The Boston City Council passed a resolution April 15 calling on all colleges and universities across the city to increase administrative transparency and student representation.
The resolution, which passed April 15, follows a March 23 city council hearing where more than 100 members of Northeastern’s community, as well as students from Suffolk University and Boston University, filled a meeting room at Boston City Hall, testifying about an alleged lack of transparency from leadership. Students and staff pointed to budget cuts, changes to the diversity, equity and inclusion programs and adjustments to the hours of the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute.
In the resolution, titled “Resolution in Support of Administrative Transparency, Equitable Student and Community Representation, and Freedom of Speech in Higher Education,” councilors suggested universities publish Board of Trustees meeting minutes, involve students in formal decision-making processes and communicate policy changes in a timely manner.
The university declined to comment on the resolution.
While the city council can make recommendations, its resolutions are not binding and do not require the enforcement of any new policy, according to the City of Boston.
“Higher education institutions are beacons of democracy, and democracy values should be upheld within campuses themselves with pathways for meaningful involvement in decision-making processes and transparency,” the resolution reads.
City Councilor At-Large, Julia Mejia, the chair of the city’s Committee on Education, called for a resolution which states that “higher education institutions need to do a better job at listening to their staff, students and faculty,” she said during the March 23 hearing. Mejia and several other city councilors proposed the resolution April 13.
The resolution listed several other topics discussed at the hearing, including diversity, equity and inclusion rebranding to Northeastern’s Office of Belonging, policies regarding federal immigration agents on campus and the university’s relationship with its student government, which were specifically called out as reasons for the resolution.
“The City of Boston is home to many higher education institutions and to thousands of students from around the world who seek a quality education, however, many students, faculty, and community members have felt ignored and that their concerns are not properly represented at their universities,” the resolution reads.
