From the Dean

The economy in our country and world has brought challenges to arts organizations. We tend, during times like these, to reduce ambitions and diminish dreams. Some think it’s safer to look to what we already know, and only to those people and ideas that are familiar. But I am happy to report that Boston University and the College of Fine Arts are not turning inward or scaling back our goals. We face the future as our students do—prepared and full of enthusiasm.

BU is poised to play a significant role in global arts education in the years ahead. BU’s history is replete with firsts: the first black dean at a predominantly white university; the first U.S. university to open all its programs to women; the first black female to earn an MD; the first U.S. university to offer a music degree. We innovated in the 19th century and continue to do so.

Embracing our roots means expanding efforts to find qualified students from underrepresented groups and redoubling our efforts to attract talented students from all areas of the globe. Excellence is our first commitment, but a global perspective, which is central to excellence, requires diversity in our faculty, students, disciplines, and programs. This broadens the educational experience for all by offering a view of the world as it is—richly diverse, challenging, and exciting.

To achieve these and many other goals, I ask for your help. Make a gift to the College, attend our events (either in person or through our ever-growing virtual channels), and submit regular class notes to keep us informed of your personal and professional progress. By supporting CFA, you ensure that the arts will continue to flourish not only at BU, but across the world. Your support directly benefits new musicians, actors, teachers, and artists who will enrich the lives of future generations around the world and remind us of what it is to be human.

Now, more than ever, the world needs the unvarnished truth that only artists and art can provide.

—Benjamín E. Juárez