Vision & Values
Our Vision.
Boston University prides itself on a history of inclusion, admitting students regardless of race, creed, or gender since its founding in 1839. This legacy includes awarding the first PhD to a woman at a US university, producing the first Black psychiatrist in the United States, being the first to admit female students to a US medical school, bestowing a doctoral degree in theology on Martin Luther King, Jr. (GRS’55, Hon.’59), and graduating the youngest woman to serve in the US Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (CAS’11). Beyond the student body, the University has hired a wide range of influential faculty over the decades, from historian and political activist Howard Zinn to Nobel Laureate and human rights champion Elie Wiesel (Hon.’74). Today, our students, scholars, faculty, and staff, represent more than 140 countries and all 50 states, reflecting an exciting range of worldviews and life experiences.
But there is work still to do.
The cultural, ethnic, religious, ability, sexual orientation, and gender diversity of our campus community is critical to the excellence of our research and academic programs, our social vibrancy, and our mission of preparing students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world. So we’re redoubling our efforts to embody our founding principles and fulfill the promise of our legacy. We’ve committed to attracting, supporting, and promoting a wide variety of voices and backgrounds at BU, including, but not limited to, those who live with physical, intellectual, or mental disabilities, are first in their families to attend college, are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and individuals who are historically underrepresented in the academy.
In fact, the University has made prioritizing diversity, inclusion, and access one of the five main pillars in the Boston University 2030 Strategic Plan.
While we recognize this work as an evolution, our goal remains steadfast: to fortify the University as a place where everyone can participate and thrive, while harnessing intellectual innovation and interconnection. We seek to both amplify and wield that collective power to ensure that everything a BU community member brings to the table gets included, nurtured, ignited, and let loose to better serve our world.
Our Values
The BU Diversity & Inclusion unit is driven by the following core values:
- Inclusion
- Education
- Change & Action
Our programs and initiatives are developed and implemented with these values in mind and inform our practice as advocates for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice for all members of the BU community.
Inclusion: BU D&I is committed to fostering inclusion through creating structured opportunities for faculty and staff from marginalized groups or groups historically excluded from the academy to come together. These programs are designed with the understanding that diversity on its own is not enough; to thrive, our community members must experience a sense of belonging and inclusion in our classrooms, departments, administrative units, and on all our campuses. This necessitates that we take an intersectional approach to all our programs and ensure equitable access to these opportunities for all who wish to participate. We seek to achieve this through a variety of mechanisms, including our luncheons, receptions, and through supporting our Faculty & Staff Community Networks.
Education: At its core, BU D&I is committed to providing educational opportunities to our many campus constituencies, ranging from teaching the basic understandings of diversity, equity, and inclusion, through training on the development of skills and practices to enact these principles – both on an interpersonal level and in the classroom. We believe that all members of our community – including ourselves – are continually growing and learning about emerging issues, language, and strategies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage members of our community to learn alongside us through participating in programs like our Learn More Series or Designing Antiracism Curricula Fellowship.
Change and Action: We believe that, ultimately, it is our responsibility as a diversity and inclusion unit to advance positive change at BU. This means serving as leaders, advocates, and thought partners to our many allies on campus in continually seeking to improve campus climate; advocating for equity, inclusion, access, and justice for marginalized and historically excluded groups; providing educational opportunities for growth and development; and empowering members of our community to enact transformative change in their respective departments and units. We also promote institutional advancement through funding and supporting innovative scholarship and research that deepens our understanding of equity, diversity, and justice in society. This is why every year we host the BU D&I Summit, offer trainings on inclusive hiring practices, and partner with the broader Community & Inclusion unit every three years to administer the Belonging & Culture Survey.