Strategic Direction III
Expand support for scholarship and research in keeping with Boston College’s mission to help address complex societal problems and contribute to the common good, with a particular focus on the sciences.
Excellence in research is integral to the quality and reputation of Boston College and also a primary factor in the choice of college by talented students. Increased research activity has been critical to Boston College’s rise to national prominence in recent decades and remains a key institutional priority. The University will strengthen support for research and scholarship that address urgent societal needs and complex global problems, advance the humanities, and explore the intersection of faith and culture across the disciplines.
Boston College proposes to implement this Strategic Direction by:
- investing in collaborative and interdisciplinary teaching and research programs, particularly in the sciences; and
- reviewing existing graduate and professional programs and selectively investing in those with the greatest potential for quality, impact, and contribution to institutional mission.
INITIATIVES
This Institute for Integrated Science and Society will strengthen teaching and research in the sciences, expand cross-school collaboration, and enhance Boston College’s ability to address critical global problems in targeted areas such as energy, health, and the environment. The University will explore new interdisciplinary courses in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer and data science, business, and other divisions that will combine elements of technology, entrepreneurial approaches, and engineering. The Institute’s distinctive programs will be marked by deep and ongoing engagement with the University’s longstanding strengths in the humanities, social sciences, and the professions. This initiative will serve as a model for interdisciplinary collaboration and creativity as the University expands its commitment to teaching and research focused on pressing global problems.
Boston College will systematically evaluate existing graduate and professional programs with a set of metrics that include quality and quantity of resources, demand for the program, research productivity, outcomes for graduates, and contribution to institutional mission and the common good. New and reallocated resources will support excellence in selected graduate and professional programs that best serve the University’s students and society, with particular attention to the role of graduate students in the undergraduate Core Curriculum and high-priority cross-school initiatives. Recognizing the changing context of contemporary post-baccalaureate programs, Boston College will expand its range of digital courses and programs to meet evolving market conditions.