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Boston College

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Devlin 208
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467
Phone
(617) 552-3100
Email address
admission@bc.edu
School Information
"Boston College was founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) to educate Boston’s predominantly Irish, Catholic immigrant community. It opened its doors on September 5, 1864, in a building on Harrison Avenue in Boston’s South End, a 'small streetcar college' for commuting students" (Source: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/about/mission.html). The student to faculty ratio is 10 to 1. Boston College's total enrollment is 14,890. The college offers 59 undergraduate degrees.
General Information
Boston College has numerous centers and offices that provide resources for diversity and anti-racism. The college is working to implement CRT in its core curriculum. Boston College requires all students to take 1 course in Cultural Diversity. See further developments below:

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • On June 29, 2023, BC's President issued a statement regarding the Supreme Court's decision on race-based admissions which reads in part as follows: "Today’s Supreme Court ruling banning the inclusion of race as a factor in the college admission process is a frustrating departure from a decades-long judicial precedent. Consideration of race in admission decisions has enabled higher education institutions like Boston College to identify, enroll, and graduate talented students from diverse racial groups...The University intends to remain faithful to its Jesuit, Catholic intellectual and religious heritage by enrolling talented, diverse students from across the United States and the world within the new parameters set by the Court."
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • BC's Office for Institutional Diversity's "Cultural Competence Engagement Modules" is a six-session course that "helps participants acquire the knowledge, language, behavioral, and cultural skills necessary to navigate within a diverse and inclusive community."
  • The Office for Institutional Diversity facilitates the "Anti-Racism Examen" program in which "participants will partake in guided conversations and strategic collaborations that will build reflective practices, helping participants make choices and act in ways that strengthen our commitment to an antiracist working and learning environment at Boston College."
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • The Boston College School of Social Work released a statement in response to George Floyd's death saying, "We will leverage the leadership of alumni, students, staff, and faculty to develop social work curriculum specific for supporting our black communities and disrupting anti-black racism."
  • Boston College requires all students to take one course in Cultural Diversity.
Disciplinary Measures
  • BC's "Bias-Related Incident Report Form" can be completed by "either victims of bias, by witnesses to such incidents, or by students, faculty and staff members to whom others have reported incident(s)."
Program and Research Funding
  • The Racism-based Violence Injury & Prevention Lab at BC's School of Social Work "examines racism, violence, and trauma among emerging adults 18 to 29 years of age from marginalized ethnic groups in the U.S."
  • The Institute for the Study of Race and Culture at BC "offers pragmatic information about teaching, conducting research, and applying interventions intended to promote the benefits of racial and ethnic cultural diversity and resolve related social problems."
Resources
  • Boston College's Student Affairs offers numerous resources for BIPOC students and has also compiled a list of articles and podcasts discussing racism.
  • Boston College holds numerous events to support diversity, including the annual Diversity and inclusion Summit.
  • BC's Office for Institutional Diversity's "Voices of Diversity and Inclusion Forum" brings employees of "all levels together in conversation about how to improve diversity and openness at Boston College." The Forum "tackles current diversity challenges, uncovers opportunities for improvement, and brainstorms possible solutions."
  • BC's "Forum on Racial Justice in America" provides a "meeting place for listening, dialogue, and greater understanding about race and racism in our country, while serving as a catalyst for bridging differences, promoting reconciliation, and encouraging new perspectives." The Forum sponsors "speakers, panels, and seminars to address key issues regarding race, and encourages scholarly exploration of conditions that result in racism and racist behavior, while suggesting appropriate responses and solutions."
  • BC's Division of Mission and Ministry offers "Racial Justice" resources which can "help in better understanding racial injustice and the importance of anti-Black racism work in the United States and, in particular, at Boston College." In addition, the Campus Ministry states, "We hope something you find here may help in your work to build a community that upholds the dignity of the person and affirms that Black Lives Matter."
  • The Institute for the Study of Race and Culture's 2024 (September 13-14) Diversity Challenge Conference will "explore approaches to dismantling the dominance of Whiteness in psychological science, as well as elevating additional racial and cultural perspectives on psychological constructs and research methodologies."
  • From March 24-25 of 2023, BC's Forum on Racial Justice in America held an event titled "Critical Conversations and Student Voices Addressing Racial Justice in America" which was a "student-led, in-person conference designed to provide space for discussion and reflection on the national effects of racial injustice."
  • The September 2023 issue of BC News features a book titled "Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement" by Professor Mike Russell (BC School of Education) which "confronts the race sciences, white supremacy, and other injustices in the field’s research and practice that, according to Russell, lead test instruments, interpretation of test scores, and critical decisions such as college or high school admissions to perpetuate the nation’s racialized social structure."
  • BC's Institute for the Study of Race and Culture hosts the annual "Anderson 'AJ' Franklin Unity Against Racism Lecture" series which "provides a platform for leaders to present unifying approaches to the ongoing dismantling of racism."
Symbolic Actions
  • On October 7, 2020, the Boston College Forum on Racial Justice in America began.
  • The Center for Human Rights sponsored the annual Undoing Racism workshop in the summer of 2020.
  • Boston College's program, "Courageous Conversations," seeks to promote "civil dialogues on racial justice."
  • In response to the death of George Floyd, the president released a statement saying, "We must condemn the racial prejudice and profound injustice leading to this latest shocking loss of a black person's life in our country."
Last updated March 21st, 2024
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