Orientation and Welcome

GETTING STARTED

To get started with your new student onboarding experience, please make sure that you have signed your Technology Ethics Agreement in your BentleyConnect portal and received your Bentley email address. Next, please read through this guide. There is important information regarding mandatory tasks and deadlines, which you must complete prior to the start of the semester.

To complete these tasks you will log into your BentleyConnect portal. Make sure to check the portal regularly, to ensure you have completed your tasks.

New Student Checklist

Your New Student Checklist will:

n Outline all of the tasks discussed in this guide

n Give you direct access to complete the tasks with helpful instructions

Please note, after you successfully complete a task it will be marked complete. This will allow you to keep track of your progress throughout the summer.

Announcements

It is important for you to check your Bentley email throughout the summer. We will send important announcements and updates as we prepare for the start to the semester.

ORIENTATION AND REGISTRATION

To ensure a smooth transition to Bentley University, we utilize a tiered approach to orientation for all new Falcons. Bentley Beginnings is the start of your journey, then course registration, and we complete the experience with a an Orientation program at the end of August.

In addition, we provide some other experiences for our new Falcons to engage in before arriving to campus:

n Falcon Live Chats

n Virtual office hours

n Monthly newsletter n Virtual social events

n Social media, follow us: @welcomefalcons

Bentley Beginnings

Bentley Beginnings is an interactive online program that provides an opportunity for you to learn about the abundant resources and opportunities available to you at Bentley.

Log into BentleyConnect and go to your checklist to access your Bentley Beginnings program. Please note that the online program must be completed prior to June 30, 2020. Once you’ve finished each of the sections, you will receive more information about creating your fall schedule.

First-Year Student Registration Prep Webinar:

July 14, 2020

First-Year Student Registration: July 21, 2020

During Bentley Beginnings, you will have the opportunity to learn about Bentley’s many academic options and your requirements for the first year of classes. All incoming first-year students will register for six courses for the fall semester, including a single-credit First-Year Seminar instructed by your faculty adviser.

In addition to your required courses, your schedule will include a general education elective(s). You will have an opportunity to choose your preferences for courses and select from multiple schedule options. Please review your schedule and be sure you are not registered for courses in which you may receive advanced standing credit. Therefore, it is critical that your schedule will also reflect any earned advanced standing credits. Therefore, it is critical that Bentley receives your Advanced Standing grades, scores or transcripts as soon as they become available (see page 15 for details).

All new students must complete their Online Orientation and Expository Writing placement essay (see page 15 for details) in order to register for classes.

Transfer Student Registration

Transfer Student Registration: August 4, 2020

Students will be invited to attend a Transfer Registration Webinar. During the Webinar academic advisers will be available to assist students entering in Fall 2020.

You will have the opportunity to sign up for the webinar through Bentley Beginnings. A few days prior to the webinar, each student will receive a personalized pre-registration email with important information that needs to be reviewed before August 4. Your Falcon Card is the key to accessing most services on campus. It is important that you carry it with you at all times. To create your Falcon Card you need to upload a photo by July 1, 2020. Please go to https://myphoto.bentley.edu and login using your Bentley email and network password. Read all directions carefully and please review the Terms of Use.

Quick Selfie Tips:

n The image must be in color and feature a clear, full-face view of only you. n You must be wearing normal street attire.

n You may not wear a hat or dark glasses.

n The background must be plain white or off-white.

n The photo must be of a good likeness and it should have been taken within the last six months.

n The most common reason for a photo’s rejection is that the background is not white or off-white. Lines in doors, blinds, and siding can be distracting and may prevent the photograph from being approved.

n Feel free to smile in your photo, you’re a Falcon now!

Once your image is approved, your ID will be printed and waiting for you at Orientation.

Orientation Program

August 26, 2020

All new Falcons will begin the Orientation Program on August 26. If you are living on campus, you will move into your residence hall that morning. While there will be optional activities happening through the early afternoon, we want you to use that time to get settled.

At 3:00 p.m. the community will come together for Convocation, which is the official start to your Bentley career. After Convocation, students will participate in the Orientation program.

During Orientation you will:

n Meet other new students and connect with faculty and staff

n Learn about our Core Values and your rights and responsibilities

n Participate in sessions/classes to set a foundation for your academic career

n Engage in social and educational programming

n Develop a plan to successfully navigate your first semester

The program will conclude on Sunday, August 30, with the official start of classes beginning on Monday, August 31.

One of the Multicultural Center’s biggest programs for new students is the MOSAIC Experience.

The MOSAIC Experience is a 2.5-day pre-orientation program for incoming students of color seeking to establish themselves at Bentley University. Through sessions and workshops students will participate in learning focused on multiple aspects of identity and how those identities connect and intersect with each other. The MOSAIC Experience allows students the opportunity to explore who they are and the impact they have at a predominately white institution. These sessions are facilitated by various faculty, staff, and guest presenters from the Bentley community and beyond. Additionally, sessions will allow students to engage in dialogue about their stories in an effort to build meaningful connections. The MOSAIC Experience allows students to come fully as they are and build a community amongst fellow participants, MOSAIC Ambassadors, faculty, and staff before the academic year begins.

The 2020 MOSAIC Experience will take place Monday, August 24, through Wednesday, August 26, leading right up to Orientation.

Registration for MOSAIC Experience will be available mid-May 2020.

