Academic Competitions
Academic life at Bentley extends outside the classroom for many Bentley students. In a variety of hard-fought academic competitions, they test their skills against each other and against their peers at other institutions.
On campus, the annual Bentley Business Bowl pits Bentley teams against one other in a one-day competition emphasizing accounting and ethics. In the "Boston B-School Beanpot," Bentley teams compete against Boston University, Northeastern, Babson, MIT and Suffolk University in a grueling two-stage event.
Recent business case competition successes at the national level include a third-place finish in the 2003 National Black MBA Association competition and first-place finishes in the Society of Advancement of Management undergraduate and open divisions in 2001 and 2002. The McCallum Graduate School also encourages its students to participate in a variety of other graduate business case competitions sponsored by associations and universities nationally and internationally.
In April 2004, the Graduate Marketing Organization teamed with Loews to organize and run the Loews Entertainment Consulting Competition. Teams of graduate students received a case write up along with several sets of real data from Loews. Eight teams were given two weeks to work with the case and the data. Then the teams presented their findings and recommendations to four executives from Loews. The success of this inaugural competition has prompted the cinematic company to request that it be an annual event.
In keeping with Bentley's global focus, a thriving academic competition program on campus is the Bentley Model United Nations. The BMUN organization attracts students with an interest in international affairs and public policy. Model UN programs, here and elsewhere, simulate the workings of the real United Nations. Model conferences are held annually at both the high school and college levels. In general, these conferences are highly competitive, rewarding the schools (delegations) and individual students with "Best Delegation" awards, recognizing preparation, knowledge of the issues, realism of their performance, public-speaking skills, and ability to work in groups.
In addition to attending conferences nationally and abroad, BMUN is recognized nationally for its professional organization and hosting of two annual conferences, one for middle schools and one for high schools. In fall 2004, Bentley expanded its interest in globally oriented competitions with its inaugural participation in the New England Model Arab League, a program of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.
The W. Michael Hoffman Prize in Business Ethics
Two prizes of $1,000 each are awarded annually to a Bentley undergraduate student and a graduate student. The prizes are based on papers written in any undergraduate or graduate course. Papers, written for either an undergraduate or graduate course, that are nominated for the prize should demonstrate academic strength and must include a business ethics component.
