Charting Our Future
Office of the President
February 25, 2026
Dear Members of the Boston University Community,
Today, I am pleased to announce Charting Our Future, Boston University’s Strategic Framework, a set of shared goals, guiding principles, and initial programs that align us in common purpose to advance this leading urban research institution.
During my 18-plus months here, I have had the opportunity to visit every school and college on our Boston campuses, learn about our history, visit our global partners, and get to know many alumni and families who care deeply about Boston University. I have learned that Boston University is a remarkable institution, with many distinct strengths and hopes, and, at the same time, I have also heard your concerns.
This strategic framework will help us harness our many strengths, achieve our ambitions, and address critical challenges facing our University and other institutions of higher education. It calls on all of us to lead and build upon the inspiring research, scholarship, teaching, artistic expression, collaboration, innovation, intellectual rigor, and global engagement already happening here. Finally, this framework is designed to provide strategic direction while also being flexible and collaborative. It replaces BU2030 and builds upon its successes.
At a time of significant headwinds for universities, we must set clear goals for the future. To be successful, we have to shed ways of working that no longer serve us while holding fast to the values and ideals that have guided our University to excellence from its earliest days.
Together, we must create a Boston University that is more nimble, more resilient, and always in pursuit of excellence.
The Framework
The framework consists of three strategic pillars:
• Intellectual & Academic Destination. We will be globally known for our unwavering commitment to excellence in research, scholarship, arts, and humanities; and we will provide a singular and transformative education.
• World-Class Community of Talent. We will invest in the success and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff and create a culture that supports curiosity, risk-taking, and care.
• Globally & Externally Engaged. We will expand our impact by strengthening our collaboration with organizations, nonprofits, elected officials, and federal and state agencies, as well as embarking on projects with new partners, donors, alumni, and industry leaders.
The foundation that buttresses all three pillars is a commitment to operational excellence. We have ambitious goals for Boston University. To reach them, our policies, practices, systems, and facilities must be updated and finely tuned to support all that we do. To this end, I’ve appointed Chris Sedore as the University’s first chief transformation officer to help us move collaborative projects forward. I’m grateful to Chris for this service, which he’ll undertake in addition to his current roles as vice president for Information Services & Technology and interim vice president and associate provost for Enrollment & Student Administration.
Together, these four strategic principles will guide our activities throughout the University and serve as the foundation upon which schools, colleges, and other units across the University can map their strategies.
Flexibility for Emergent Opportunities and Challenges
At my Presidential Address last month, I shared our North Star vision for BU’s bright future.
That vision guides our journey; it gives us a direction to strive toward. Convergence lights our path, illuminating the new expertise and bold problem-solving we can achieve by blending disciplines and ways of thinking. Our strategic framework enables us to understand where we are and where we need to be—but it does not give us turn-by-turn directions for how to get there. We will determine those details together.
I know there is some urgency to the challenges that face us. We need to improve our communication and collaboration across the University; make our budget more efficient and effective; increase our fundraising and build partnerships to support our vision; do a better job of engaging our robust network of alumni, parents, and community partners; and ensure that all members of the community feel seen and valued. And while we are home to some of Boston’s most impressive buildings, others are in serious need of updates.
To meet these challenges and to be ready for emergent opportunities, we have been steadily laying the foundation for this strategic framework for some time.
Schools, colleges, and units have been engaged in strategic planning that serves their individual priorities as well as those of the broader University. They’re working to align their distinctive academic strengths, research agendas, and student-centered initiatives with the University’s shared aspirations.
You’ve also heard me speak about several Presidential Initiatives already underway, such as the Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning, the Artificial Intelligence Development Accelerator for Academic and Administrative Excellence (AIDA), and the redefining of our unique relationship with the Boston Medical Center Health System.
Every one of these programs aligns with at least one pillar of the strategic framework, and all are intended to bring University-wide opportunities.
Building a Boston University for the Future
The decisions we make today will affect the next generation of Terriers—and the generations after that. Our vision, tenacity, and innovation will ensure that Boston University remains a beacon of scholarship, partnership, global engagement, and inclusion for all who come after us.
This moment calls upon all of us to roll up our sleeves and dig in: How do we build upon our excellence? Where can we improve? How can we deepen our collaboration? What areas of opportunity can we tap into? What partnerships might grow our impact?
I am energized by this work and inspired by the creativity of our community. Our North Star vision and strategic framework must be powered by your ideas and leadership. I look forward to the Boston University we will build together.
Sincerely,
Melissa Gilliam
President
Boston University Office of the President
One Silber Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02215