The News’ editorial on Jan. 5 criticized Northeastern about the issue of payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTS) to the city of Boston. The relationship between all universities and the city is a complex one, touching on the proper role of public-purpose institutions in society. In our specific case, this includes close consideration about the best ways an institution of higher learning can help its community and city address important issues, find creative solutions, help prepare our citizens for advancement and contribute to the technological, scientific and cultural life of the city.
At Northeastern, we pride ourselves on the many and substantive ways we contribute to our communities, including significant financial contributions far beyond payments in lieu of taxes. Our Stony Brook Initiative, which has fostered new partnerships with and among community organizations, is just one recent example. The intensity of our students’ engagement with local nonprofits, as The News editors correctly noted, is another. Quantifying the university’s contributions solely as PILOTS is akin to understanding the universe by gazing through a keyhole.
Mayor Thomas Menino recognized this complexity by announcing he would create a special task force to study how not-for-profit institutions in Boston, including Northeastern, can contribute to the city’s health and prosperity. In announcing his plans, the mayor noted that universities and hospitals currently make a wide variety of contributions to the city’s neighborhoods.
The mayor said he will appoint that task force in the near future and Northeastern looks forward to working closely with its members as they develop a comprehensive plan for measuring not-for-profit institutions’ contributions. We will keep the university community informed about developments in that ongoing process. The university is also working to quantify with specificity its many substantial contributions, monetary and otherwise; we anticipate working with the university community and our broader community to foster a shared understanding of Northeastern’s value to our communities and our city.
If you have any questions about the university’s role in our community, please contact the Office of Government Relations and Community Affairs at 617-373-3168.
– Carol Scheman is senior vice
president for external affairs.
