Your Voice. Your Community. Your Bentley.
As part of its efforts to embrace a culture of inclusion and achieve equity, Bentley University has launched the Bentley Equity Experience study to positively impact our living, learning, and working environment. The study is a concerted effort to invite the entire Bentley community to better understand and improve its campus climate, culture, and values by addressing the challenges and seizing the opportunities for change. Bentley invites all community members to participate in this campaign to help the university better understand their lived experiences and feelings of belonging on campus.
This campaign marks an ongoing commitment to collecting feedback and shaping the campus culture since the first BEX study in 2021. This effort includes a community-wide campus climate survey, along with “Quick Questions” polls and “Big Questions” dialogue sessions. Visit this page regularly for updates on this important university-wide initiative.
Ready to Turn Insight into Impact?
The early findings from the Bentley Equity Experience (BEX) study are here—and they’re meant to be used. We’re now offering targeted sense-making sessions to help faculty, staff, and departments explore what the data means for the communities you lead and serve.
Whether you're shaping programs, rethinking policies, or improving everyday practices, we’ll work with you to identify relevant insights and translate them into meaningful action.
Request a session now to start connecting the BEX results to the work that matters most to you and to Bentley.
BEX 2024 Insights
The Big Picture
Below are some key insights from our early analysis of the BEX 2024 Campus Climate Survey. A more thorough reporting of the findings will be highlighted in a future report and dashboard that will be available later this summer.
- Campus climate satisfaction is up: 73% of respondents said they are satisfied or very satisfied with the overall campus climate—an increase from 55% in 2021.
- The community is more likely to recommend Bentley: 88% of respondents said they would recommend Bentley to a future student or employee—an increase from 80% in 2021.
- Experiences remain uneven across identity groups: While overall satisfaction improved, many trans and nonbinary individuals, as well as Middle Eastern and North African community members, reported disproportionately high rates of identity-based discrimination, harassment, and identity concealment.
- Perceptions of physical safety improved: Fewer students reported avoiding campus spaces in 2024—especially women and white undergraduates—suggesting stronger feelings of safety in shared environments.
- Awareness of reporting pathways is high—but not universal: In 2024, 79% of respondents said they know how to report a bias or hate incident. While encouraging overall, gaps in awareness remain among certain groups, including graduate students and Asian-identifying community members.
- The data highlights both progress and accountability: While many describe Bentley as increasingly collaborative, inclusive, and values-driven, the findings call attention to ongoing disparities that require intentional, community-specific solutions.
Key Numbers from BEX 2024
23%
Survey Response Rate
Percent of eligible Bentley community members who responded to the BEX 2024 survey
73%
Campus Climate Satisfaction
Percent of respondents satisfied or very satisfied with the campus climate
88%
Net Promoter
Percent of respondents who would recommend Bentley to a future student or employee
Review the 2021 BEX Study Results!
In 2021, Bentley University launched its inaugural Bentley Equity Experience campus climate study to gather a baseline measure of people's perceptions of the culture. We will use this data to compare progress between 2021 and this year's study to understand and measure shifts in community members' perceptions and identify opportunities for growth and improvement of the climate at Bentley University.
Below are some big-picture highlights from the community:
- About 55% of the Bentley community is satisfied with the campus climate. Bentley community members generally view our community as friendly and feel a sense of personal value and belonging.
- However, there are notable exceptions within the experiences of our Bentley community members, both in terms of feelings of inclusiveness and experiences of discrimination.
- Community narratives illustrated that while Bentley is largely a welcoming and supportive community, some felt that because of the competitive, work-intense, and outcomes-focused nature of the University, the community feels transactional and elitist.
- Bentley community members do believe that the University environment is generally supportive and supports growth and success.
Curious to know more?
Below you will find a link to the full results from the 2021 BEX Study, including access to a full report, a dashboard, and access to request a data set for learning and research purposes.
Ways to Engage

Feedback or Questions about BEX?
Share your thoughts with us.
Download a BEX Background for Zoom or Teams!
Campus Resources
In addition to the Bentley Equity Experience, we encourage you to seek out resources to support you as you navigate your experiences on campus.
Resources for All
Resources for Faculty & Staff
Resources for Students
- Center for International Students and Scholars (CISS)
- Community Wellbeing and Health Promotion
- Counseling Center
- Dean of Arts and Sciences
- Dean of Business & McCallum Graduate School
- Disability Services
- Gender and Sexuality Student Programs
- Graduate Student Engagement
- Multicultural Center
- Spiritual Life
- Student Accessibility Services