Data is accurate as of the entry date. Our site also maintains a historical record of past actions. Because programming changes, check whether the linked data is still live and also use our template for a Google search (below).
- Mailing Address
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One University Road
Boston, Massachusetts 02215 - Phone
- (617) 358-2493
- Email address
- academyadmission@bu.edu
- Website
- https://www.buacademy.org/
- School Information
- "Boston University Academy was founded in 1993 by former President of Boston University Dr. John Silber and the University Board of Trustees. Following the graduation of a single student in 1995, the inaugural class of eight students graduated in 1996. In the fall of 1998, BUA opened its doors to 11 ambitious eighth graders, expanding its academic program to younger students. However, after seven years of serving students in grades 8 through 12, BUA decided in 2005 to discontinue the middle school program and to focus on what it does best - provide an intellectually invigorating classroom experience for students at the high school level who are ready for college-level work. Boston University Academy’s enrollment has grown from about 150 students in 2004 to our current enrollment of 202 students, with four class sections per grade" (Source: https://www.buacademy.org/about-us/history/). The student to faculty ratio is 11 to 1. BUA has 19 faculty members.
- General Information
- BUA has held events and programs discussing anti-racism. In addition, BUA invited Ibram X Kendi, author of "How to Be an Anti-Racist," to discuss racism. BUA has released numerous statements affirming its commitment to DEI.
Actions Taken
- Admissions Policies
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The school includes "Rich Diversity" as one of its strategic priorities in its BAU 2030 Vision. The school aims to recruit "students and families from historically under-represented [racial] backgrounds" through "enhanced outreach" and with "programs designed to foster a deep sense of belonging."
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- Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
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During an all-school meeting, students discussed "who feels included when we use the word 'diversity.'" Students attended a meeting led by Dr. Gay, who "is one of the leading strategists and thinkers around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work." During it, students discussed "people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, people from a lower socioeconomic status, religious minority groups, or other often-marginalized populations" and how "we all contribute to the diversity of the communities we find ourselves in."
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The school states it "will continue to pair discussion with action in order to ensure that our school community reflects our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion" through "All-School Meetings, class meetings, and work conducted in student clubs like the Social Justice Alliance and Conversations@BUA," to grapple "with some of the big issues facing our society and country."
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- Curriculum Changes and Requirements
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The English class "Existentialism in Fiction and Film" fulfills the core curriculum requirements for seniors. The class covers existentialism, which has "much to say about sexism and racism."
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The school's BUA 2030 Vision includes "creating opportunities for faculty and students to engage in social-justice-focused research, advocacy, and action" as an objective. It also includes "offering a curriculum in which our students see themselves reflected and prepares them for active citizenship in a diverse world" as an objective.
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The school offers the English seminar titled "Neoliberal Capitalism and Its Discontents" to fulfill core curriculum requirements. The class covers "the strengths and weaknesses of neoliberalism by studying some of its proponents and its critics from the schools of socialism, feminism, anti-colonial and racial theory, and Native American philosophy." Furthermore, the class description clarifies the class is not on economics, rather prompts students to ask "does Neoliberalism really lead to a just and fair society, as its proponents claim? And if not, what should we do? What can we do?" the class serves as a critique of "the intersection of the Neoliberal Capitalists ethos and its limits."
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- Faculty/Staff Requirements
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On the National Association of Independent Schools' website, the school posted a job listing for a Director of College Counseling, which reads, "For all positions, we look for candidates who enjoy working with colleagues in a collaborative environment, who are flexible and creative, who will fully engage in the life of the school, and who are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable community."
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On a job listing for an Academy instructor on Inside Higher Ed., the school wrote, "For all positions, we look for candidates who enjoy working with colleagues in a collaborative environment, who are flexible and creative, who will fully engage in the life of the school, and who are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable community."
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- Resources
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On June 1, 2020, BUA's Interim Head of School released a statement responding to the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd by stating, "These events highlight the injustices and often fatal consequences of endemic racism in our society." BUA also provided numerous resources discussing George Floyd.
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The school states that it values "diversity in all its dimensions, from racial and socio-economic diversity to diversity of religions, backgrounds, and sexual orientations, to linguistic and geographic diversity."
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- Symbolic Actions
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On July 30, 2020, BUA announced on Facebook that its Social Justice Alliance held an interview series on the Black Lives Matter movement. This post was also featured on its Instagram account.
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On July 29, 2020, BUA announced on Facebook that it would hold a virtual discussion series named "Black Boston" which "provides a forum to examine our city's progress toward inclusive access, equity, and opportunity - and where we still fall short." This post was also featured on its Instagram account.
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On June 25, 2020, BUA announced on Facebook that, "Ibram X. Kendi, director of the new BU Center for Antiracist Research, leads a panel of University scholars in A Conversation on the History of Racism in the opening plenary session of yesterday’s BU Day of Collective Engagement." This post was also featured on its Instagram account.
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On June 18, 2020, BUA stated on Facebook, "We recognize and humbly acknowledge that BUA, as an institution, has more work ahead of us. We must confront racism within our community head-on. We must say forthrightly that Black Lives Matter at BUA." This post was also featured on its Instagram account.
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On June 2, 2020, BUA participated in Blackout Tuesday on Facebook. This post was also featured on its Instagram account.
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