At University Convocation on Aug. 29, Boston College President William P. Leahy, S.J., outlined an array of academic, financial, social, political, and other challenges that represents a test for the future of the University, and higher education in general. But BC has long shown itself capable of overcoming such obstacles, he said, and has the institutional tools, structures, planning, and vision to do so again.
Boston College will endure, and thrive, on the strength of its distinctive Jesuit, Catholic heritage, he said, while drawing on innovative research, methodology, and technology to address the complex questions of an increasingly global society. Most of all, he said, the University will depend on faculty, administrators, and staff to continue their good works, whether on campus or beyond: “Such commitment and generosity are impressive and help countless individuals, not only on campus but also in greater Boston, our nation, and the world.”
Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley and Executive Vice President Michael Lochhead also offered remarks at Convocation, which was held in Robsham Theater.
BC, like other American colleges and universities, Fr. Leahy said, has had to respond to “an evolving, sometimes volatile, academic, financial, social, and political context” that includes declining enthusiasm for the liberal arts curriculum and uncertainty about the value of a college degree; concerns about college affordability and access; budget pressures driven by the costs of financial aid, salaries, and facilities, as evidenced by the recent closure of nearby Mt. Ida College; controversies in collegiate athletics; increased campus tension about race, sexual misconduct, free speech, and other flashpoints. Catholic institutions, he noted, are dealing with turmoil over sexual abuse and the response of Church leadership, and growing secularization in American culture, among other issues.
Fr. Leahy cited the characteristics of BC that enable it to compete in such an environment, including its Jesuit religious and educational tradition; a commitment to intellectual, personal, and spiritual formation; talented, committed administrators, faculty, and staff; loyal and generous alumni, parents, and friends; growing success in fundraising; and effective long-range planning.
Such qualities will be integral to Boston College’s continued success, said Fr. Leahy, as will targeted investments in faculty, research, and facilities, such as the future Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society. These priorities are spelled out in “Ever to Excel: Advancing Boston College’s Mission,” the 10-year strategic plan introduced at last fall’s Convocation, he said.
Fr. Leahy pointed to the opening section of “Ever to Excel” as an expression of BC’s hopes and ambitions: to be a preeminent Catholic, Jesuit university “dedicated to serious intellectual inquiry and the pursuit of truth; the discovery and transmission of knowledge in ways appropriate to its mission and resources; and quality teaching, learning, and service.”
Lochhead spoke about the University’s budget and financial matters, and reported on recent, ongoing, and planned campus construction, including the newly opened Fish Field House and the Schiller Institute. BC enjoyed a successful financial year—the 47th consecutive one in which operating revenues exceeded expenses—Lochhead said was attributable to, among other factors, a favorable savings in utilities which reflect ongoing demand management efforts as well as investments in energy conservation projects, and positive results in its experience with self-insured medical claims.
The University’s overall net assets grew by approximately five percent year over year, “further strengthening BC’s already well-capitalized balance sheet,” said Lochhead, who praised administrators and staff involved in BC financial affairs, as well as those in the Facilities and Information Technology divisions.
“BC is not a place that stands still,” he said. “I, and the rest of senior leadership, remain focused on ensuring that there is adequate funding capacity to enable the University to pursue its strategic priorities as embodied in ‘Ever to Excel.’”
Quigley, in addition to discussing the implementation of “Ever to Excel,” offered his perspective on the pressures facing higher education—also noting the example of Mt. Ida—and said Boston College, given its history of achievement, could be among the institutions providing necessary leadership and direction. He also provided an overview of BC academic highlights from the past year, including faculty and student accomplishments.
Looking back on two decades since he joined the BC faculty, Quigley reflected on his initial impressions of the University as a “welcoming community,” embodied by the late William B. Neenan, S.J. Today, he said, BC displays “a sense of responsibility for living up to what has been handed down,” coupled with an “anticipation that BC’s best days still lie ahead.”
—Sean Smith | University Communications | August 2018