THE ISSUE: Boston College unveils 10-Year Strategic Plan
WHAT WE THINK: Plan sets the stage for campus upgrade
Just as people who graduated in the 1940s know Lower Campus as the Reservoir, and 1980s grads know Walsh Hall as "New Dorm," students today will always remember Brighton Campus as "the Seminary across the street." And in another 10 years, Brighton Campus - and the rest of the campus - will have seen a radical change in facilities and uses by students that will give it an entirely new feel.
With the unveiling of Boston College's 10-Year Strategic Plan, academic development and campus expansion will go hand in hand, as the University looks to vault into the very upper echelon of liberal arts institutions. It is the hope of University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. that by taking these strides the University will also continue to adhere to its Jesuit Catholic heritage, becoming the premier Catholic university in the nation.
Mere decades ago, BC was a commuter school with a largely regional draw. Under the stewardship of Leahy and former president Rev. Donald Monan, S.J., the University has grown to be a major national research institution and stands poised to enter the top tier of American colleges.
In order for a top research institution to remain as such, important advances are needed as times change, technologies improve, and new resources become available. Research centers and dedicated space must be created to supplement and facilitate these progressions. BC's Institute of Integrated Science will accomplish this, bringing together biology, physics, and chemistry into one building to encourage important interdisciplinary collaboration. Other plans to this end include the new performing arts center and the School of Theology, to name a few.
The large construction projects and renovations proposed by the initiative include the expansion of BC onto Brighton Campus lands, the addition of undergraduate housing, and the building of a student center, academic buildings, and athletic facilities. These will provide the structural support needed to make new academic endeavors possible. The University should be applauded for its ambitious plans for an integrated, accessible campus that will match its impressive academic goals.
