If you ever have any doubt about whether we in the College of Arts & Sciences succeed in conveying to our students our commitment to critical thinking, understanding, and truth, whether they share our passion for liberal education, then all you need to do is read about student speaker Maxwell Robidoux’s Commencement 2017 Speech. Max graduated with a double major in Psychology and Sociology; he hopes to attend law school in the fall. His theme for the speech was the responsibility to seek and to tell the truth. He spoke about the value of liberal education and the responsibility it instills to live up to its values of truth and human decency. He urged his fellow graduates to ask critical questions, speak against dishonesty and injustice, make decisions based on objective research and factual conclusions, remain humble, and try to understand rather than stigmatize people who are different from us. Max applied timeless principles to our troubling times, and moved his peers to multiple rounds of applause, with wisdom and passion. He did us very proud.
With an inspiring Commencement behind us, it’s time to take stock of a remarkable academic year. We’ve been through a lot together in the past year, from dealing with the aftermath of a shocking presidential election to hammering out the BU Hub. Lots of uncertainty and challenges lie ahead for us, but we are tackling issues together. In this note, I want to reflect on some of the most important achievements of the year.
In August, I set out my priorities for the year, and I talked about them at the first faculty meeting of the academic year. The overarching theme that I identified was that we seek continually to build and foster a vibrant intellectual community. This will continue to be a dominant theme, and I will keep returning to it. I am pleased by the steps we took this year. Among the many steps we collectively took toward this end: we overhauled and updated the CAS Bylaws; we created a much-needed new student space, the CAS Think Tank, where our students can gather and study; we conducted more Alumni educational programs than ever before; and we held a record-breaking Giving Day. This spring we launched a faculty committee to develop a diversity and inclusion strategic plan for CAS; its representatives have visited nearly every department in order to listen and learn about how we can move forward on this critical area of community-building.
I also identified faculty as our foundational strength, and the importance of hiring, mentoring, and supporting a great and diverse faculty. We are nearing the end of a very successful hiring season, and are already gearing up for next year’s searches. Among other things, we developed new mid-career faculty mentoring workshops this past year, supported a digital humanities seminar for faculty and graduate students, and promoted a record number of lecturers to senior ranks.
Developing and implementing the BU Hub was and remains a priority—one that has taken a big commitment from many faculty members and one where CAS has played a leading role. CAS departments are starting to submit courses for inclusion, and our office is actively assisting departments in developing plans and ensuring their courses meet ultimate approval. Faculty members are signing up for workshops through the Center for Teaching and Learning, which should not only help to meet the guidelines for BU Hub approval but also develop relationships among faculty from far-flung disciplines and foster a campus-wide teaching commons. Developing the BU Hub curriculum will continue through the next academic year, as we also consider what is essential to an arts and sciences education for CAS undergraduates.
I wrote in August about developing more opportunities for experiential learning for our students. We will launch the BU in San Francisco project this summer, collaborating with BU Spark! to develop innovation and startup opportunities for computer science students. The CAS On-Campus Internship program expanded in its second year of placing students with mentors in various offices around campus. We will continue to support and develop research, internship, outreach, and service learning opportunities in the coming year and as part of the BU Hub.
Our fundraising activities have been successful this year, as the university vaulted past the $1 billion mark on track to achieve its new $1.5 Billion challenge. I have personally traveled up and down the coasts to NYC, Washington, Naples, Miami, West Palm Beach, LA, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle to meet with alumni and discuss opportunities to further invest in our work and our students. These visits impress upon me the transformative nature of what we do, and the strong ties of affection and pride that our alumni hold for their alma mater. We have received generous gifts this past year, such as graduate fellowship funds; faculty development funds; funds for supporting the research programs of scientists, social scientists, and humanities faculty; and funds for supporting and mentoring students in innovation and entrepreneurship. As I speak with donors I am also prioritizing the Centennial scholarship challenge as a way of increasing access to a great BU education, and I find that this resonates with our generous alumni.
As I reflect on these achievements, I am grateful for the work of faculty and staff. I fully recognize that there have been a lot of demands on your time, that you have engaged faithfully in difficult conversations about our challenges and priorities, and that you have worked long and hard to achieve our collective goals. It has been a year that has tested our faith in governance and challenged us to endure, to listen, to understand and explain our differences, while we seek common goals.
We in the dean’s office will be turning our attention to merit recommendations and hiring priorities, and planning our strategies for addressing our many challenges. President Brown’s spring letter outlines the national and international context for our local challenges and confirms the principles and commitments that we will continue to follow as we address them.
But, like you, we are all ready for a change of pace. I hope your summer will allow for some reflection on the year that was and time with treasured family and friends. As for me, I will make a trip to Israel mid-summer to meet with fellow arts & sciences deans at global, urban universities, then finish the summer with another assault on a 14’er in Colorado. I send you my very best wishes for a restful and productive summer.