Enhancement: The BU Advantage

How do we achieve enhancement and integration? There are many specific initiatives that could be undertaken, but at the big picture level, each University school and department must be charged with and held accountable for meeting the challenge.

• Each school and college must outline how it will enhance its own programs, curricula, and courses to better meet the needs of students in the 21st century, including a full range of BU undergraduates, and what steps it will take to enable students to take advantage of opportunities in and partnerships with other schools, including dual degrees, double majors, minors, and new course offerings.
• The University must eliminate any and all administrative barriers and GPA inconsistencies to enable students to transfer easily between schools and colleges, to move smoothly through programs, and to be able to graduate in four years.
• University leaders whose roles reach across school boundaries, such as the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and the Dean of Students, must outline how they will support schools, colleges, and students in their efforts.
• Finally, students must be encouraged to take control of their educational journey. Our strongest students have found ways to do this, despite challenges. When interdisciplinary courses and programs of study are made available to students and when they are advised and encouraged to take full advantage of these opportunities, students themselves can become co-creators of educational value.

The Task Force looked at many possibilities for leveraging BU’s current strengths and promoting increased integration. Our existing strengths, which we call the BU Advantage, include our programs in the arts and sciences, the professional schools, a diverse student body and international programs, and a robust offering of co-curricular activities. We must encourage students to seize these existing opportunities as they complete their coursework in their chosen fields of study.

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