEAMWORK Our commitment to teamwork acknowledges the importance of collaboration. We are prepared to subordinate our personal interests to the broader interests of our community. Sense of Place, a Vision for Change Bentley believes that engagement in a place-based academic environment greatly enhances the learning and development of our students. At the same time, we value the benefits and opportunities of innovative and well-executed distance education. To support this vision, we will: Ensure that our residential, face-to-face education provides distinctive, measureable value. Evolve our technology-enabled education platforms to expand our education portfolio, attracting new, diverse audiences and meeting their educational needs for delivery flexibility.
GOAL1 EDUCATION We will offer the highest-quality, sustainable programs that respond to the needs of business and society, and that leverage our historic collaboration between business and the arts and sciences in the classroom and in research. UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION FUSION Continue to innovate the undergraduate curricula and expand our educational fusion. GRADUATE PORTFOLIO Continue to build the reputation of the graduate school by offering programs that are innovative, of high quality and relevant to the market. TECHNOLOGY Further develop our hybrid and online offerings through methods of delivery that can expand our graduate and undergraduate education footprint and provide additional sources of tuition revenue. DIVERSITY Increase student diversity through recruitment, exchange and strategically selected joint degrees. COLLABORATIVE LEARNING Create better student learning and program identity by nurturing a community culture. TEACHING QUALITY Develop or adopt best practices in assessing teaching quality to advance our faculty, ensure we deliver transformative education, and publicize our teaching expertise.
GOAL2 STUDENTS We will create a distinctive learning environment with strong values intended to foster development beyond the classroom by maximizing opportunities to live what is learned: DIVERSITY Ensure all students engage in diverse interactions by increasing opportunities to do so and by providing an inclusive environment conducive to living and learning. CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM Build upon Bentley s tradition of preparing students for real-world experiences by enhancing opportunities to connect the curriculum to the programs and services we deliver. STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Provide opportunities for the development of leadership skills, autonomy and interdependence as well as self-fulfillment through an intentional range of student programs and activities that complements the academic mission. ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Integrate ethics and social responsibility into student actions and life choices and encourage behavior that benefits the greater community. PRIDE Sustain a community that fosters physical, emotional and spiritual health and instill lifelong pride in Bentley. BENTLEY UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC PLAN
GOAL3 RESEARCH Bentley faculty will be recognized for advancing the frontiers of knowledge through impactful research that includes both disciplinary and interdisciplinary scholarship at a level achieving international recognition. FUNDING AND OVERSIGHT Provide the needed resources to stimulate research, support external funding applications, and develop research networks. MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH Support the ongoing establishment and development of multi-disciplinary research networks to capitalize and expand on our strengths. EXTERNAL NETWORKING Develop the organizational capabilities needed to bring internationally renowned academics and post-doctorates to collaborate with our scholars. DOCTORAL REPUTATION Continue to build the reputation of the doctoral program. BENTLEY UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC PLAN
GOAL4 FOUNDATIONAL RESOURCES We will develop and steward a sustainable level of human, financial, technological and physical resources needed to realize our strategic aspirations as a first-rate institution of higher education dedicated to students, academic excellence and research. HUMAN CAPITAL Employ, develop and reward high-quality, passionate faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds and cultures. TECHNOLOGY Deploy technologies and services that enhance and support the teaching, learning, research, scholarship and administrative needs of the university. FINANCIAL AID Develop and implement a financial aid approach aligned with institutional strategic and diversity goals to attract and retain a diverse and high-quality student body. PHILANTHROPY Build a culture of philanthropic engagement from all segments of the Bentley community alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff, students and corporate partners both through the Capital Campaign and beyond. FINANCIAL Maintain a sustainable financial model that supports our strategic plan through increased and diversified revenues, effective resource allocation and management, efficient operations, and managed risks. FACILITIES Ensure that our facilities meet the needs of a top-tier business university, help to attract and retain high quality students, faculty and staff, and enable effective supporting services. MARKETING Raise the profile of the institution with key constituents, including current and prospective students, peer faculty and academic leadership, corporate partners, and alumni audiences.
GOAL5 BRAND We will build upon the brand foundation, ensuring that Bentley is synonymous with preparing graduates for career and life success in key local, regional, national and international markets. BRAND EXPERIENCE Leverage and optimize the entire brand experience (identity, positioning, people, place and stories) to generate and/or increase awareness and consideration and to enhance perception with key audiences. BRAND POSITIONING Ensure the brand positioning continues to resonate with key audiences in that it delivers high-impact, differentiated benefits underpinned by credible proof points.
BENTLEY UNIVERSITY is one of the nation s leading business schools, dedicated to preparing a new kind of business leader one with the deep technical skills, broad global perspective, and high ethical standards required to make a difference in an ever-changing world. Our rich, diverse arts and sciences program, combined with an advanced business curriculum, prepares informed professionals who make an impact in their chosen fields. Located on a classic New England campus minutes from Boston, Bentley is a dynamic community of leaders, scholars and creative thinkers. The McCallum Graduate School emphasizes the impact of technology on business practice, in offerings that include MBA and Master of Science programs, PhD programs in accountancy and in business, and customized executive education programs. The university enrolls approximately 4,100 full-time undergraduate, 140 adult part-time undergraduate, 1,430 graduate, and 43 doctoral students. Bentley is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges; AACSB International The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business; and the European Quality Improvement System, which benchmarks quality in management and business education. 1.5M1/17ART.MC.473.16
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