News and Updates
Timely Campus Resources and Guidance
International Resources
- BU Support Pathways – a resource hub designed to support, inform, and guide Boston University’s global community.
- Resource Guide: Everything BU International Students and Faculty Need to Know Right Now, BU Today, April 7, 2025
- What the New Federal Actions Mean for You
- Understanding Federal Immigration Policy – A Boston University FAQ, Safety Security & Preparedness
- Supporting Boston University’s International Community—Q&A with President Melissa Gilliam and Willis Wang, Head of Global Operations, BU Today Article, June 11, 2025
AI – Artificial Intelligence
- Generative AI Guidelines for BU Faculty & Staff
Generative AI (GenAI) tools are now widely available, and students, faculty, and staff are using them for a range of academic and administrative activities. In response, AIDA leadership has outlined the following institutional guidance for faculty and staff to promote responsible and effective use of GenAI in teaching, research, and academic operations. - Generative AI Guidelines for Classroom Use
With students having easy access to generative AI (GenAI) tools, BU faculty must proactively guide appropriate and ethical use in coursework. Without such guidance, students may use these tools for help with studying and on homework assignments in ways that unintentionally violate academic integrity standards. It is therefore important for faculty to review what constitutes allowable versus misuse of GenAI in their course. - TerrierGPT TechWeb Resource Information and Best Practices
Research Update
- 2025 Administration Transition Information & Resources, Office of Research
Updated Policies
2025
Code of Student Responsibilities, updated July 1, 2025
Updates modernized the code and updated violations (including doxing or unauthorized recording) to align with current student needs and evolving campus challenges; also enhanced procedural transparency, introduced an alternate restorative justice option for certain violations, and rebranded the Office of Judicial Affairs as the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCR).
Background Check Policy, updated June 16, 2025
Revised Suspension or Termination for Cause Policy (Faculty Handbook), updated April 15, 2025
Provides examples of conduct that may be considered “gross neglect of duty or other applicable cause” to suspend or terminate a faculty member; also harmonizes with the University’s new Fitness for Duty Policy.
President’s Statement of Commitment to Ethical Conduct – February 2025
2024
Boston University Events and Demonstrations Policy, updated December 10, 2024
Identity and Access Management Policy, updated April 28, 2024
Network Security Monitoring Policy, updated April 24, 2024
Access to Electronic Information Policy, updated April 24, 2024
Data Access Management Policy, updated April 24, 2024
Minimum Security Standards, updated April 24, 2024
BUHR Compensation Guide for Non-Represented Staff – Published April 2024
Postdoctoral Scholars Policy, updated April 16, 2024
Academic Conduct Code, updated January 1, 2024 – applies to all students except the School of Law students and MD students at the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, who should refer to their academic conduct codes.
2023
Policy on Principal Investigator (PI) Status – updated May 25, 2023
Revision to Undergraduate Dual Degree Program Policy – updates related to cumulative GPA requirements for graduation, credits required for dual degree completion, and revision to the limit on summer courses. Updated May 9, 2023
Revision to Residency Requirement and Transfer of Undergraduate Credits Policy – reduces the number of transfer credits allowable for first-year entering full-time undergraduate students to 60 credits and for transfer students to 68 credits; removes restrictions on students taking courses within the Route 128 corridor; clarifies that full-time residential undergraduate students cannot earn credit toward their degrees from courses offered through Metropolitan College.
Revision to Academic Residency Requirement Policy – reduces the number of transfer credits for full-time, residential, first-year entering and transfer students.
Revision to Advanced Credit Guide – corresponds with revisions to the BU Residency Requirement and Transfer of Undergraduate Credits Policy and redirects readers to the omnibus policy on the Admissions website rather than repeat the information.
Revision to Undergraduate Pass/Fail Policy Regarding the BU Hub – removes BU Hub units from the list of excluded courses students can designate as pass/fail.
Undergraduate Student Registration and Overlapping Class Times Policy – ensures that undergraduate students may not enroll in two classes that meet at the same time.
