| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 71.04 |
| Liaison | Natalie Hayes |
| Submission Date | Oct. 19, 2023 |
Bentley University
PRE-2: Points of Distinction
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Natalie
Hayes Associate Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Bentley's Sustainability and Climate Action Plan is the result of a twelve-month planning process that engaged over 300 Bentley students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The plan consists of five focus areas, each with five-year goals and strategies that align with the university's mission to "change the world with a transformative business education, integrated with arts and sciences, that inspires and prepares ethical leaders who will confront the challenges of today and shape the opportunities of tomorrow."
Three of the five focus areas specifically address the university's greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) through sustainable campus operations and resource use. The remaining focus areas address Bentley's impact as an educational institution, with goals to develop organizational leaders who think critically about the broad range of sustainability issues in society and business, and support the Bentley community with resources and knowledge to engage in sustainability, climate justice and resiliency.
Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Air & Climate
Coordination & Planning
Website URL where more information about the accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Name of a second highlighted sustainability program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
During academic year 2021-2022, Bentley University underwent a strategic positioning process which resulted in the creation of a new strategic plan, Falcons Forward 2030, for the university. This plan defines Bentley's opportunity to meet the moment in today's innovation economy and renew it's position as a leader in preparing students for the 21st century economy. It was formed through a community-wide effort led by four committees of students, faculty, staff, alumni and trustees and incorporating feedback from alumni and corporate partners. Sustainability was at the forefront of the planning process in many ways:
(1) Amanda King, Chief of Staff and Associate Vice President for Sustainability, served as a leader during the planning process.
(2) Sophie Rodgers, Senior Manager of Sustainability, was invited to be a part of the Positioning and Partnerships committee during the planning process.
(3) Bentley's Sustainability and Climate Action Plan was incorporated into Bentley's strategic plan, as part of the Leadership and Innovation focus area highlighting how Bentley is bringing the plan to life.
(4) To meet Bentley's objective of developing and expanding graduate and non-degree programs to align with emerging workforce needs in targeted high-growth markets, Bentley will develop a sustainability "Impact Hub" to integrate and coordinate faculty teaching and research.
Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Research
Coordination & Planning
Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Name of a third highlighted program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Bentley University's mission is to change the world with a transformative business education, integrated with arts and sciences that inspires and prepares ethical leaders who will confront the challenges of today and shape the opportunities of tomorrow.
Since Bentley is a predominantly business university, it is uniquely positioned to think about sustainability in a business context, preparing it's students to solve the sustainability issues of today and tomorrow.
Students learn both inside and outside the classroom, through research and experiential learning opportunities, the most pressing sustainability challenges facing our economy and are equipped to graduate as ethical leaders who will think critically about how to solve our economy's most pressing challenges.
Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Research
Campus Engagement
Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.