Category: Community
School of Theology Receives $1 Million to Build a Support Network of New England Churches
A new Boston University School of Theology initiative seeks to give churches across the region a boost of hope by convening groups of ordained and lay leaders to share resources and feel more connected. The New Wineskins Network, funded with a $1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow initiative, will create small groups of church leaders from congregations across New England—with support from School of Theology students, staff, and faculty—to address contemporary challenges facing congregations and their local communities.
BU Community Defines Eight Values That Will Shape the University for Generations
In a year-long process that began after the Living Our Values initiative was announced in fall 2024, faculty, staff, students, and alumni agreed on a set of eight values for Boston University. These guiding principles will shape the University community and its campus life and amplify the impact BU is making in the world. The approach included nearly 100 meetings with various community members and extensive research into peer colleges and universities to learn how they define and share their own values. These eight values are: integrity, excellence, learning, community, global, inclusion, service, and collaboration.
Boston University Launches “You Are Why” Campaign, Highlighting Research and Discovery Impact
In a letter sent to the BU community, President Gilliam announced the “You Are Why” initiative. This effort will highlight BU’s groundbreaking research and discoveries that have been made possible through federal and philanthropic partnership and investment. “You Are Why” will also share examples of how the University’s scholarship, teaching, and service missions impact the lives of patients, students, families, and communities. “You Are Why” additionally calls on the BU community to seek new ways of engaging in dynamic and innovative partnerships that will help support and shape the future of research and provide opportunity for students.
Boston University Introduces Common Read, a New Campus Tradition
A new campus tradition launched in 2025: the Boston University Common Read, where the whole University community is encouraged to participate in a shared reading experience—creating the foundation for ongoing discussion. Booker Prize–winning novel Orbital, by Samantha Harvey, was the inaugural book. While the program is designed with first-year and transfer students in mind, the Common Read is open to all faculty, staff, and students.
BU Joins Universities Backing Harvard’s Research Funding and Government Control Court Case
Boston University joined 23 other schools in filing an amicus brief in federal court supporting Harvard University in its ongoing court battle following the Trump administration’s freezing of nearly $3 billion in federal research funding. BU has also joined several collective efforts advocating for government-funded research, noting its benefit to society and to the country’s competitiveness in the world.
Graduate Student Workers Union Ratifies Contract
After a seven-month strike with impacts felt across the University, BU’s Graduate Student Workers Union approved a three-year contract. The contract was ratified with 87 percent in favor and 13 percent opposed. The union has approximately 3,000 master’s, professional, and doctoral degree students who assist faculty with teaching and research.
Residence Life Union Approves Three-Year Contract
Boston University’s Residence Life Union ratified a three-year contract that will pay a stipend of $1,700 per semester to residence assistants (RAs)—a first for BU. Approval by the union ensures the continuation of the University’s provision of free housing to all RAs. All RAs will also receive free meals, which were previously available only to those based in dormitories.
President Gilliam Launches Living Our Values Initiative
During her inaugural address, President Gilliam announced a new initiative that will focus on “building our skills in discourse,” while “deepening our commitment to free expression.” President Gilliam said, “Creating a community in which each of us can fully contribute to the life of this campus requires each of us to commit to regarding one another with dignity and respect.”
BU Sees Drop in Black Students Enrolled after Supreme Court Ruling
The demographic data for Boston University’s Class of 2028, the first admitted after the US Supreme Court’s ruling that banned colleges from considering race as a factor in admissions, revealed a sharp drop in Black students enrolled, BU officials say. The decline, from 9 percent to 3 percent, was “concerning and disappointing,” President Melissa Gilliam says, and addressing it “will be a priority” for the University.
New Council Will Give BU Staff More Voice in Policy, Decisions
President Robert A. Brown has approved the formation of a new group called the Staff Advisory Council, with the purpose of giving a united voice to the University’s 6,300 staff members who want to make sure they are being heard by administrators as much as students and faculty when it comes to major decisions being made by BU leadership. The council will be made up of 30 members, elected to three-year terms. All of them will be staff level or first-line supervisors—no high-level positions, vice presidents, or senior leaders will serve.
