News and Updates

International Resources

• New USDHS Rule Eliminates F and J Duration of Status (D/S), July 17, 2026
• 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

Website Accessibility

• A new Website Accessibility site features website accessibility information, including website accessibility best practices, accessibility and PDFs, and Accessibility for Blackboard, including Blackboard Ally for instructors and Blackboard Ally for students.

AI – Artificial Intelligence

• Generative AI Guidelines for BU Faculty & Staff
• Generative AI Guidelines for Classroom Use
• TerrierGPT TechWeb Resource Information and Best Practices

Research Update

• 2025 Administration Transition Information & Resources, Office of Research

2026

Employee Handbook and Policies Manual – updates made July 1, 2026

Data Protection Standards Overview – Updates made May 1, 2026

• Data Classification Standard
• Data Access Management Standard
• Identity and Access Management Standards
• Data Lifecycle Management Standard
• Minimum Security Standards
• Cybersecurity Training, Compliance, and Remediation Standards
• Data Center Security Standards 
• Vulnerability Management Standard

Academic Conduct Code – updates made April 2026

Undergraduate and Graduate Student Attendance Policy – updates made April 2026

Undergraduate Final Examinations Policy – updates made April 2026

Student Bereavement – updates made April 2026

Intra-University Transfer – effective June 1, 2026

Policy on Pass/Fail Courses for Undergraduate Students – updates made April 2026

Institutional Minimum Requirements for Undergraduate Graduation – updates made April 2026

6.3.1 University Expenditure and Approval Policy – a new version of this Policy replaced the 2.1.2 Electronic Funds Transfer Guidelines and the 6.3.3 Signatory Authority for Payments over $20,000 on April 1, 2026.

Employee Handbook – Section 302 Sick Leave, updated March 27, 2026

President’s Statement of Commitment to Ethical Conduct – March 2026

Employee Handbook – Section 301 Vacation Leave, updated January 28, 2026

2025

href=”http://www.bu.edu/dos/policies/student-responsibilities/” style=”font-size: 16px;”>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.

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.

2026

Employee Handbook and Policies Manual – updates made July 1, 2026

Copyright Policy – Effective April 21, 2026.

Data Protection Standards Overview  – Updates made May 1, 2026

• Cyber Risk Assessment Standard
• Cyber Risk Management Standard
• Log Collection, Analysis, and Retention Standard

Student Location Policy

Concurrent Registration for Undergraduate Students – Effective July 1, 2026

Undergraduate Academic Term Progression – Effective July 1, 2026

2025

Vacation Time Policy for Salaried Graduate Workers – Effective October 1, 2025 and replaces the Vacation Policy for PhD Students

BU OneCard Policy (6.4.2)  – Policy within the Finance and Administration Policies Manual that replaced the Travel Card Policy (6.4.2) and the PCard Policies & Procedures (6.3.5) on September 15, 2025.

Policy on Reasonable Accommodations for Employees or Applicants for Employment and its corresponding Procedures for Reasonable Accommodations for Employees or Applicants for Employment replaced the Reasonable Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities, or Individuals who are Pregnant or Have a Pregnancy-Related Condition Policy on August 15, 2025.

Section 1557 Policies, July 1, 2025 Effective date

• Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Policy
• Section 1557 Language Access Policy
• Section 1557 Effective Communication Policy
• Section 1557 Reasonable Modifications Policy
• Section 1557 Grievance Policy

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

Guidelines for Authorship

Remote Work Guidelines, August 9, 2021 – Revised – See Flexible Work Guidelines

• Remote Work at BU Employee Toolkit
• Remote Work at BU Manager Toolkit

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

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

Procedures for the Resolution of Non-Title IX Sexual Misconduct Complaints Against Faculty, Staff, Affiliates, and Non-Affiliates

Procedures for the Resolution of Title IX Sexual Misconduct Complaints Against Students, Faculty, Staff, Affiliates, and Non-Affiliates

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.

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:

1. Finding a Policy via a relevant Category or Subcategory
2. Finding a Policy through a keyword search via the homepage www.bu.edu/policies
3. 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.
4. 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: