News and Updates
Updated Policies
Boston University Events and Demonstrations Policy, updated December 10, 2024
Identity and Access Management Policy, updated April 28, 2024
Network Security Monitoring Policy, updated April 24, 2024
Access to Electronic Information Policy, updated April 24, 2024
Data Access Management Policy, updated April 24, 2024
Minimum Security Standards, updated April 24, 2024
BUHR Compensation Guide for Non-Represented Staff – Published April 2024
Postdoctoral Scholars Policy, updated April 16, 2024
Academic Conduct Code, updated January 1, 2024 – applies to all students except the School of Law students and MD students at the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, who should refer to their academic conduct codes.
President’s Statement of Commitment to Ethical Conduct – November 2023
Policy on Principal Investigator (PI) Status – updated May 25, 2023
Revision to Undergraduate Dual Degree Program Policy – updates related to cumulative GPA requirements for graduation, credits required for dual degree completion, and revision to the limit on summer courses. Updated May 9, 2023
Revision to Residency Requirement and Transfer of Undergraduate Credits Policy – reduces the number of transfer credits allowable for first-year entering full-time undergraduate students to 60 credits and for transfer students to 68 credits; removes restrictions on students taking courses within the Route 128 corridor; clarifies that full-time residential undergraduate students cannot earn credit toward their degrees from courses offered through Metropolitan College.
Revision to Academic Residency Requirement Policy – reduces the number of transfer credits for full-time, residential, first-year entering and transfer students.
Revision to Advanced Credit Guide – corresponds with revisions to the BU Residency Requirement and Transfer of Undergraduate Credits Policy and redirects readers to the omnibus policy on the Admissions website rather than repeat the information.
Revision to Undergraduate Pass/Fail Policy Regarding the BU Hub – removes BU Hub units from the list of excluded courses students can designate as pass/fail.
Undergraduate Student Registration and Overlapping Class Times Policy – ensures that undergraduate students may not enroll in two classes that meet at the same time.
Athletics Compliance Guide for Faculty, Staff, Alumni, and Friends 2022-2023
Boston University Lifebook Residential Policies Revisions
Revisions to the Boston University Code of Student Responsibilities – updates largely related to free speech and expression.
311 Emergency Campus Closing – part of the Employee Handbook
Faculty Handbook Revisions
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- Revised Discontinuation Policy for Departments and Programs, and Consequent Faculty Terminations – lays out a detailed procedure for ending a program in the event the discontinuation would sever any faculty members’ primary appointments and/or leave them unable to be reassigned to other areas.
- Revision to Faculty Handbook, Appointments and Promotions section – acknowledges that faculty with the rank of ‘Instructor’ are members of Faculty Assembly
- Revision to Faculty Handbook, COVID-19 Extension of Probationary Period – applies the one-year COVID-19 extension of probationary period to tenure-track faculty who began their service at BU between July and December 2020
- Revision to Faculty Handbook, Faculty Retirement and Emeritus Status Section – allows the University president or president’s designee to approve incorporating named professorships into emeritus designations.
- Revision to Faculty Handbook, Faculty Retirement and Emeritus Status Section – offers gender-inclusive terms for faculty who are awarded emeritus status to utilize as desired upon receiving the designation.
- Revision to Faculty Handbook Policy on Tenure and Promotion on the Charles River Campus – corrects the name of the family leave policy to be consistent with other areas of the Faculty Handbook.
