Page 14 of Boston College 2005-2006 University Catalog by Boston College University

will work together to ensure their mutual prosperity and the well being of employees and their families. The Centers initiatives fall into three broad categories: workplace partnerships, research, and education. Workplace Partnerships: The Center is home to two highly successful employer partnerships: the Work Family Roundtable, established in 1990, and the New England Work Family Association (NEWFA), established in 1992. Research: The Center focuses attention on applied studies that contribute knowledge building, meet standards of rigorous research, and relate to practitioners. The Centers research focuses on how organizational leadership, culture, and human resource practices increase work force productivity and commitment while also improving the quality of employees lives. Education: Consistent with the mission of Boston College, the Center is committed to academic excellence, as exemplified in our work/life certificate courses for professionals with a dedicated interest in work/life diversity, wellness, employee relations, or related fields. E-Learning web-based courses on the Standards of Excellence engage participants in live, interactive discussions to help them develop effective work/life strategies. Academic publications produced by the Center are also available for purchase, including an Executive Briefing Series, which addresses strategic issues relevant to the current business climate. For more information, visit http://www.bc.edu/centers/cwf/. Institute of Medieval Philosophy and Theology The Institute is a center that unites the teaching and research efforts of the faculty members in the Philosophy and Theology Departments who specialize in medieval philosophy and theology. Doctoral degrees are awarded in the Philosophy or Theology Departments and students matriculate in one of these two departments. The focus of the Institute is on the relationship between medieval philosophy and theology and modern continental philosophy and theology. To foster this dialogue and encourage the scholarly retrieval of the great medieval intellectual world, the Institute offers graduate student fellowships and assistantships, sponsors speakers programs, runs a faculty-student seminar to investigate new areas of medieval philosophical and theological research, and has set up a research center to assist in the publication of monographs and articles in the diverse areas of medieval philosophy and theology, to encourage the translations of medieval sources, and to stimulate editions of philosophical and theological texts. For more information, visit http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/theology/graduate/special/med-phil/. Institute for Scientific Research The Institute for Scientific Research (ISR) boasts a highly-trained team of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. Over the course of its history, the Institute has utilized a diversity of knowledge to develop highly sophisticated techniques for analyzing raw scientific and engineering data and presenting it in meaningful and useful ways. Using state-of-the-art analytical tools and technology including computer-generated modeling, the Institute is a forerunner in scientific data analysis and interpretation using statistical data analysis, digital signal processing, and image processing; mathematical signal modeling; animated visualization of real and simulated data; the manipulation and interpretation of scientific images; and the design of specialized databases, data management techniques, and interactive scientific software. For more information, visit http://www.bc.edu/research/isr/. Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture The Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture (ISPRC) was founded in 2000 at Boston College, under the direction of Dr. Janet E. Helms, to promote the assets and address the societal conflicts associated with race or culture in theory and research, mental health practice, education, business, and society at large. The ISPRC attempts to solicit, design, and disseminate effective interventions with a pro-active, pragmatic focus. Each year the Institute will address a racial or cultural issue that could benefit from a pragmatic scholarly focus through its Diversity Challenge conference. For more information, visit http://www.bc.edu/isprc/. Irish Institute The Irish Institute is a division of the Center for Irish Programs at Boston College. The mission of the Institute is to promote the peace and normalization process on the island of Ireland and to contribute to social, political, and economic stability through cross-border and crosscommunity cooperation. Professional development programming by the Institute introduces Irish and Northern Irish participants to successful models of best practices in the U.S., as well as offering an opportunity for cultural exchange that promotes mutual understanding among the U.S., Ireland, and Northern Ireland. Since its founding in 1997, more than 650 decision-makers from all sectors, including government, business, education, environment, policing, media, and nonprofits, have participated in over 70 Irish Institute programs. Programs balance classroom seminars led by Boston College faculty with site visits to innovative and effective industry leaders in Massachusetts and across the United States. The Irish Institute is regarded as an honest broker by all parties on the island of Ireland, and its reputations for delivering quality programming in an inclusive environment attracts leaders from all communities and from across the political spectrum. In recent years, the Institute has applied its programming models, and expertise in addressing the problems of divided societies to embrace participants from the Middle East and North Africa. The Irish Institutes 2005 programming will be in the areas of local government, journalism, nonprofit management and development, community policing, teacher education, education for cultural diversity, public policy, and business management and leadership. The Institute receives annual funding from Boston College, the U.S. Congress through the U.S. Department of State, the Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs, as well as through several other external partnerships. For more information, visit http://www.bc.edu/irishinstitute/. Jesuit Institute The Jesuit Institute was established in 1988 to contribute towards the response to the question of identity. The Institute, initially funded by the Jesuit Community at Boston College, is not an additional or separate academic program. It is, rather, a research institute which works in cooperation with existing schools, programs, and faculties primarily but not exclusively at Boston College. Within an atmosphere of complete academic freedom essential to a university, the Institute engages positively in the intellectual exchange that constitutes the University. Its overarching purpose is to foster research and collaborate interchange upon those issues that emerge at the intersection of faith and culture. Through its The Boston College Catalog 2005-2006 11 ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE

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