A BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE

We believe we have a social obligation to make education accessible and affordable. Our strategic plan, our initiatives, and the way we listen to our students and teachers are at the heart of that guiding principle. But we do not stop there: We analyze hard data coming from our classrooms and the broader education landscape. We invest in new modalities that serve new student populations. And, most important, we keep our ear to the ground. That culture shines through in what our graduates achieve.

Annie Wilcox (MET’06,’09) was born at the very end of Jim Crow in Tennessee and dreamed of attending the same school that taught Martin Luther King Jr. (GRS’55, Hon.’59) At Metropolitan College, she made that dream a reality. She earned her BS and MS in Criminal Justice and became a community services officer in the Boston Police Department. In October 2014 she received the Henry L. Shattuck Public Service Award from the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, an award that recognizes the city’s most dedicated workers. The following year Wilcox received the Robert H. Quinn Award for Outstanding Community Leadership from UMass Boston. Her story resonated with Dean’s Advisory Board member Steve Akers (MET’94). Inspired by the 2020 social-justice protests, he wanted his philanthropy to clear a path forward for others, exemplify his alma mater’s values, and honor a Black alumna. “I thought it was really important to show that BU had always had this tradition of helping people regardless of their color,” he said. So, in addition to supporting two other MET office naming opportunities, Akers made a significant gift to name the Annie Wilcox Applied Social Sciences Chair’s Office. Gifts like these make space for everyone who seeks access to the unique transformations MET makes possible. The world is changing. MET has the vision to meet it. Consider what futures your philanthropy can forge today.

For more information, please contact:

Katherine Meyer Moran, EdD Director, Development & Alumni Relations Metropolitan College

kcmeyer@bu.edu

617-358-5501

Boston University has finalized its strategic vision for the next decade. BU’s Strategic Planning Task Force consulted with the entire BU community to identify strengths to build on, challenges to meet, opportunities to seize, and emerging areas to explore. The task force landed on these five strategic priorities that capture the core of who we are as a private research university and that will guide BU over the next 10 years. They are:

1 A Vibrant Academic Experience

2 Research that Matters

3 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

4 Community, Big Yet Small

5 Global Engagement bu.edu/met

Metropolitan College’s strategic vision is informed by, and aligns with, the University’s overarching priorities.