Burgess, a biologist by training who recently completed his first semester as AVP, said he has seen much that has impressed him at Boston College, and he envisions ways to further enhance the quality of education BC offers its students. But it first must work though certain issues. Most of these needs were identified by the University Academic Planning Council and resources are being allocated to address them, said Burgess, as well as to further support departments and programs that have attained national prominence. The strengths Burgess sees are numerous. The increasing number of prestigious awards and grants won by the faculty attest to its quality, he said, while efforts like the Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation and Educational Policy, the Irish Institute and the Irish Studies Program are players on the national and international stages.
College has very few systemic weaknesses, though it has to wrestle with funding shortages.
Student academic quality is strong and getting stronger, he said, and students continue to show their commitment outside of the classroom through involvement in many extracurricular activities, from varsity athletics to theatrical productions to volunteer outreach. That speaks to the Jesuit, Catholic nature of this institution. A key issue is the need for more physical space. We have immediate needs for new space which hinder our efforts and commitment to delivering quality education to our students. For sponsored research to reach Carnegie II levels, he added, faculty will need appropriate facilities.