New Policies
2025
Interim Hazing Prevention Policy – Effective June 23, 2025
Fitness for Duty Policy – Effective April 18, 2025
2024
Interim Equal Opportunity and Title IX Policy and corresponding Interim Equal Opportunity and Title IX Procedures – Effective October 15, 2024, applying to conduct that occurs on or after October 15, 2024
Part-time PhD Students who are Employed Outside Boston University Guidelines, Effective April 19, 2024
2023
Cyber Incident Response Policy – Effective May 23, 2023
Acceptable Use of Computing Services Policy – Effective May 23, 2023, replaced the Conditions of Use and Policy on Computing Ethics
Policy on Responding to Employer Inquiries Regarding Sexual Misconduct– Effective spring semester 2023
Sexual Misconduct Hiring Disclosure Policy – Effective spring semester 2023
Guidance on Advocacy at Boston University – Effective May 17, 2022
2022
Emergency Campus Closing Standard Operating Procedure – Effective January 1, 2022
Sick Leave Policy for PhD Students
2021
Remote Work Guidelines, August 9, 2021 – Revised – See Flexible Work Guidelines
Cybersecurity Training, Compliance, and Remediation Policy – Policy is effective April 29, 2021 and replaces the previous Education, Compliance, and Remediation Policy
BU Research Compliance Policy on Acquisition and Documentation of Post-Mortem Human Samples – Effective April 21, 2021
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Policy passed December 15, 2020, effective in Spring 2021 semester
BU Paid Family and Medical Leave Law Policy– effective January 1, 2021
Boston University Family and Medical Leave Policy for Temporary Employees, Part-Time Faculty, and Former Employees– effective January 1, 2021
2020
Data Lifecycle Management Policy – Policy is effective in November 2020 and replaces the Data Protection Requirements Policy
Statement on Free Speech and Expression
Gift Acceptance and Naming Policy, effective September 17, 2020
Policy on Visiting Students, Effective fall 2020
Award of Posthumous Degrees by Boston University, Effective September 1, 2020
Policy on Visiting Faculty and Research Scholars, Effective September 1, 2020
Conflict of Commitment Policy – Policy is effective 7/31/20 and replaces the previous External Professional Activity Policy
Policy On Dissertation Work Outside Of Boston University, June 2020
Libraries Code of Conduct, June 2020
Sexual Misconduct and Title IX Policies and Procedures - New and Old
Policy and Procedures Effective October 15, 2024, applying to conduct that occurs on or after October 15, 2024
Interim Equal Opportunity and Title IX Policy and corresponding Interim Equal Opportunity and Title IX Procedures – Effective October 15, 2024, applying to conduct that occurs on or after October 15, 2024
Policy on Responding to Employer Inquiries Regarding Sexual Misconduct– Effective spring semester 2023
Sexual Misconduct Hiring Disclosure Policy – Effective spring semester 2023
Policy and Procedures Applying to conduct that occurs on or after August 14, 2020
Sexual Misconduct Policy, new for August 14, 2020, revised August 2021
Procedures for the Resolution of Non-Title IX Sexual Misconduct Complaints Against Students
Question About Policies?
If you have questions about University Policies or the process by which they are developed, refer to the About Policies page on this site which features information on the policy governance and approval process, or contact the Compliance Services Office or the Office of the Provost. To request that changes be made to a Policy on the website, contact the Compliance Services Office. They can help you understand the process for updating Policies and Procedures.
Policies Website Design
The Policies website features optimal keyword search functionality and streamlined searching through the homepage, and the ability to convert Policies hosted on the site into a printable PDF with the click of a button.
Policies can be located in several ways:
- Finding a Policy via a relevant Category or Subcategory
- Finding a Policy through a keyword search via the homepage www.bu.edu/policies
- Finding the Policy by “Responsible Office” – The Offices who own Policies can be filtered via the homepage so that you can display the Policies that office is responsible for.
- Finding Policies through other Policies: Each Policy and Procedure contains Additional Resources at the very bottom of the Policy page, and within that section is a listing of Policies and Procedures that are related to the Policy/Procedure you are viewing.
The following graphic highlights some of the other site features:
