Boston University President Melissa Gilliam stressed the need for community and collaboration during an “unusual” time for higher education, as the societal role and importance of universities nationwide is called into question.
“Difficult times give you opportunities to think in different ways and to be even more ambitious,” Gilliam said.
Gilliam reflected on her first year as president in an interview with The Daily Free Press May 9. She highlighted efforts to streamline partnership between the Charles River and Medical campuses, the effects of federal policies on the University community and hopes to foster a community that encourages civil discourse, addressing the goals she set ahead of the 2024-2025 academic year.
One major initiative to spearhead these efforts was the launch of the Living Our Values Project in October, which identified core principles to foster “inclusivity, integrity and positive impact” across BU.
The project held more than 80 discussions with students, faculty, staff and alumni about guiding values and “what sustains our community,” which Gilliam said are imperative at a time when issues are highly polarized.
The University is pivoting from its 10-year Strategic Plan, BU 2030, because it has already reached many of its goals, Gilliam said.
Now, the University is developing a “strategic framework” that will allow administration to foster interdisciplinary connection. Gilliam said the framework is more necessary than ever at a time when convergent research, operational infrastructure and the role of artificial intelligence are being questioned.
Existing initiatives from BU 2030, such as establishing “global hubs,” will still be implemented, Gilliam said.
“There are many things that we just didn’t ant
icipate in 2018 when BU 2030 was being developed that really we have to address now,” she said. “It’s less about the current climate and much more about what does this moment demand?”
Gilliam said she is particularly enthusiastic about the Artificial Intelligence Development Accelerator for Academic and Administrative Excellence — an initiative launched in April aiming to prepare the University community in navigating the “evolving landscape of generative AI.” She said AIDA will bring BU to the “starting line” of development to “accelerate” University operations.
Gilliam said the University also established a single provost for the entire school and is currently searching for two new deans for BUMC to develop alignment across the administration. Both accomplishments are milestones in the University’s mission to integrate BU’s two Boston campuses.
“[The partnership] will have all these downstream consequences and benefits for patients and for research and for our ability to collaborate across the University,” Gilliam said.
As an R1 institution, the highest level of research from doctoral universities, and the largest safety net hospital in New England, Gilliam stressed how cuts to Medicaid and Medicare budgets undermine the institution’s “way of life.”
“We are the place that cares for the poor and underserved in Boston, but we also create the innovations that drive much of the care for the poor and underserved across the country,” she said. “I don’t think people fully understand the role of universities in society or the threat to universities and society.”
To emphasize the importance of constructive engagement regarding higher education, Gilliam joined more than 650 college presidents in co-signing a letter published April 22, speaking out against “unprecedented government overreach.”
“Single voices are not as powerful right now,” Gilliam said. “Group voices and the opportunity for people to come together and make those types of statements are really helpful.”
Gilliam said constant communication with BU’s Office of Federal Relations and the Association of American Universities in Washington, D.C., has been essential in staying at the “forefront of information” to support the University community and operations.
International students, who make up 22% of the BU community, have been especially susceptible to recent executive orders — many of which impose stricter immigration policy.
The International Students and Scholars Office sent emails affirming its stance and services, organized “Know Your Rights” sessions and communicated with students about their visa statuses, Gilliam said.
For students involved in on-campus activism, procedural changes at the federal level have raised additional concerns about campus security and the sanctity of student speech.
In March, student groups launched calls for BU to declare itself a sanctuary campus, although the University has not done so. Gilliam said these calls led her to establish BU Support Pathways — a resource hub designed to support BU’s global community.
“The first thing was to understand where the disconnect was between what the University was doing and what the students were asking for,” she said. “There’s been a lot of dialogue that led to some of the programs that we’ve now built.”
Gilliam’s inauguration was interrupted by student protests surrounding the Israel-Hamas war and the BU Graduate Workers Union and BU ResLife Union strikes.
When it comes to protests on campus, Gilliam said it was a balance between encouraging free speech and limiting interruptions to other missions of the University. However, she added that part of a higher education institution is creating “a space for students to learn how to be activists.”
Gilliam said she prioritizes meeting with student governments,
club leaders and ambassadors to promote partnership and collaboration within BU. This extends to other events like senior brunch and eating lunch with students she meets along Commonwealth Avenue, including accompanying a first-year student to their favorite Thai restaurant.
“People who are close to a problem are often the ones who know what we need,” she said.
Gilliam wants to prioritize convergent research, continue faculty and operational development and involve students, faculty and staff in envisioning the BU they want to see in the future.
“I know there are a lot of things that you read in the newspaper and a lot of things that make it a challenging time,” she said. “This is such a spectacular institution … so even despite all of these things, I just feel just so fortunate.”
