Strategic Plan
In 2020, President Robert Brown and Provost Jean Morrison announced the Strategic Plan for Boston University, which was designed to guide the University’s work through 2030. The Strategic Plan is comprised of five priorities, two of which directly relate to the work of Community & Inclusion and its units: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Community, Big yet Small.
In support of BU’s Strategic Plan, Community & Inclusion spearheaded the Belonging & Culture Survey in collaboration with Analytical Services & Institutional Research. The first survey was run in the spring of 2023, and will be run again every 3 years to track changes. Victoria Sahani (Associate Provost for Community & Inclusion), Megan Segoshi (Director, BU Diversity & Inclusion), and Barbara Jones (Dean, School of Social Work) now co-chair the Belonging & Culture Strategic Committee (BCSC), whose goals are to help guide how to address areas of concern at the University and unit levels and build on existing cultural strengths. The BCSC will advise the individual units whose survey results indicate a unique, unit-specific challenge for advancing belonging and community.
The individual units within C&I support these priorities through their initiatives to: foster community by creating spaces for networking and socialization; provide educational programs and trainings; recruit, retain, and support a diverse community through grant funding, professional development, and workshops for faculty, staff, and students.
BU Diversity & Inclusion
BU Diversity & Inclusion works to recruit and retain a diverse faculty body through a multitude of trainings, workshops, professional development, and programming and research grants. BU D&I also fosters community building through their support of the Faculty & Staff Community Networks and various events and programming. By supporting a diverse faculty community and providing trainings to faculty we, in turn, create a more inclusive and equitable classroom experience for all of our students.
LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff
The LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff is the first of its kind in the country. The center provides programming, consultation, professional development, resources, and advocacy that fosters an inclusive and affirming living, learning, and workplace environment. The center engages the BU community to foster a sense of belonging and connectedness for LGBTQIA+ faculty and staff; increase the visibility of LGBTQIA+ resources, research, and scholarship; celebrate the contributions of the diverse LGBTQIA+ community at BU; and improve recruitment and retention of LGBTQIA+ faculty and staff in the development of an inclusive and equitable workplace.
Newbury Center
The Newbury Center supports first-generation undergraduate, graduate, and professional students by providing resources through workshops, networking, and events. In 2021, the Newbury Center received a First-Gen Forward designation from the Center for First-Generation Student Success, an initiative of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and the Suder Foundation. To broaden the support network for BU’s Terrier F1RSTS, the Newbury Center launched the Terrier F1RSTS Advocates Directory. Any BU faculty or staff member can take the training to become an advocate!
BU Arts Initiative
The Boston University Arts Initiative ensures that the arts are central to the student experience by developing and supporting University-wide programs to advance the role of the arts at BU through building community; The BU Arts Initiative is a joint collaboration between Community & Inclusion and the College of Fine Arts.
Organizational Development & Learning
Organizational Development & Learning promotes thriving by nurturing the talents and abilities of staff & faculty to realize their potential and harness their collective strengths. ODL designs processes that enable all staff to see the breadth of possibilities available at BU to realize their career aspirations. They also develop a world-class workforce through a culture of continuous improvement & learning that can help drive the mission and strategic plan of Boston University forward.
