Introduction
The 2021-2022 academic year was, in some ways, even more challenging than the first year of the pandemic. We returned to fully in-person teaching and programming, while wearing masks, while dealing with additional demands. We welcomed a larger than expected entering class and worked to expand advising and course offerings accordingly. We rallied to cover operations during staffing shortages. And many of us were juggling work responsibilities amidst intermittent disruptions in childcare, school, and eldercare, or caring for vulnerable household members. And at the same time, we accomplished so much: the completion of our Arts & Sciences Strategic Plan for 2030, including the launch of the new Center for Innovation in Social Science and the Society of Fellows; the creation of a task force to expand the charter for the Boston University Center for the Humanities; and the development of pilot programs to facilitate the creation and operation of new interdisciplinary co-taught courses. We also received a generous gift from an anonymous alum to launch The Arts & Sciences Connector, a new office that helps undergraduates navigate the diverse range of experiential learning opportunities available within Arts & Sciences, across Boston University’s professional schools and offices, and throughout the Greater Boston Area and beyond.
During the 2021-2022 school year, we shared our new Strategic Plan for Arts & Sciences with you, articulating our mission for Arts & Sciences, our roadmap for the next decade, and our vision for how we work together as a community; foster diversity, equity and inclusion; and engage with the community outside our walls, both in Boston and beyond. This Annual Report focuses on the five strategic priorities of the Strategic Plan, outlining our progress, showcasing the distinctive research and educational strengths that we leverage to make important contributions to global challenges; and illustrating how the diverse and dynamic work that happens within Arts & Sciences comes together in exciting and impactful ways. It also celebrates the achievements and commitment of our faculty, staff, and students; highlights the opportunities and possibilities that we provide to our students; and demonstrates our commitment to the endless pursuit of knowledge that changes the world.
Strategic Priorities:
- Enhance disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborations and connections in research and education within Arts & Sciences and across BU;
- Cultivate and advance a diverse and inclusive community capable of recognizing, analyzing, and responding to exclusion and injustice with equitable solutions;
- Foster, harness, and apply the power of innovation, creativity, and imagination across our research and teaching endeavors;
- Leverage the power of a liberal arts and sciences undergraduate and graduate education by taking knowledge, ideas, and experience into action; and
- Build bridges with Boston and the world outside the academy through communication, public scholarship, alumni networks, collaboration, and outreach.
As we look ahead to the 2022-2023 academic year, we are excited to welcome our inaugural postdoctoral fellows in the Arts & Sciences Society of Fellows; to formally launch the Arts & Sciences Connector, and to begin the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of Arts & Sciences, founded in 1873 as the College of Liberal Arts. This is an exciting time for Arts & Sciences as we embark on these new initiatives. We hope you enjoy learning about them and the impact that they are having on our community.
— Stan Sclaroff, Dean, Arts & Sciences