Boston University Diversity Statement
Boston University’s founders opened its doors to all students without regard to religion, race, or gender. Building and sustaining a vibrant community of scholars, students, and staff remains essential to our mission of contributing to, and preparing students to thrive in, an increasingly interconnected world.
We strive to create environments for learning, working, and living that are enriched by racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. We seek to cultivate an atmosphere of respect for individual differences in life experience, sexual orientation, and religious belief, and we aspire to be free of intellectual parochialism, barriers to access, and ethnocentrism.
Success in a competitive, global milieu depends upon our ongoing commitment to welcome and engage the wisdom, creativity, and aspirations of all peoples. The excellence we seek emerges from the contributions and talents of every member of the Boston University community.
There are many resources and offices at BU to support students. As it relates to diversity and inclusion, we hope you’ll find the following particularly helpful:
Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground
The Thurman Center was founded in 1986 to preserve the legacy of Dr. Howard Thurman, who spent his life working to break barriers that separate people based on race, culture, religion, ethnicity, gender and sexual identity.
It currently serves as BU’s cultural hub and emphasizes the importance of stepping outside your comfort zones to build relationships and share experiences with others. The center offers are a wide array of cultural programs, lectures, discussions, films, events and resources for all members of the BU community to attend.
Newbury Center
The Newbury Center opened its doors in January 2021 with the goal of fostering the holistic success of first-generation students at Boston University.
It aims to offer programming and services designed to ensure that first-generation students experience the same well being, belonging, self-efficacy, and academic accomplishment as their continuing-generation peers.
Specific initiatives include support for navigating through the financial aid system, making the best use of academic resources and taking full advantage of internship opportunities.
Disability & Access Services
The goal at Disability & Access Services is to provide services and support to ensure that students are able to access and participate in the opportunities available at Boston University. In keeping with this objective, students are expected and encouraged to utilize the resources of Disability & Access Services to the degree they determine necessary. Although a significant degree of independence is expected of students, Disability & Access Services is available to assist should the need arise.
In addition to helping students can receive accommodations, they also provide resources to the University community so that events and opportunities can be made accessible.
To make an appointment, please call 617-353-3658. For general inquiries feel free to email access@bu.edu. Please note, emails will be responded to within three business days.
Student Health Services
Student Health Services provides a wide range of medical care, mental health services, and support for trauma survivors. Our community outreach, prevention, and health promotion programs foster a campus culture of safety and wellbeing.
Click here to learn more about their offerings.
Wellbeing
Boston University offers hundreds of programs, services, events, and learning opportunities to support all dimensions of your wellbeing. The question is, “How do I find all these resources? Where do I look?” This list of campus resources, filtered by type of wellbeing you are looking to support, is the perfect place to start.
Marsh Chapel
Marsh Chapel is a place for all, an interdenominational ministry at Boston University preaching a gospel of grace and freedom, a responsible Christian liberalism.
They cherish common faith, common ground, and, especially, a common hope.
BU Hillel
The mission of BU Hillel is to inspire, educate, and empower Boston University students to lead meaningful, joyous Jewish lives.
Student Activities Office
Boston University has over 450 student organizations and the Student Activities Office (SAO) can help students find peers who share their passions and interests or even get the ball rolling to create an entirely new organization.
These organizations include a variety of identity based clubs that BU students can sign up for and join.
Boston University Questrom School of Business
Center for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Rafik B. Hariri Building 595 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 205
Boston, MA 02215