URBAN Community Culture

We seek to cultivate a supportive, healthy, and respectful community, in which all students, staff, and faculty feel a sense of belonging. We aim to continuously improve our program culture, policies, and operations, following a strategy that includes regular communication, transparency, and inclusive governance of the program.

We recognize that our community includes individuals from different campuses, departments, and backgrounds, and we embrace these differences and believe that we are a stronger community because of them. We also acknowledge that there are many first-generation scholars among us and others for whom academia is not always welcoming, and we strive for transparency and kindness in all that we do to help break down barriers.

This effort is a shared responsibility of all members of our community, and while there is always more to do, we are working hard to make our vision a reality.

Ongoing Efforts:

• Communication and Community: We strive for communications that are accessible and a community that is connected and supportive. In this effort, we send a bi-weekly URBAN UPDATE e-newsletter with program announcements and recommended events, Bluesky and Instagram posts to highlight program accomplishments, a Slack Workspace for trainees to connect with each other, and a bi-weekly trainee email with student-specific information. We also collaborate with numerous programs across Boston University (see Affiliated Staff and Affiliated Centers and Programs) and curate a list of resources for health, wellbeing, community, and professional development.
• Departmental Connections: As a program, we engage multiple academic departments and schools across the university. We communicate regularly with affiliated units, leverage ongoing activities when relevant, and work to avoid redundant or counterproductive efforts.
• Self-Reflection and Growth: We internally evaluate our events and operations through post-event surveys and meetings each semester with trainees and with staff and faculty. Transparent decision-making that values all voices and experiences is necessary to ensure our program meets the needs of all stakeholders. As such, we take feedback seriously and make program adjustments frequently.
• Retention, Mentorship, and Advising: We leverage formalized mentorship from the Program Manager through weekly office hours, group check-ins, and easy-to-schedule individual meetings. We also proactively review program expectations with trainees throughout their first year, and send annual activities reports for trainees and faculty advisors to review programmatic progress.
• Decision-making: We regularly employ structures for faculty, staff, and trainees to provide input on programmatic and policy decisions through 1) a small team of volunteers who provide targeted input as needed, and 2) an “Open Comment” process for new policies and plans, in which all URBAN community members can take part. We regularly engage trainees and faculty advisors through end-of-semester feedback sessions.
• Mini-Grants to Trainees: We offer a financial award on an ongoing basis to financially support trainees that participate in public engagement activities that reach K-12 audiences, especially in under-resourced communities, to encourage continued study in STEM fields.

Last updated January 30, 2025