Biography

Boston College's institutional engagement with affirmative action preceded the establishment of a dedicated office by several years. In February 1968, under President Michael P. Walsh, SJ, the University created the Black Talent Search, later known as the Black Talent Program, supported initially by a $100,000 scholarship fund established by Walsh shortly before he left office. The program recruited students from the Greater Boston area who had not previously had the opportunity to apply to or be considered by the University, and by 1970 the Board of Directors had endorsed 10 percent minority enrollment as a goal. The program led to the hiring of Black financial aid and admissions personnel and to the formation of committees focused on minority student recruitment and support. Fiscal responsibility for the program was transferred to the Office of the Executive Vice President in 1975. In September 1971, Boston College established an Office of Affirmative Action, charged with developing a plan to provide equal opportunity in employment and education. Dr. Alice Jeghelian was appointed director. Early in 1973, Jeghelian submitted a proposed affirmative action program, which the Board of Trustees approved. Jeghelian subsequently served as coordinator for Title IX implementation. An Affirmative Action Council was created to serve the director in an advisory capacity.

In 1985, the Office of Affirmative Action was realigned under the Office of Human Resources. That same year, the Affirmative Action Council's focus shifted from hiring issues toward policy recommendations. By the early 1990s, Jeghelian continued to be listed with the office in University Fact Book administrative rosters. In 1988, University President J. Donald Monan, SJ, appointed a twelve-member committee on the recruitment of persons of color. Monan stated that primary responsibility for ensuring representation of persons of color in candidate pools rested with Human Resources and individual hiring managers, while the Affirmative Action Office's role was to suggest recruitment strategies and provide consultation, training, and orientation. Beginning at least as early as 1991, the office developed Affirmative Action Plans for Persons with Disabilities and for Veterans with Disabilities and Vietnam-era Veterans.

In 2004, the Office of Affirmative Action was restructured and rebranded as the Office for Institutional Diversity (OID), broadening its mission from a focus on racial equity to encompass gender and religious diversity as well. Following the departure of Barbara Marshall, Richard Jefferson returned to lead the office as executive director, initially in an interim capacity. The office underwent a further realignment by 2026, when it was rebranded as the Office of the Vice President for Human Resources (OVPHR), situating its work within the University's broader human resources structure. The office's stated initiatives are organized around Boston College's University Strategic Plan and its Four Strategic Directions, with programming intended to support a respectful campus culture and a sense of belonging among students, faculty, and staff. The office is headed by an Associate Vice President for Human Resources, who also serves as the University's Title IX/ADA Coordinator, supported by assistant and associate director staff, and operates under the guidance of an advisory board of senior administrators. It administers the Affiliates Program for employee engagement groups, along with programming including Courageous Conversations, the Community Engagement Summit, and a Reflection and Dialogue Series.

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