Holiday Calendar Revisions
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- Revised Academic Calendar Principles – adds Juneteenth as an official University holiday with no classes, renames the Columbus Day holiday Indigenous People’s Day, and ensures that fall term begins after September 1 each year
- Employee Handbook – Section 308 Holidays – updated to reflect changes to the BU Holiday calendar, including the addition of Juneteenth and the changing of the October Holiday to Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Data Classification Policy – effective April 29, 2021
Data Access Management Policy – effective April 29, 2021
Minimum Security Standards – effective April 29, 2021
6.2.1 Ordering and Contracting– effective February 4, 2021
The Ordering Method Matrix was updated in the 6.2.1 Ordering and Contracting Policy on February 2, 2021
6.2.4 Agreement Administration – effective February 4, 2021
6.2.5 Procurement Ethics – effective February 4, 2021
6.2.6 Shipping and Receiving Terms – effective February 4, 2021
6.2.7 Payment Terms – effective February 4, 2021
6.2.9 Quotations – Requesting Quotes – effective February 4, 2021
6.2.11 Request for Proposal (RFP) Process – effective February 4, 2021
6.2.14 Engagement of Professional Services Policy– effective February 4, 2021
Competition and Supplier Selection for Products and Services Policy – effective February 4, 2021
Solicitation and Acceptance of Personal Gifts and Relationships with Suppliers Policy – effective February 4, 2021
Employee Leave Policies:
Faculty Personal and Family Leaves Policy
Employee Handbook – Section 318 Paid Family and Medical Leave– effective January 1, 2021,
6.2.8 International Ordering – updated December 11, 2020
Code of Ethical Conduct – Updated December 1, 2020
Conflict of Interest Policy – Updated December 1, 2020
Minimum Security Standards, Updated November 2020
The Ordering Method Matrix was updated in the 6.2.1 Ordering and Contracting Policy, November 2020
Student Work Hours for Employment at Boston University Policy – Updated June 25, 2020
Academic Conduct Code – Academic Integrity Addendum for Graduate Students added, June 2020
Faculty Handbook – Extension Of The Probationary Period For Tenure Track Faculty , June 2020
New Policies
(Note: Also see the Sexual Misconduct section on this page)
Interim Equal Opportunity and Title IX Policy and corresponding Interim Equal Opportunity and Title IX Procedures – Effective October 15, 2024, applying to conduct that occurs on or after October 15, 2024
Part-time PhD Students who are Employed Outside Boston University Guidelines, Effective April 19, 2024
Cyber Incident Response Policy – Effective May 23, 2023
Acceptable Use of Computing Services Policy – Effective May 23, 2023, replaced the Conditions of Use and Policy on Computing Ethics
Policy on Responding to Employer Inquiries Regarding Sexual Misconduct– Effective spring semester 2023
Sexual Misconduct Hiring Disclosure Policy – Effective spring semester 2023
Boston University Events and Demonstrations Policy – Effective May 17, 2022
Guidance on Advocacy at Boston University – Effective May 17, 2022
Emergency Campus Closing Standard Operating Procedure – Effective January 1, 2022
Sick Leave Policy for PhD Students
Remote Work Guidelines, August 9, 2021 – Revised – See Flexible Work Guidelines
Cybersecurity Training, Compliance, and Remediation Policy – Policy is effective April 29, 2021 and replaces the previous Education, Compliance, and Remediation Policy
BU Research Compliance Policy on Acquisition and Documentation of Post-Mortem Human Samples – Effective April 21, 2021
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Policy passed December 15, 2020, effective in Spring 2021 semester
BU Paid Family and Medical Leave Law Policy– effective January 1, 2021
Boston University Family and Medical Leave Policy for Temporary Employees, Part-Time Faculty, and Former Employees– effective January 1, 2021
Data Lifecycle Management Policy – Policy is effective in November 2020 and replaces the Data Protection Requirements Policy
Statement on Free Speech and Expression
Gift Acceptance and Naming Policy, effective September 17, 2020
Policy on Visiting Students, Effective fall 2020
Award of Posthumous Degrees by Boston University, Effective September 1, 2020
Policy on Visiting Faculty and Research Scholars, Effective September 1, 2020
Conflict of Commitment Policy – Policy is effective 7/31/20 and replaces the previous External Professional Activity Policy
Policy On Dissertation Work Outside Of Boston University, June 2020
Libraries Code of Conduct, June 2020
Sexual Misconduct and Title IX Policies and Procedures - New and Old
Interim Equal Opportunity and Title IX Policy and corresponding Interim Equal Opportunity and Title IX Procedures – Effective October 15, 2024, applying to conduct that occurs on or after October 15, 2024
Policy on Responding to Employer Inquiries Regarding Sexual Misconduct– Effective spring semester 2023
Sexual Misconduct Hiring Disclosure Policy – Effective spring semester 2023
Policy and Procedures Applying to conduct that occurs on or after August 14, 2020
Sexual Misconduct Policy, new for August 14, 2020, revised August 2021
Procedures for the Resolution of Non-Title IX Sexual Misconduct Complaints Against Students
Policy and Procedures Applying to conduct occurring on or before August 13, 2020
Sexual Misconduct/Title IX Policy
Procedures for the Resolution of Sexual Misconduct Complaints Against Faculty, Staff, Affiliates, and Non-Affiliates “Faculty Procedures”
Procedures for the Resolution of Sexual Misconduct Complaints against Students “Student Procedures”
Question About Policies?
If you have questions about University Policies or the process by which they are developed, refer to the About Policies page on this site which features information on the policy governance and approval process, or contact the Compliance Services Office or the Office of the Provost. To request that changes be made to a Policy on the website, contact the Compliance Services Office. They can help you understand the process for updating Policies and Procedures.
Policies Website Design
The Policies website features optimal search functionality and streamlined searching through the homepage, and the ability to convert Policies hosted on the site into a printable PDF with the click of a button. The following graphic highlights some of the other site features:
