SMART. NIMBLE. COMPASSIONATE. PREPARED. SMART. Strategic NIMBLE. Plan COMPASSIONATE PREPARED.

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1 SMART. NIMBLE. COMPASSIONATE. PREPARED. SMART. Strategic NIMBLE. Plan COMPASSIONATE PREPARED. SMART. NIMBLE. COMPASSIONATE. PREPARED. SMART. Achieving NIMBLE. the Business COMPASSIONATE. University PREPARED.

2 The Bentley University Strategic Plan Bachrach I am pleased to introduce the next chapter of the Bentley University s Strategic Plan, Achieving the Business University The vision described within this document represents the culmination of our community s aspiration to have an ambitious, achievable strategy a strategy that is right for Bentley and right for the times! I am excited about and wholeheartedly endorse the path we are taking to realize our highest aspirations for Bentley is on its way to becoming the leading business university more vigorous, more accomplished, and more relevant to the world of business and education than ever before. To fully realize our potential, we will leverage our singular attributes and be market-informed in defining what an exceptional business education should be now and in the future. We will continue providing the well-rounded, highly personal educational experience that only a place-based, face-to-face environment can deliver, while enhancing this experience with innovative, technology-enabled platforms. The concern being expressed by the public about college graduates perceived lack of preparation for the world of work represents a significant challenge for all of higher education. I see it as a tremendous opportunity for us, and one we can capitalize on in distinctive Bentley fashion over the next five years. The business world needs our graduates smart, nimble, compassionate men and women who are prepared to get things done from day one and to continue their growth to become highly effective, ethical and socially responsible leaders. More vigorous, more accomplished, and more relevant to the world of business and education than ever before. Two foundational investments are crucial for us to achieve our vision and meet our goals: Our faculty of outstanding teacher-scholars, who balance great teaching in the classroom with relevant, high-impact research. Continued investment in our teacher-scholar model of education will attract more top-tier students and faculty, 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 student life and diversity at Bentley. Taken together, investments in these targeted areas will ensure that we grow in stature as a well-regarded, market-informed business university a university that produces highly respected research and ideas and graduates 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. In the pages that follow you will find an overview of the values and mission that we all endorse, as well as Bentley s vision and goals for education, student life, research, resources, and our brand. Each goal has a set of objectives that will guide how we prioritize, what desired outcomes we will pursue, and what metrics we will apply to measure our success. We made bold statements that required bold moves during my first five years of tenure here at Bentley. We do so again in this the next chapter of our Strategic Plan, Achieving the Business University. Moving forward boldly in the manner outlined here will culminate in our milestone centennial celebration in I very much look forward to enlisting the entire Bentley community as our journey continues! With warm regards, Gloria Cordes Larson President, Bentley University

3 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 & sciences. Our Vision By its centennial celebration in 2017: 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 & 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. 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 diversity of opinion and that is free from hostility and intolerance Integrity Valuing integrity requires that we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. We hold 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.

4 A Sense of Place, a Vision for Change Bentley believes that engagement in a place-based, intimate college environment greatly enhances the learning and development of our students. At the same time, we recognize the benefits and opportunities of innovative and well-executed distance learning. To achieve both, we will: Ensure that our residential, face-to-face education provides distinctive, measureable value above distant forms of learning Engage further with technology-enabled education platforms to: Expand the footprint of our education portfolio Manage our resources to achieve the maximum learned output possible in all environments Meet the demands of our target markets for delivery flexibility Reduce our aggregate education costs Complement, without undermining, the quality and signature elements of on-campus education. Establishing the Foundations Our strategic roadmap is founded on two elements: Educating tomorrows leaders requires that our full-time faculty be outstanding teacher-scholars We must constantly update and improve the physical, technological and human environment within which learning takes place. These two foundations underpin Bentley s roadmap for its education, student life, and research aspirations as well as the positioning and resource demands for realizing these. Taken together, these five interconnected aspects of Bentley s strategy inform our goals for

5 GOAL 1 Education We will offer highest-quality sustainable programs that respond to the needs of business and society, and that leverage our historic collaboration between business and the arts & sciences in the classroom and in research: Continue to innovate the undergraduate curricula and expand our educational fusion Increase student diversity through recruitment, exchange, and selected, strategic joint degrees Create better student learning and program identity by nurturing a community culture Enhance the reputation of the graduate school by developing the new, emerging and professional MBA programs as well as by refining and refocusing the specialist masters portfolio Further develop our hybrid and online offerings through methods of delivery that can expand our graduate and undergraduate education footprint and sources of tuition revenue Establish a Teaching Council to develop our faculty, ensure we deliver transformative education, and publicize our teaching expertise.

6 GOAL 2 Student Life 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. Ensure all students engage in diverse interactions by increasing opportunities to do so 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 provide 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 Integrate ethics and social responsibility into student actions and life choices and encourage behavior that benefits the greater community. Sustain a community that fosters physical, emotional and spiritual health Instill lifelong pride in Bentley

7 GOAL 3 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 that achieves international recognition. Establish clear guidelines for determining impactful research of quality across the spectrum of discovery, integration, application and pedagogy Reinvigorate the Research Council and provide it with the needed resources to stimulate research, support external funding applications, and provide oversight of developing research networks Establish three multi-disciplinary research networks to capitalize and expand on our strengths Develop the organizational capabilities needed to bring internationally renowned scholars and post-doctorates to collaborate with our scholars Continue to build the reputation of the doctoral program.

8 GOAL 4 Resources With the support of Advancement, we will attain the level of human, physical and financial resources needed to realize our strategic aspirations as a first-rate, place-based education institution. Develop and sustain a community-oriented environment Employ, develop and reward high-quality, passionate people Appropriately expand cutting-edge facilities and technologies that support our education, research and student life imperatives Encourage essential philanthropic and volunteer support among our community of alumni, parents, faculty and staff, friends, students and corporate partners Develop a sustainable financial model that supports our strategic plan through enhanced revenues, reduced costs and managed risks.

9 GOAL 5 Brand We will build an international brand that also resonates locally, regionally, and nationally a brand that ensures Bentley is known as an institution that prepares the next generation of smart, nimble, compassionate leaders. Build a distinctive brand in the marketplace to achieve three key objectives: increased awareness, enhanced perception, increased consideration by top students, faculty recruits, partners, and the philanthropic community Establish a clear brand position that capitalizes on our unique strengths and opportunities and sets us apart as a leader in business education by emphasizing a unique form of preparation based on four key integrated elements academics, hands-on learning, technology, and career services Optimize the interaction between internal and external stakeholders to leverage and better reflect our strengths and pursue opportunities.

10 Rigor and Relevance for a Changing World Thank you for taking the time to review our strategic plans for We hope you will let us know what you think. Your input is very important to us! Our immediate plans are to share these key initiatives, gather input, and outline specific desired outcomes and metrics related to each of our five goals. In addition, we will identify the challenges that impact and influence our goals, and our plans to answer those challenges. Key to our success will be to address the rising cost of education, which impacts our initiatives in the areas of IT infrastructure, online learning, financial aid, corporate outreach, and advancement. We are excited about the future. Mindful of the challenges, we are nonetheless confident that the Bentley University we will celebrate in our 2017 centennial will be the best it s ever been more vigorous, accomplished, and more relevant to the world of business education than ever before. 1M10/12INT.MC 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.

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