Boston University
IN-50: Innovation D

In August 2020, Boston University established the position of Senior Diversity Officer (SDO) and its corresponding office. The SDO builds on the University’s many existing DEI efforts, from the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground’s work to promote unity among students, to the Provost’s initiatives to improve faculty recruitment and make BU affordable for all.

One initiative headed by the SDO is the Antiracist Working Group (AWG). The AWG is responsible for systematically examining policies and practices across the University and makes recommendations to the President and other senior leaders on how to best remove systemic bias from BU's practices to create a truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment.

Another initiative headed by the SDO is the Task Force on Workplace Culture. This group aims to assess existing practices and staff perceptions that reflect DEI in the work environment for University community members and recommend systemic improvements to practices that address gaps in perceptions. The task force relies on the assessments, feedback, and recommendations from other constituent groups, and its members to learn best practices for staff engagement and development. Feedback from constituents reflects the diverse community that exists at the University such as diversity by race, age, gender preference, generation, disability, and sexual orientation.

The SDO heads a number of additional initiatives including the Trustee Committee on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and the Community Safety Advisory Group (CSAG). The SDO is unique in the way that the position focuses on policy changes that are coordinated, consistent, and consequential across the entire institution, placing diversity among the University’s top priorities.

Additional information on SDO initiatives: https://www.bu.edu/diversity-officer/our-work/antiracism-working-group/
https://www.bu.edu/diversity-officer/our-work/task-force-on-workplace-culture/

This represents FY2021/2022 BU Metrics.