Launch of Climate Action Plan Task Force
October 31, 2016 Dear Members of the Boston University Community: I am writing to announce the launch of the Climate Action Plan Task Force. As I outlined in my message to you last month, this group is charged with developing a Climate Action Plan for Boston University, which, when approved by the Board of Trustees, […]
State of the University, Fall 2016
October 5, 2016 Dear Colleagues, As I do each fall, I am writing you to summarize some of our shared accomplishments of the last year and to offer a preview of what we aim to work on this academic year. I have organized this letter around the following topics: Initiatives for the new academic year […]
Report on Board Decisions on ACSRI Proposals
September 20, 2016 To Members of the Boston University Community: I am writing to convey the results of the discussion by our Board of Trustees of the proposal from the Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing (ACSRI) recommending actions on fossil fuel investments and climate change. Anthropogenic climate change caused by use of fossil fuel […]
Letter to the Community
September 6, 2016 Dear Members of the Boston University Community, Let me begin by welcoming everyone for the start of the fall semester at Boston University. The new academic year revitalizes our campus; the energy and optimism that motivate a great academic community return as our students return. As we start the new academic year, […]
Message from President Brown about Elie Wiesel
July 3, 2016 Dear Colleagues, As you will have heard, our colleague and friend, Elie Wiesel, passed away yesterday at the age of 87. People around the world are mourning the passing of one of the great humanitarians of the 20th century. In his life of teaching and service Elie bore necessary witness to the […]
Statement on Hate Placards Found on Campus
May 3, 2016 Dear Friends, Many of you will have seen or read news accounts about placards containing very hateful messages and symbols that were posted around our campus within the last 48 hours. I am heartsick that our community has to experience the hatefulness displayed by the individual or individuals who posted this material. […]
Re-Envisioning the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground
April 29, 2016 Dear Members of the Boston University Community, The Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground is a very special part of our Boston University community. In December I charged a committee of faculty, staff, and students to consider how we might build upon and leverage the Thurman Center’s mission and capacities so that […]
Response to Congressional Endowment Inquiry
April 1, 2016 The Honorable Orrin Hatch, Chairman Senate Committee on Finance 219 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Kevin Brady, Chairman, House Committee on Ways and Means The Honorable Peter J. Roskam, Chairman, House Oversight Subcommittee 1102 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairmen Hatch, Brady, and Roskam: On […]
State of the University, Spring 2016
March 14, 2016 Dear Members of the BU Community, As you receive this letter, our students are returning from spring break and the energy in our classrooms is focused on what remains of the semester and the sprint to its conclusion in May. Across campus new facilities are taking shape. The façade of the new […]
President’s Letter on Inclusion, Fall 2015
December 2, 2015 To the students, staff, and faculty of Boston University, The recent student activism at many of our nation’s universities—including our own—is bringing important attention to issues of race and inclusivity on campus, with a particular focus on the experiences and concerns of our black students. This activism is a significant reminder of […]