OCS Late Submitting Nominees

Harvard's two nominees for this year's Carnegie fellowships were not considered during the national selection process because the Office of Career Services (OCS) did not submit the applications on time, Director of OCS William Wright-Swadel said in an interview yesterday.

Though the application deadline was in January, the nominees were not aware of the error until one of them called the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace this week and was informed that Harvard's applicants had not been considered, according to Wright-Swadel.

OCS fellowships officers thought the applications were due at the Washington-based foundation on March 15, according to Wright-Swadel. In fact, the applications were due on January 15.

"It was a human mistake; we were confused about the date," Wright-Swadel said.

When the OCS submitted the applications in late February, Carnegie informed OCS that their applications were late, Wright-Swadel said.

"We did all we could to get them considered, but by the time we were able to intercede, Carnegie had already decided on finalist and semi-finalist," said Wright-Swadel.

Still, OCS decided not to inform the two applicants because "we still had a glimmer of hope our students would be considered even though we were late," he said.

Earlier this week one of the applicants contacted Carnegie and learned Harvard's applications had not been considered, the OCS director said. OCS officials and Carnegie representatives then began discussing the matter again.

According to Wright-Swadel, one of the applicants, a current senior, was upset over the error. The applicant has met with Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 and Wright-Swadel to discuss the mistake.

"We are working to determine what she hoped to learn from being a fellow and what type of experience might make this still possible," said Wright-Swadel.

The other applicant graduated in 1995 and works in Washington. According to Wright-Swadel, that situation is "not as serious" because she is "happy with the other options she has."

OCS is also conducting an internal review to determine how to best "prevent this from happening again [and] under similar circumstances how we can handle better," according to Wright-Swadel.

"I don't want students to have a lack of confidence in OCS," said Wright-Swadel. "We're taking this very seriously."

OCS Assistant Director Paul A. Bohlmann, who runs the fellowship program, Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles, the two nominees and the Carnegie foundation could not be reached for comment yesterday

"I don't want students to have a lack of confidence in OCS," said Wright-Swadel. "We're taking this very seriously."

OCS Assistant Director Paul A. Bohlmann, who runs the fellowship program, Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles, the two nominees and the Carnegie foundation could not be reached for comment yesterday