1980s

1980

  • Women's Studies program initiated.
  • The College of Education merged with Boston-Bouvé College, and Paul Lepley is appointed Dean of the combined colleges.
  • Phase I of The Century Fund announced, with a goal of $43.25 million to be raised by 1985.
  • Harold Lurie appointed Dean of Engineering.
  • The Office of Sponsored Research established.
  • David Blake appointed Dean of the College of Business Administration.
  • A 25-member Northeastern delegation visits the People's Republic of China.

1981

  • Division of Fine Arts established, sponsors the first series of nuArts Contemporary Performances.
  • Northeastern assumes editorial responsibility for The New England Quarterly.
  • Women in Engineering, Women in Science, and Women in Information Systems programs formed.
  • The Academic Computer Services Department is established, with Paul Kalaghan as Director.
  • Kathryn Luttgens is appointed Vice Provost for Graduate Studies.
  • Office of International Affairs established, with Joy Viola as Dean.
  • Northeastern hosts the Second World Conference of Cooperative Education.

1982

  • Northeastern establishes the nation's first College of Computer Science.
  • The Boston Arena is remodeled and dedicated in honor of George and Hope Matthews.
  • A new classroom building dedicated in honor of George and Ellen Kariotis.
  • A new Publication named Re:Search initiated.
  • The High Technology M.B.A. Program established.
  • The Instructional Development Fund established.
  • President Ryder appointed to membership on the National Commission on Student Financial Assistance.

1983

  • Balfour Academy established to help Boston Public School students acquire the skills and confidence necessary to succeed in college.
  • James B. King appointed Senior Vice President and Director of Public Affairs.
  • Philip McDonald appointed Dean of the College of Business Administration.
  • Karl Weiss appointed Vice President for Research (1983-1987).
  • The Massachusetts Microelectronics Center established.
  • Northeastern acquires a new campus in Dedham.
  • School of Law Building completed and named in honor of Thomas E. Cargill.
  • The World Council on Cooperative Education established at conference held in Melbourne, Australia. President Ryder designated Founding Chairman of the association.
  • Network Northeastern begins TV broadcasts of educational programs to local corporations.

1984

  • Center for Study of Sport in Society established.
  • The new engineering building dedicated in honor of George and Lorraine Snell.
  • The State-of-the-Art Engineering program administratively linked to Network Northeastern.
  • Daniel Givelber becomes Dean of the School of Law.
  • Allen Benenfeld appointed Dean of the Northeastern Libraries.
  • The Center for Electromagnetic Research is initiated.

1985

  • Trustees vote to establish a Board of Overseers; the new board holds its first meeting in June.
  • Anthony Penna begins his term as Provost.
  • Richard Astro resigns as Dean of Arts and Sciences; J. Edward Neighbor takes over as Acting Dean.
  • Paul Jones appointed Director of the Office of Public Relations.
  • The former Botolph Building dedicated in honor of David and Margaret Cullinane, parents of trustee John Cullinane, a generous donor of funds and computer software to the University.
  • The Home Country Placement program for international students initiated.
  • The first phase of The Century Fund program completed, with a total of $46.7 million raised.
Students hold signs during an anti-apartheid demonstration in the quadrangle, 1985.

1986

  • Board of Trustees voted to divest from companies with interests in South Africa.
  • Congress approves a grant of $13.5 million to Northeastern for construction of a new library; ground breaking is scheduled for October, 1987.
  • The Department of Journalism reorganized and renamed the School of Journalism.
  • Paul King begins service as Dean of the College of Engineering.
  • The Dedham Campus track completed and dedicated in honor of Bernard and Jolanne Solomon.

1987

  • The second phase of The Century Fund announced with a goal of $175 million. (Phase II program completed in 1991, and a total of $181.7 million is obtained.)
  • Northeastern establishes Honors program.
  • The long-range planning report entitled Strategic Directions for Northeastern University approved by the trustees.
  • Parking garage is completed.
  • David Boyd appointed Acting Dean of the College of Business Administration.
  • Robert Lowndes becomes Dean of Arts and Sciences.
  • Alumni Auditorium renamed to honor Professor Eugene Blackman, who served as Chairman of the Drama Department, 1947-1988.
  • Northeastern joins the National Technological University and begins broadcasting nationwide TV courses.

1988

  • Center for Communications and Digital Signal Processing established.
  • Latin American Student Organization (LASO) founded.
  • Paul Kalaghan replaces Karl Weiss as Vice Provost, and Alan Selman takes over as Acting Dean of the College of Computer Science.
  • David Boyd becomes Dean of the College of Business Administration.
  • James Gozzo is appointed Dean of the College of Pharmacy.
  • Robert Lowndes becomes Acting Provost.
  • The Division of Research Management assumes overall responsibility for research sponsorship, under the direction of Donald Helmuth.
  • An agreement negotiated with the Indonesian Ministry of Research and Technology, which provides financial support for many Indonesian students enrolling at Northeastern.
  • The College of Arts and Sciences begins a program called Ireland: North and South, giving students a chance to work and study in both parts of Ireland.
  • Chairman Robert Willis and President Kenneth Ryder announce to the Board of Trustees that they both plan to retire in June 1989.

1989

1989-1990

  • Northeastern's endowment stands at $150 million in July.
  • Barron's elevates Northeastern from its status as "less competitive" to a "competitive plus" institution.
  • Henderson Boathouse dedicated in November.
  • The Center for Effective Teaching created.
  • Roy Wooldridge, Vice President for Cooperative Education, retires in December.
  • Curry inaugurated as President in December.
  • University provides 500 personal computers for students and begins aggressive actions to add more.
  • Trustees approve a second mortgage plan, allotting $1.6 million to attract new faculty to the university.
  • In March, an international conference, "Particles, Strings, and Cosmology," is held on campus with Stephen Hawking as the main speaker, drawing physicists from around the world.
  • Senior Vice President James King leads a Northeastern delegation to assist with free elections in Romania, funded by a grant from the U.S. Democracy Training Project.
  • Journalist Marvin Kalb is the first speaker in Presidential Lecture Series initiated by President Curry.
  • Partly in response to Fenway neighborhood concerns, a new student code of conduct is developed.
  • Interim Co-op Vice President Karl Weiss begins major study of cooperative education with the involvement of 73 faculty and staff members. The so-called Cooperative Education Planning Project examines tenure for co-op professionals, administrative organization, marketing and advertising, and external funding.
  • In March, Trustees approve a 1990-1991 budget of nearly $232 million.
  • President Curry presents and the trustees approve a $25 million tax-exempt bond program for renovation and expansion of the School of Law; relocation of the College of Criminal Justice to Churchill Hall; the purchase of computer, research, and instructional equipment; the renovation of Dodge Hall into a new home for the College of Business Administration; a feasibility study for a new engineering/science building; and the purchase of a new warehouse.
  • Scholarships are increased for Ell Scholars and other honors students.
  • In April, Michael Baer is named provost.
  • Reebok provides a $750,000 grant for the Center for the Study of Sport in Society to combat racism in public schools.
  • In May, a major residence hall, West Hall, is named for Robert Willis, a chairman emeritus of the Board of Trustees; another residence hall, at 115-119 Hemenway, is named in memory of Christopher Kennedy, beloved students affairs administrator and Vice President for Administration.
  • In a speech to the university's corporation in May, President Curry predicts that cost-containment measures will be needed for 1990-1991 due to the recession, a decline in the number of high school graduates, and anticipated cutbacks in federal and state funding.
  • In June, President Curry freezes hiring for new positions and postpones salary increases until January 1, 1991.