From the earliest days of its founding, Boston University has committed itself to being not only an incubator of ideas and discovery, but a motivator of action, entrepreneurship, and transformative solutions to the challenges of the day.
The Boston University Office of the Provost upholds this Terrier tradition of excellence by providing leadership in the University’s academic, budgetary, and planning efforts. Key to these efforts are attracting and supporting the finest faculty and students from around the world, investing in world-class learning spaces and research facilities, and advancing a standard for scholarship and innovation consistently regarded among the nation’s leaders.
University Provost Gloria Waters is BU’s second-ranking official and its chief academic officer. Reporting directly to President Melissa Gilliam, the provost supervises all academic programs and support functions, faculty affairs (including recruiting, promotion, and tenure), strategic initiatives, global programs, student academic affairs, and academic and space planning.
As one of the country’s largest private research institutions, Boston University serves more than 33,000 undergraduate and graduate students across the 17 schools and colleges and the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences of its Charles River, Medical, and Fenway Campuses. Its highly regarded faculty counts among its members Nobel Laureates, MacArthur fellows, Pulitzer Prize winners, and a roster of nationally renowned scholars in every discipline. Its classrooms, meanwhile, have become recognized as a launching pad for national leaders in science, engineering, business, communications, the humanities, and public service.
The Office of the Provost works to ensure the continued pursuit of excellence by promoting the very best in new scholarship and interdisciplinary research across campuses, supporting the University’s extensive global outreach efforts, and sustaining a vibrant intellectual community composed of the finest faculty and students.
Gloria Waters is University Provost and Chief Academic Officer of Boston University.
From Dr. Melissa Gilliam, President and Dr. Gloria Waters, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer March 6, 2025 Dear Members of the Boston University Community, We are pleased to announce the launch of the Boston University Task Force on Convergent Research and Education. This initiative will build upon our University’s strong foundation in impactful and […]
From Dr. Gloria Waters University Provost and Chief Academic Officer The Office of the Provost asks for your assistance in identifying nominees for the 2025 University Lecturer. The University Lecture was established in 1950 to honor members of the Boston University faculty engaged in outstanding research and creative pursuits. University Lecturers represent a vast array […]
From Dr. Gloria Waters, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer and Jason Campbell-Foster, Dean of Students The Dean of Students’ Office and Residence Life are seeking faculty members interested in appointment to the Faculty-in-Residence (FIR) Program for the 2025-2026 academic year. Faculty members are eligible to apply to the FIR program if they are full-time […]
From Dr. Gloria Waters, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer The Office of the Provost invites nominations and applications from the BU professoriate for the position of director of the next generation of what was previously known as ARROWS (Advance, Recruit, Retain, and Organize Women in STEM). The new organization, tentatively titled WISE (Women in […]
From Dr. Melissa Gilliam, President, Dr. Gloria Waters, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer, and Nicole Tirella, Senior Vice President for Financial Affairs, CFO, and Treasurer January 28, 2025 Dear Members of the BU Community, As you’ve likely seen in the news, in the past week the new administration has issued executive orders affecting federal […]
From Dr. Gloria Waters, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer Last spring, we invited a representative sample of Boston University students to take part in a climate survey on sexual assault and sexual misconduct. Conducted in partnership with Rankin Climate LLC, a nationally recognized climate assessment firm, the survey was designed to gauge student perceptions […]
From Dr. Gloria Waters, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer As we being a new semester, I am writing to restate Boston University’s commitment to respecting the practice of all religious denominations. During the course of the academic year, members of our community may request excused absences from attending classes or participating in examination, work, […]
From Dr. Gloria Waters, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer As we begin the process of selecting the next dean of the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, the first step is to constitute the search advisory committee. The BU Faculty Handbook specifies that: “the advisory committee shall consist of three faculty members elected by […]