Boston University Academy

Boston University Academy
Location
Boston , Massachusetts United States
Information
Type	Independent Secondary School
Motto	Learning Without Limits [1]
Established	1993
Head of School	Christos Kolovos
Staff	14
Teaching staff	19
Number of students	202
Color(s)	Scarlet, white and black
Athletics	New England Preparatory School Athletic Council – Massachusetts Bay Independent League, Girls’ Independent League
Mascot	Rhett the Boston Terrier
Nickname	Terriers
Affiliations	Boston University, The New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Website	buacademy.org

Boston University Academy (BUA) is a private high school operated by Boston University. Founded in 1993 and located on the Boston University campus, the academy is geared toward college preparatory work. As part of its integration with the university, students are able to take college courses for credit their junior and senior years. Students are guaranteed acceptance to Boston University if they maintained a 3.0 grade point average in Boston University courses and have no history of major disciplinary actions.

BUA's student body is drawn from 55 communities: 52% come from public schools, 39% from independent schools, 7% from parochial schools and 2% are from home-school or international schools; 57% are students of color and 47% of students come from multilingual households (representing 26 languages). BUA provides need-based tuition assistance to approximately 31% of the students as of the 2019–2020 academic year. ^[2]

Accreditation

The academy is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is a member of both the Secondary School Admission Test Board and the Association of Independent Schools of New England.^{[ citation needed ]}

History

Boston University Academy was proposed and founded in 1993 by Peter Schweich, ^{[3] [4]} then the vice president of Boston University, and authorized by John Silber, ^[5] then the president of Boston University. Peter Schweich was its first headmaster, and served in that role until 1999, when he was succeeded by interim head of school Dr. Jennifer Bond Hickman. Dr. James Tracy replaced Hickman and served until the spring of 2006, when he was replaced by Dr. James Berkman. On August 21, 2014, Berkman announced that he would retire after the 2014–2015 academic year. On November 14, 2014, Provost Jean Morrison announced the appointment of Dr. Ari Betof to replace Berkman effective July 1, 2015. In July 2018, Boston University announced the removal of Dr. Betof following an allegation of sexual misconduct involving a Boston University undergraduate student. ^[6] Following his departure, Dr. Rosemary White ^[7] was appointed interim head of school. ^[8] Dr. White served as interim head of school until Christos J. Kolovos began his tenure in the summer of 2020. ^[9]

When Boston University Academy was founded, it covered grades 9–12; an 8th grade of approximately 20 students was added in 1999. The 8th grade was dropped in 2005.

On October 26, 2021, teacher Jennifer Formichelli was struck by a bus and killed. ^{[10] [11]}

Notable faculty

• Philip Gambone, a published author, primarily taught freshman English during his 13-year tenure from 2004 until his retirement in 2017. ^[12] Gambone returned for the 2018–2019 academic year after which time he again retired.
• Brett Abigaña, a noted composer and co-founder and associate director of the Boston Composers' Coalition. ^[13]

References

1. "Announcing BUA's New Brand!" . Retrieved 2018-10-18.
2. "Boston University Academy ~Quick Facts". Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
3. Innerst, Carol (1997-06-08). "High school at Boston University directs students into academic life". The Washington Times. p. 2.
4. Fitzgerald, Brian (1999-06-11). "BU Academy seen as educational model". Boston University Bridge.
5. "Shortcut to college - Spotlight". Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
6. Fernandes, Dierdre (12 July 2018). "BU parted with its private school president over a misconduct allegation". Boston Globe. John W. Henry.
7. "Dr. Rosemary White | Boston University Academy".
8. Fernandes, Dierdre (10 July 2018). "Head of school at Boston University Academy is suddenly out". Boston Globe. John W. Henry. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
9. Barlow, Rich. "Longtime Private School Educator to Lead Boston University Academy". BU Today. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
10. Pasquini, Maria. "Boston Teacher Fatally Struck by School Bus While Walking Dogs: 'Just Terrible,' Fiancé Says". People. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
11. "Woman Hit, Killed By School Bus In Mattapan Remembered As 'All-Around Good Person'". CBS 4 Boston.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
12. "Veteran English Teacher Phil Gambone Announces His Retirement at the End of Academic Year". Boston University Academy. Retrieved 3 July 2017.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
13. "Biography". Brett Abigana. Retrieved 3 July 2017.

42°21′04″N71°06′35″W / 42.3510°N 71.1098°W / 42.3510; -71.1098