Bentley University
EN-3: Student Life

The Student Eco-Rep program was created by The Office of Sustainability and the Bentley Residential Housing Association (RHA) in January 2010. Each residence hall has up to three Eco-Reps who serve as sustainability peer-educators. Students run for Eco-Rep positions in their residence halls during the RHA Hall Council elections each fall. The Eco-Reps run the Green Certification Program. The Bentley Green Society's primary purpose is to educate the Bentley community on the environmental challenges that the institution and global community are facing. By hosting themed awareness events, Green Society hopes to incite action within the campus community. The Green Society runs the Blackout Challenge, RecycleMania and Earth Fest and partners with the Office of Sustainability in support of the Sustainability Film Series each year. There is also a sustainability committee on the Student Government Association, who works closely with the Manager of Sustainability, facilities administration, and the SGA sustainability project group to address facilities issues and help to make Bentley more sustainable.

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The Bentley Microfinance Group is a principally student run organization that falls under Bentley’s 501(c)3 non-profit classification. Charged with managing its loan fund, BMG targets lending to local entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Greater Boston area who have found the traditional means of accessing capital closed to them.

C2C Fellows sustainability leadership workshop is designed for young people who want to change the world by the time they are thirty. It is a national network for undergraduates and recent graduates who want high-impact careers in sustainable business and politics. During a C2C Fellows’ weekend workshop students learn the leadership skills necessary to succeed, such as how to: raise money, tell a story, build their network, pitch their ideas, and know what they're good at. The Office of Sustainability also hosts a film series (typically one per month) which are often accompanied by panel discussions of professors and guest speakers. EarthFest is a community-wide celebration of Earth Day which is a collaborative organizational effort of the Office of Sustainability and Bentley Green Society.

The Student Eco Reps periodically put up "The Cube", a 12 foot cube made out of PVC pipes, representing the volume of 1/8 of a metric ton of carbon emissions. This is an effort to make Bentley's carbon emissions more tangible to the average student and employee.

The purpose of the BEAR Outdoors Club is to provide Bentley students the opportunity to integrate outdoor activities with their academic agenda. This club provides an outlet for the students and enables them to meet other recreationally involved students on campus. Trips include rock climbing; hiking, camping, kayaking, water holes, capture the flag, sledding, mountain biking and fishing.

Part of the Honors Program at Bentley, students are required to complete a capstone culminating research project during their senior year. Students can elect to enroll in a course which has a theme around which all the projects are developed, and this year's theme is "Climate Change and Energy Futures; Think Global – Act Local". This is an optional course; other honors students can do individual projects of their own choosing.

Wellness housing communities are available for both first-year and upperclass students and foster an environment for a healthy and balanced mind, body and spirit, to achieve personal and academic success. As a wellness housing resident, students are able to share with your floormates common interests such as: nutrition, fitness, meditation, relaxation, yoga, sports, and ongoing health and wellness education programs

Five internships working for the Office of Sustainability are available to interested students during the academic year. These involve PR and social media, recycling coordination, and webmaster positions.

Bentley encourages its graduates to sign the Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility. Tony Buono, coordinator of the Bentley Alliance for Ethics and Social Responsibility, noted that reading student reflections on their activities in preparation to taking the pledge prior to Baccalaureate was “inspiring.” “We ask students to look back on what they have taken away from their efforts both on campus and in the wider community, in essence, thinking about how they have evolved as civic leaders. Being part of the pledge program has been a transformative experience for many of our students – they are entering the workforce as talented professionals with a true commitment to making the world a better place.”

The Faculty and Staff Eco Rep program was created in June 2010. This program aims to engage faculty and staff in sustainability initiatives and to help train faculty and staff to communicate sustainable behaviors to their departments. Faculty and staff Eco-Reps meet together as a group with the Manager of Sustainability once or twice per month during the academic year and once a month over the summer.