大学召开

尽管面临大流行病带来的挑战, 电子游戏软件在学术上依然稳健，财政状况也很健康, 并将推进标志性的倡议 designed to better serve underrepresented 学生, 考察美国的种族和种族主义, 并为经济援助筹集资金, 电子游戏软件院长威廉. 莱希,年代.J.在9月1日的大学毕业典礼上.

These challenging times “call on us to strengthen our understanding of and commitment to BC’s mission and culture,” Fr. Leahy告诉观众. “我们有充分的理由充满信心和雄心地走向未来, 甚至是集体的勇气, 以及强烈的制度动力感.”

Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley and Executive Vice President Michael Lochhead also offered remarks at 召开, which returned to Robsham Theater following a virtual presentation in 2020 because of COVID-19 protocols.

BC面临着一定的压力. 莱希:一个日益世俗化的社会, 天主教会的斗争, 社会和政治紧张局势, 保健方面的差距, 教育与就业, as well as a shrinking population of 18-year-olds in regions central to BC’s student recruitment.

“我们必须注意这些问题和压力, 要有创意, 计划好了, 充分利用我们的人力和财力资源. 有时这将意味着审查和重组, 有时甚至会终止当前的项目, 同时也投资于新的项目.  Most of all, it will require us to be especially attentive to institutional heritage and culture.”

Fr. Leahy addressed a range of health and safety protocols designed to keep the campus community safe and return normalcy to academic activities as the campus and the nation learn to coexist with the presence of the coronavirus into the foreseeable future.

“我们的目标是让今年的教学尽可能正常, 电子游戏正规平台, and learning as well as help protect the physical and psychological health of our campus community and the surrounding neighborhood. I believe we have to be prepared as a nation and world to address the challenges of COVID-19 and its variants for years to come.”

大学要求所有教员, 学生, 工作人员, and regular visitors to campus be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 resulted in vaccination rates of 99.3%的教职员工，99人.本科生占1%，99.6%的电子游戏正规平台生和专业学生.

“我们也鼓励那些更愿意戴口罩的人这样做, particularly individuals with young children or immune-compromised family members,”他说。. Leahy, adding “we are committed to being vigilant and flexible in regard to COVID-19.”

电子游戏软件 is complying with requirements by the cities of Boston and Newton that individuals wear masks in indoor areas open to the public, 包括食堂, 书店, 麦克马伦博物馆, 和Conte论坛, Fr. 莱希说.

“We are aware of desires among some for BC to mandate mask wearing in classrooms. But given the impressively high vaccination in our community and desire to have as normal a year as possible, especially in light of the negative psychological impact of mask wearing reported by 学生 and parents, 我们决定目前不要求教室戴口罩.

“但如果校园感染率高于预期水平, 我们会进行调整, not only regarding masks in classrooms but also considering masks in laboratories, 库, 宿舍休息室, 以及教师办公室和部门空间,” Fr. 莱希还说.

在其他领域, 松庄园学院与大学的整合仍在继续, following through on the 2018 agreement that established the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success, endowed with $50 million from 电子游戏软件 to fund outreach and academic support programs for underserved, 来自低收入家庭的学生. The institute will be led by its executive director, Vice President Joy Moore.

“I think this new venture holds much promise not only for 电子游戏软件 but also underserved 学生 with potential and their families in our region,” Fr. 莱希说.

Fr. Leahy praised the work of the 电子游戏软件 Forum on Racial Justice in America, which was launched in the wake of the death of George Floyd and a wave of protests across the country. Following the departure of 电子游戏软件 Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau for the presidency of Holy Cross College, the forum will now be led by Moore and  Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J.

“The forum offers great opportunities for 电子游戏软件 to engage critical questions about race and needed changes in attitudes and structures,” Fr. 莱希说. “My hope is that it will also encourage scholarly exploration of conditions that result in racism and racist behavior, 并提出对策和解决方案.”

He cited progress in fundraising, which yielded $152 million in 2020, an historic result. 2021财年为193美元.已作出600万美元的财政承诺. The “Be a Beacon Campaign” to support financial aid set a goal of $125 million. To date, commitments come to $164 million and a new goal of $200 million has been set, Fr. 莱希说.

Lochhead discussed the University’s financial affairs and facilities improvements. He said BC is in a strong financial position because of undergraduate and graduate tuition, 费用管理, 养老投资回报, 以及审慎的债务策略. That strong financial health allowed the University to absorb $31 million in costs imposed by the pandemic response.

Several capital projects were completed including additional improvements to Devlin 008 Auditorium, Bapst图书馆外部修复, 以及哈林顿田径村的皮特·弗雷茨中心, and reclamation of the site of the now-demolished Flynn Recreation Complex for green space, 娱乐, 和停车.

他提到的当前项目包括新建项目, 1.67亿美元的综合科学大楼, which will house the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society; renovations to the fifth floor of O’Neill Library; and upgrades to McElroy Commons dining. 未来的项目包括Hoag篮球馆, 毗邻康特论坛, 更好地服务学生运动员, 以及高年级学生馆, 这将有助于改变上校区.

Quigley discussed a range of academic-related achievements and benchmarks: nearly 40,为2025届的学生提供了000份申请, 哪个数字是2,500 学生; an increasingly diverse freshman class bolstered by the arrival of dozens of 学生 drawn to the University through its partnership with QuestBridge; and the hiring of 36 faculty members, 53%是女性，39%是黑人. Graduate and professional enrollment is up 14 percent and the incoming BC Law School class numbers 360, 这是几年来最高的.

他还提到了种族正义论坛在联系学生方面所做的工作, 学者, 以及整个校园的员工.

“The forum has become a really important meeting ground for the 电子游戏软件 community and a way of thinking through the strategic plan commitment to diversity and creating a culture, 关心所有人的承诺, 为所有电子游戏软件成员的归属. 我们还有更多的工作要做，但论坛现在是一个关键的资源.

Ed Hayward |大学传播| 2021年9月