University Convocation
In his first University Convocation address, University President John T. Butler, S.J., warmly greeted the audience as friends and colleagues who had helped make his career at Boston College a memorable one—and who now, he said, would help him continue the University’s success as a preeminent Jesuit, Catholic institution of higher learning and formation.
“As we stand on the threshold of this new beginning of a different chapter, we have all sorts of things to be happy about and thankful for,” said Fr. Butler, who assumed the presidency on July 31 and will have his formal inauguration October 15-17. “We’re going to achieve great things and take it to the next level, not just because of what we do, but because of the foundation we’re inheriting.”
At the gathering on September 2 in Robsham Theater, Executive Vice President Michael Lochhead and Winston Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley also gave their perspectives on Boston College’s present and future from academic, financial, operational, and other vantage points.
John T. Butler, S.J., speaking at his first University Convocation as president of Boston College. (Caitlin Cunningham)
Rather than stand behind a lectern, Fr. Butler—who received a standing ovation when he was introduced—roamed the Robsham stage and spoke into a wireless microphone he held in his right hand, gesturing with the other. He shared impressions, memories, and vignettes of his more than two decades at BC, continually offering praise and gratitude for the University’s administrators, faculty, and staff he’d encountered during that time.
“For 24 years, I sat where you have sat. You’ve taught me what a university is. I
believe in us because I believe in you. I’ve come to know that we’re at our best when life challenges us and calls us to be our best. The world needs us, and higher education needs us.”
Fr. Butler praised the legacies of his immediate predecessors, J. Donald Monan, S.J., and William P. Leahy, S.J., for their part in making Boston College “a remarkable story.” Fathers Monan and Leahy brought “stability, continuity, and momentum” to the University, enabling it to grow and thrive. In an age fraught with uncertainty, turmoil, and divisiveness, he said, BC has an important role to play, and he looked forward to helping it be a university that makes a difference.
“I am here to serve you. I will give you a full day’s work, so we can reach greater heights and maximize what we do. We may disagree on some things, but I know that we will keep working together and continue to fulfill the promise of Boston College.”
BC is operating from a position of financial strength as it enters fiscal year 2027, said Lochhead, with its FY 2026 operating performance driven by such factors as a continued robust undergraduate student demand resulting in full-time student counts that exceeded budgeted expectations; higher interest rates on larger short-term investment balances that fueled interest income ahead of budgeted expectations; salary and benefit savings, led by improvements in actual medical claims; and an increase of more than 20 percent in the University’s endowment to a market value of $5.2 billion, the third largest in Massachusetts behind Harvard and MIT.
The task ahead for the University is to solidify the budget adjustments and reallocations necessary to address a multitude of challenges, Lochhead said. “At the same time, we need to help ensure BC remains accessible and an affordable option to all qualified students, regardless of financial circumstance. We also need to make sure the University has the financial resources and flexibility to remain nimble and take advantage of opportunities that advance BC’s mission when they arise.”
Lochhead offered his praise for several University-wide undertakings, including the modernization of EagleApps by Information Technology Services and Student Services, Human Resources’ endeavors in staff formation, and initiatives to further BC’s understanding and application of artificial intelligence.
“Each of these efforts advances the important work of the University,” he said.
Quigley cited some indicators of BC’s upward trajectory during the past three decades, such as the increases in full-time faculty (586 to 932), student applications (16,501 to 41,898), and the percentage of admitted students in the top 10 percent of their class (69 to 92). Need-based undergraduate financial aid has climbed from $35 million to $197.7 million, total annual gifts have increased from $24.6 million to $260 million, and sponsored research has more than quadrupled from $18 million to $84.8 million.
“Boston College was strong in the mid-1990s,” he said, “and 30 years later, it continues to be even stronger.”
Quigley also cited AI as a critical focus for Boston College, pointing to the launch this fall of Krantz Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and Humanity through a gift from University Trustee Jason Krantz and his wife, Keely. Drawing on a cross-disciplinary variety of BC academic programs, the institute will provide experiential learning opportunities for students, bring thought leaders to campus to discuss AI and its impact, and advance and support AI-related curricula, programs, and initiatives.
Another soon-to-be launched initiative is The Bridge Program, he said, which will give students in the classes of 2028 and 2029 opportunities to integrate the humanities, management, and the sciences through courses and co-curricular experiences.
These will join other recent successful ventures such as the two-year Messina College associate’s degree program, which Quigley noted had graduated its first cohort this past spring, and the Prison Education Program, which began a pilot program this past year at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Framingham.