Visit the Multicultural Center online for more information: bentley.edu/university-life/diversity-equity-inclusion/ multicultural-community.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT INFORMATION

The Center for International Students and Scholars (CISS) welcomes students from more than 90 countries each year. We provide guidance on all immigration-related matters as well as assist with cultural adjustment. Our goal is to ensure that all students feel comfortable in the Bentley community — you are important to us.

Visa Information

By July, all new undergraduate students living outside of the United States should have received their I-20 and have made arrangements to obtain an F1 Visa. If you have not received your I-20, you can email GA_CISS@bentley.edu. For all incoming international Bentley students who are in the United States attending another university or secondary school, be sure you have given the Bentley Transfer-in Form to the Center for International Students and Scholars (CISS). This will allow us to “transfer” your SEVIS record to Bentley. Once the release date has passed, CISS will prepare your I-20 and send it to you. If, after receiving your I-20 form, you are unable to obtain a student visa, you may defer your admission or enroll fully online for Fall 2020. Contact ugadmission@bentley.edu for more information.

Arrival Information for all International Students

First-year and Transfer Student orientation begins on Wednesday, August 26, 2020. Please make plans to arrive in the U.S. before this date. If you are traveling without your family, consider our Faraway Falcon program. This program provides airport pickup and early move-in to your residence hall for students coming to Boston on Tuesday, August 25.

Upon arrival, you will be asked to hold onto your arrival documents for the required in-person immigration registration at Bentley.

More information can be found on the CISS website bentley.edu/ciss.

Immigration Registration

You must complete in-person immigration registration with the Center for International Students and Scholars (CISS) at the Student Center, third floor. If you are a residential student, you will check into your residence hall first.

During immigration registration, you will present your immigration documents and complete the arrival forms. This process is mandatory in order for you to be registered in the SEVIS system before the deadline. You will receive a schedule of program events that are mandatory from August 26 to 30, 2020.

For more information about your immigration record, please contact the Center for International Students and Scholars or visit our website at bentley.edu/ciss.

WorldView Program

The WorldView program recognizes and values varying perspectives, encourages cross-cultural dialogue and promotes global citizenship. Acting as cultural ambassadors, WorldView Ambassadors share their first-hand experiences with others to enrich classroom lessons and build a global community.

International students apply for the program, complete training with members of CISS staff, and meet to prepare with staff before each presentation. They then have the option to choose which presentations they want to participate in, and have opportunities to present in classrooms and staff meetings all across campus to share their perspectives as international students. For example, WorldView Ambassadors from three different countries presented to a Sports Mar

keting class about marketing strategies for popular sports in their countries of origin. Discussions panels of WorldView Ambassadors have also answered questions on topics ranging from navigating diverse workplaces, to nonverbal communication styles, to explaining the factors that influence health and disease in their home countries.

To learn more about Bentley’s WorldView Program please visit bentley.edu/university-life/diversity-equityinclusion/worldview.

FAMILY INFORMATION & RESOURCES

Family Orientation Opportunities

Parents and family members are an important part of our community and we welcome you to Bentley. As you begin this journey with your student, it is natural that you may have many questions. To help you navigate, we invite to you take advantage of the opportunities and resources below:

Online Family Resouces

To introduce you to Bentley, we invite you to view a series of videos designed to introduce you to the support and services available to you and your student. To access the videos, visit the Parents and Family tab at bentley.edu/orientation.

One of the first tasks your student will be asked to complete will be our Online Orientation, Bentley Beginnings. We invite you to also take advantage of this great learning tool by creating a family/guest account. You can access all of the information contained in the Online Orientation experience. Please visit the Online Orientation page at orientation.bentley.edu.

Falcon Live Chats and Bulletin

Throughout the summer we want to ensure you are able to connect with different staff members around campus. We offer Falcon Live Chats, our Zoom webinar series, to give you that chance. Falcon Live Chats provide an opportunity for you to participate in a live presentation and submit questions to be answered by staff members. Additionally, we encourage you to look out for our monthly family bulletin that highlights the New Student Checklist, as well as different student programs and campus resources. We hope these connections provide you the chance to have your questions answered and prepare for the beginning of the semester. You will be receiving more detailed information about move-in when your student receives their housing assignment from the Residential Center in late July. Once your student has officially moved in, there are plenty of opportunities to engage with staff, enjoy a complimentary lunch, visit areas of campus with your student, and attend the Convocation ceremony at 3:00 p.m. Convocation marks the official start of the academic year and it is the first time our new students will all be together. Faculty and staff are in full regalia and welcome the students in a unique Bentley tradition. Following convocation students will say farewell to family and friends and join their Orientation groups to officially kick off New Student Orientation.

Are you staying in the area? If so, please visit our website for opportunities to connect with our community.

FERPA

One of the most significant changes a family experiences when sending a student to college or university relates to privacy standards for educational records at colleges and universities. Bentley University believes that managing privacy is an important development task for its students. Guidelines regarding privacy of students’ educational records are governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law established in 1974. For additional information regarding FERPA please visit bentley.edu/ offices/student-affairs/ferpa.

Looking to stay connected?

Our Office of Alumni and Family Engagement has various programs and opportunities for all community members to participate in. One of our signature events is Falcon Weekend. Please consider joining us on campus for this Bentley tradition. More information can be found at bentley.edu/alumni/events/falconweekend.