Boston University has suspended admissions to a dozen PhD programs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. And there’s disagreement on whether or not the new contract between the university and the graduate student workers union is a factor.
In a statement, BU said it is suspending admission to the programs along with reducing the cohort size of other programs for the 2025-26 academic year.
“These actions are part of Boston University’s commitment to re-envision these programs to allow for their long-term sustainability,” the statement read. “This temporary pause and cohort reduction will ensure BU is able to meet its commitments to currently enrolled students and to set up its future programs for success.”
The statement made no mention of the grad workers’ contract, which was ratified last month. But Inside Higher Ed, which first reported the story, obtained an email from two deans pointing to the contract as the root of “budgetary implications.”
Those deans, Stan Scarloff and Malika Jeffries-EL, did not respond to a request for comment from GBH News.
But SEIU Local 509, which the Boston University Graduate Workers Union is a part of, rejected the notion that increased labor costs are a contributing factor to the move. The union said it’s deeply concerned by the administration’s actions.
“The suspension of admissions to programs such as Philosophy, History, and English—fields where graduate workers play an essential role in teaching and research at the university—raises serious questions about BU’s long-term commitment to these academic disciplines,” the union said in a statement.
The union said BU must ensure that any changes are done with the interests of students and workers at the forefront. The union also said it remains committed to upholding the contract, supporting academic integrity and accessibility of BU’s programs for all students, “current and future.”
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