Our Commitment

President Joseph E. Aoun has outlined the following series of actionable steps to advance justice and cultural literacy throughout our university community and to help end systemic racism.

The Addition of an NUPD Advisory Board

The board’s mission is to guide, inform, and strengthen NUPD’s relationship with the community—both within and outside Northeastern.

Elevation of the Presidential Council on Diversity and Inclusion

The council, formed in 2013, has been charged with finding new opportunities for Northeastern to become more diverse, inclusive, and equitable, and to advance the cause of racial justice.

Additional steps in the President’s Action Plan

Increase diversity and representation at all levels
Improve universitywide accountability
Appointed Robert Jose as Dean for Cultural and Spiritual Life
Improve support for Black students
Enact cultural competency and anti-racism training
Deepen community engagement
Amplify our impact through our employer partners

Read the full plan

Ideas, Action, Change

Northeastern has long been focused on raising awareness and creating change toward a more equitable and socially just world.

John D. O’Bryant African American Institute

Supporting students of African origin and engaging the broader university community in developing student leaders.

Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project

Helping scholars, policymakers, and organizers seek justice for civil rights crimes committed during the period of 1930 to 1970.

Center on Crime and Community Resilience

Finding innovative, research-based policy solutions to crime and other urban social problems.

Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy

Developing and implementing policies to improve the quality of life and social justice in urban areas.

Institute on Race and Justice

Providing critical research to influence issues of race and inequality in the criminal justice and education systems.

Strategic Advancement of Rising Scholars (STARS) Fellowship

Offering funding and support to help underrepresented students of color pursue PhDs and careers in STEM.

Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion

This Northeastern office promotes the university’s commitment to equal opportunity, affirmative action, diversity, and social justice while building a climate of inclusion throughout our campuses.

Learn More

Every day our students, faculty, staff, and alumni put ideas into action to build a more inclusive and equitable community. It’s important to share our stories and support one other in this commitment.

President Aoun pledges action plan following rise of anti-Asian bias in the US

In an event held in response to a rise in racist acts in the U.S. against people of Asian and Pacific Island origins, students, faculty, and staff shared personal experiences and called for action—both personal and institutional.

Why are women underrepresented in economics? A toxic seminar culture could be partially to blame

Economics professor Alicia Sasser Modestino helped conduct research that shows women in the field face more questions, including hostile or patronizing ones, which may lead them to choose other careers.

Humans are trying to take bias out of facial recognition programs. It’s not working–yet.

Researchers are working to program facial-recognition algorithms with datasets that represent all racial and ethnic groups fairly. But that process may actually be perpetuating biases, according to new research by PhD student Zaid Khan and his advisor, Professor Raymond Fu.