Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT) is a private college of engineering and industrial technologies in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established in 1908 with funds bequeathed in Benjamin Franklin's will.

This article is about the technology school in Boston. For the museum in Philadelphia, see Franklin Institute.
Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology
TypePrivate non-profit
Established1908
Endowment~$4 million
PresidentAisha Francis/CEO
Undergraduates525[1]
Location
Boston
,
Massachusetts
,
United States

42.3457°N 71.0702°W / 42.3457; -71.0702
CampusUrban
AffiliationsNECHE
Websitebfit.edu
[2]

History

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology owes its existence to the vision of Benjamin Franklin. In a codicil to his will, dated 1789, Franklin established a 200-year plan for a sum totaling £1,000 (about $4,400 at the time, or about $112,000 in 2010 dollars) that he gave to the city of Boston, where he was born. For the first hundred years, the money was to serve as principal for loans to young workmen; at the end of that period, the fund's managers would divide the money, using approximately three-fourths for public works and maintaining the rest as a loan fund.[3]

When the hundred-year interval had passed, Boston decided to use the money to establish a technical school. Aided by an additional gift from industrialist Andrew Carnegie and land donated by the City, BFIT opened its doors in 1908. A series of murals on campus were painted by Charles Mills.[4]

In 2019, the Institute announced plans to sell its 3-building 1908 campus and look for a 30% larger facility.[5] In September 2019, the Institute announced they will be moving to a new campus located on seven-tenths of an acre in the Dudley Square section of Roxbury (now renamed Nubian Square) to be closer to the neighborhoods where current students live. The new 85,000 square feet (7,900 m2) building is expected to open in the autumn of 2022.[2]

In September 2020, the Boston Globe leaked that the Institute was planning for a possible merger with the Wentworth Institute of Technology. The merger deal faced opposition among community members and city officials based on how the merger would affect Benjamin Franklin's ability to continue to serve low-income minority students, as well as the secretive nature of the merger negotiations themselves.[6] In November 2020, the college's board of trustees voted to keep Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology independent and to discontinue any merger talks, according to a report in the Boston Globe.

Academics

As of 2020, the school has approximately 525 students, with a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio,[7] and offers programs of study awarding certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor's degrees.[1][8]

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology offers programs in Automotive Technology, Automotive Management, CAD/SolidWorks, CNC Machining, Computer Information Technology (with tracks for Web Development, Networking Systems, and Software Development), Construction Management, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Technology, Health Information Technology, HVAC&R Technology, Opticianry, and Practical Electricity.[8] The college's graduation rate is twice the national average.[9]

The college is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly called the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.[10]

References
  1. "2019-2020 Academic Catalog". Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  2. Logan, Tim (2019-09-30). "Ben Franklin Institute will move to Dudley Square". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  3. "Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology History". Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 9 September 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  4. "Dedham Historical Society Hosts an Exhibition of Paintings by Charles Mills". The Dedham Times. 25 (28). July 14, 2017. p. 17.
  5. Benjamin Franklin Institute will sell South End campus, relocate school
  6. "A Secret Merger Discussion in Boston". Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  7. "Fast Facts". Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  8. Landry, Lauren (2013-11-13). "Associate Editor". BostInno. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  9. Ed.gov
  10. New England Association, of Schools and colleges. "NEASC". www.NEASC.org. New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
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