CFA Strategic Priorities

For more than 150 years, BU College of Fine Arts (CFA) has been a pioneer. In 1872, Boston University became the first college in the United States to declare that the study of music was worthy of a degree. Today, CFA Music maintains our long-held commitment to the power of symphonic sound, opera, and music history while championing pedagogical innovation and inspiring new forms of expression. A deep, sincere commitment to the art of storytelling remains the through-line of CFA Theatre as we embrace emerging technologies and alternate modalities to engage, educate, and inspire artists and audiences wherever they are. In CFA Visual Arts, foundational skills rooted in observation, drawing, painting and sculpture are combined with ultracontemporary methods to guide explorations that shape every aspect of our lives from the local art museum to commercial industries.

BU College of Fine Arts aims to create meaningful experiences in the arts for everyone. BU Art Galleries organizes free, critically acclaimed and award-winning exhibitions with prominent and emerging artists. Wheelock Family Theatre harnesses the transformative power of live professional theatre to educate and inspire tens of thousands of young people and their families every year. The BU Office for the Arts, a unique university-wide arts program in New England, introduces and promotes the arts across one of the largest private universities in the nation. The BU Tanglewood Institute brings together the most promising high-school artists from around the world to make music and exchange ideas. BU Bands, including the Marching Band, Pep Band, Big Band and more, provides the heartbeat of Boston University.

Looking Ahead.

CFA’s Strategic Priorities

incubating the art of tomorrow

inspiring learning

Ensuring the arts are open to all

building bridges

shrinking the world

Incubating the art of tomorrow

From its founding, BU College of Fine Arts pioneered a conservatory-style education within a major research university.

Looking toward 2030, the creation of more expansive arts-centered interdisciplinary learning environments that enable exploration into significant social issues as well as innovation with new technological discoveries is essential.

See our progress

• Recent (2025-2026) institutional collaborations include partnering with The Huntington Theatre, Boston Art Academy, and Chuang Stage on the Ufot cycle; and the Museum of Fine Arts on the John Wilson art exhibition. In addition, CFA’s 60-year collaboration with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (via BU Tanglewood Institute) continues. 

• A new MA in Artificial Intelligence and the Creative Industries degree is in development and expected to launch in fall 2028. 

• In 2021, CFA with donor support created the Jim Spruill Fund to support new works in theatre.

• Since 2020, BU Art Galleries has organized exhibitions featuring the works of major and emerging artists, including Amy Sherald, Zanele Muholi, Laurie Simmons and Victor Quinonez.

• In 2025-2026, MacArthur “Genius” Fellows Matt Aucoin and Anna Shuleit Haber joined the CFA faculty as visiting professors. Nearly 100 established and emerging artists, scholars, and arts leaders visit CFA every year.  

• CFA works closely with the newly established (2025) Office for the Arts to create experiences for the BU community. All CFA events are free or significantly discounted for Terrier Card holders.  

Inspiring learning

Whether it was the telephone or the bionic pancreas, great and impactful discoveries have been made at Boston University that have transformed our society.

Looking toward 2030, continued innovations in teaching and mentoring at BU College of Fine Arts will shape the future of the fine and performing arts.

See our progress

• CFA seeks donor support to create a dedicated career development center for fine and performing arts majors. In addition, the College is working with the Office of the Provost on university-wide career support and mentorship for all BU students.

• In 2019, CFA established professional staff advising for all undergraduate students.

• CFA seeks donors interested in establishing an awards program to recognize outstanding teaching and mentorship.

• Since 2024, CFA has opened two new Visual Narrative studios, equipped with Cintiq tablets, to support education in graphic novels, comix, and digital illustration.

• Since 2018, CFA has hired nearly 30 new professorial faculty; established dedicated research accounts for all CFA professors and created a named professorship (Mildred P. Gilfillan Professor of Music).

• Since 2019, approximately $40 million has been invested in CFA renovation and construction projects, including the creation of a 2000 sqft student lounge. In process projects include the renovation of the Visual Arts and Theatre main offices and HVAC upgrades to the CFA Concert Hall.

Ensuring the arts are open to all

Boston University was founded in 1839 with a mission to be open to all. Access is part of our DNA.

Looking toward 2030, BU College of Fine Arts seeks to redouble our efforts to ensure that we’re eliminating barriers to access and working proactively to partner with any- and every-one with imagination.

See our progress

• CFA seeks donor support to establish a social justice in the arts research center. In the interim, CFA continues to support many community initiatives including the BU Prison Arts Program.  

• In 2023, a CFA donor created the Grandma Sonia Fund to assist School of Theatre students experiencing financial hardship.

• Today, CFA provides more than $7 million in graduate student scholarships and has increased the hourly rates for all graduate student workers. 

• CFA regularly hosts artists and artworks/performances that represent the gamut of experiences and viewpoints. 

• Wheelock Family Theatre at BU continues to be a pioneer in the creation of accessible theatre (sensory friendly, live captions, ASL interpretation). In 2025, Wheelock hosted its first-ever benefit. The next benefit will occur in April 2027. 

• CFA recruiters travel the country to meet with prospective students and have expanded their online offerings to meet interested students where they live. 

Building bridges

Since its founding, Boston has been one of the world’s great cities. Through the work of BU College of Fine Arts, we strive to bring people together.

We believe in the power of the arts to rally and create a sense of community and togetherness.

See our progress

• CFA and BU Office for the Arts currently are planning to launch BUenniale, an annual festival of arts and ideas on BU’s campuses.

• Via the BU Office for the Arts, all graduate and undergraduate BU students have access to free membership to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), the Harvard Art Museum and free access to the Encore Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) Recitals Series, the Pathways to the BSO webinars, and additional select BSO performances.

• In 2018, CFA established a partnership agreement with Boston Public Schools (BPS) that allows public school teachers to receive a 33% discount when enrolled in select CFA programs.

• A comprehensive campus master planning process (with attention to the arts) is currently underway. 

Shrinking the world

Boston University was one of the first major universities to invest in global campuses, buildings, and centers.

Looking toward 2030, the creation of meaningful fine and performing arts exchange programs in which ideas and people flow between our Boston campus and select global cities around the world will invite conversations that can impact the world.

See our progress

• CFA, in partnership with BU Advancement, hosts annual alumni events in New York City and Los Angeles.

• In recent years, CFA has collaborated with the Popayan Music Festival in Colombia and Prague Shakespeare. Upcoming collaborations include a symposium with the Alekos Fassianos Museum in Athens.

• In 2021, CFA launched an annual Carnegie Hall series. The next BU at Carnegie Hall will be March 24, 2026.  

• In 2022, CFA began producing a professional exhibition concurrent with the Venice Biennale. The next exhibition will occur in October 2026 at the A plus A Gallery in San Marco.

• In 2026, an advisory task force of staff and faculty was created to identify potential global initiatives.