We are committed to building a campus culture where all people feel valued, empowered to do their best work, and free to openly express their points of view without retaliation, harassment, or bias.
In spring 2024, we launched two working groups to address bias and harassment related to religion and current geopolitical events. We invite you to read the initial recommendations here, here, and here. This work continues to progress, with specific, related actions underway—including training on how to recognize antisemitic bias, Islamophobia, and other forms of discrimination; making the community more aware of our centralized reporting form for incidents and concerns; expansion of support of religious life, including the University’s chaplaincy, space for prayer, and dining options; revisions in process to the Code of Student Responsibilities to reflect concerns about doxxing and online harassment; and revisions to the policy on Events & Demonstrations to more clearly define what is permissible and impermissible conduct. We have a particular commitment to engage in training for University and student leaders and Faculty Council members on recognizing antisemitism and Islamophobia biases and other forms of discrimination.
In addition, the University continues to evaluate and implement the results of the 2023 Belonging & Culture Survey, an initiative led by BU Community & Inclusion to assess and address student, faculty, and staff’s feelings of belonging and culture at the University, highlighting areas of concern and building on our existing strengths. The Belonging & Culture Strategic Committee developed objectives, action items, and measures of success for recommendations developed from survey data.
Initiatives
- Action Collaborative on Preventing Harassment in Higher Education
- Belonging & Culture Survey
- Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground
- Student Wellbeing
Programs
- Beyond the Headlines series
- A Pardee School series that discusses current global events.
- Coffee & Conversation
- Students, faculty, and staff discuss headlines, trending topics, and controversial ideas.
- Learn More Series
- This signature series focuses on a single theme each year and features nationally renowned speakers, workshops, panel discussions, and more.