After the Light the World campaign successfully reached its $1.5 billion goal, the University is beginning the process of investigating for a future fundraiser through the University Strategic Planning Initiative. This investigation will look into Boston College’s eight schools and determine what areas are most in need of fundraising. By the end of this process, the University should have a plan of action, allocating funds that it will then attempt to raise through another campaign.
When it comes to University spending, there is a persistent issue between the administration and a number of students: a perceived lack of interest in student needs when it comes to spending money. Since the process for the next fundraising campaign is just beginning, now is the perfect opportunity to confront these complaints from the outset, establishing a desire to collaborate with students on how money is spent.
To accomplish this, the University should ensure that the investigation process involves many facets and members of the Boston College community: students, faculty, staff, and so on. By doing this and allowing everyone who is involved in day-to-day life at BC to contribute to the investigation, the University would hear valuable insights from people who see the various shortfalls in funding that directly affect portions of their BC experience. This fuller picture would not only appease those who feel left out of the process, but would also help draft a comprehensive plan for future fundraising.
As it stands, the University seems to already be working to address this. The committee represents a number of different portions of BC and comes to the issue with a wide diversity of viewpoints. One possible concern is the fact that only one undergraduate student is on the committee. With the large number of undergraduates at BC, the variety of opinions and ideas is large and widespread. One undergraduate student is not able to fully represent the interests of the entire student body, and the committee would benefit from another undergraduate presence.
Transparency is another important part of this process. As the investigation begins and administrators search for the best and most necessary uses of money, they should be certain to not only allow students to voice their concerns and ideas, but to also ensure that they are able to see how the process is moving along and what is being done. So far, the University has provided adequate information about the ongoing process, and hopefully this will continue. By doing this, the University would be assuring the student body that it hears its voice and is using funds to improve the education and experience it receives at BC. It would also assuage the worries of some who believe the University lacks transparency and connection when it comes to matters of money and the desires of the students.
The University has proven to be very successful in matters of fundraising, and future efforts would benefit from increased transparency and a certainty that the entire BC community has been heard.
Featured Image by Margaux Eckert
