College Administration
College Surveys Students' Religious Affiliations
Undergraduates registering for the spring semester this past week were asked their religious identification and affiliation, as part of an effort both to gauge the religious demographics at the College and connect students with appropriate Harvard chaplains.
Mather Residents Praise Lassonde
Dean of Student Life Stephen Lassonde’s imminent departure has left many undergraduates in Mather questioning his sudden exit and praising his involvement in the House, where he currently lives.
Unusual Arguments
An outsider group of five Harvard alumni running for the Board of Overseers are arguing for free undergraduate tuition and a review of race in the University’s admission practices. The group calls itself "Free Harvard, Fair Harvard."
Students Help Draft Sexual Assault Legislation
A group of Harvard students helped draft legislation, which, if passed by the Massachusetts state legislature, would expand civil protections and counseling to victims of sexual assault.
‘Hunting Ground’ Filmmakers Slam Law Professors
In the latest development of a heated publicity battle, filmmakers of a popular documentary that criticizes Harvard Law School’s handling of a sexual assault case penned an op-ed for the Huffington Post sharply rebuking Law professors who have challenged the film.
Ten Stories That Shaped 2015
2015 was a tumultuous year for Harvard. Final clubs faced immense administrative pressure to go co-ed, faculty saw a proposal to overhaul the College’s General Education program, and perhaps most consequential of all, a University-wide survey revealed what administrators called a “troubling” climate of sexual assault on campus. Amidst a fast-paced capital campaign and Title IX scrutiny, Harvard’s top administrators were called to respond to perceived racial injustice on campus and a graduate student unionization movement. Divest Harvard protesters even blockaded University President Drew G. Faust's office for a week. At the close of a particularly turbulent year, the Crimson looks back on the ten stories that most shaped Harvard in 2015.
Final Clubs Face Scrutiny
Harvard's unrecognized social clubs saw a year of unprecedented scrutiny as administrators put pressure on them to go co-ed.
Harvard Administrators Apologize for Controversial Placemats
Harvard College administrators apologized for the creation and distribution of controversial placemats that advise students on how to discuss topics of race and diversity with family members, saying the materials failed to respect principles of academic freedom.
College-Distributed Advice on Race Discussions Divides Students
Some students criticize College materials on discussing race and diversity issues as telling them what to think.
Behind the Fox Club’s Closure, A Club Divided
As Fox undergraduates lobbied to admit women to their membership this fall, graduate board leaders struggled to toe the line with a group of other alumni who organized their own platform in opposition of the change.
Social Justice Over Dinner
Last week, the College outfitted a number of dining halls with laminated placemats described as "[guides] for holiday discussions on race and justice with loved ones." Aaron I. Henricks ’16 said he found the publication of the placemats by an official Harvard office “beyond inappropriate and arrogant,” criticizing their one-sided presentation of “highly debateable subjects.” The placemats offer a single response to each proposed question.
Social Justice Over Dinner
Last week, the College outfitted a number of dining halls with laminated guides printed with what purports to be advice for students discussing issues related to race and diversity with family members. Aaron I. Henricks ’16 said he found the publication of the placemats by an official Harvard office “beyond inappropriate and arrogant,” criticizing their one-sided presentation of “highly debateable subjects.” The placemats offer a single response to each proposed question.
Students Sign Honor Affirmation on Final Assignments
During final exams, and on final papers and assignments, undergraduates have starting affirming their awareness of Harvard College’s first honor code, which went into effect this semester.
House Life Survey Part II: Advising and Facilities
Results of a recent Crimson survey indicate that most students are generally satisfied with House resources, although they may not be involved with their residences day-to-day.
Court Rejects Group’s Motion to Intervene in Admissions Lawsuit
A panel of judges instead granted the group of prospective and current students who are pro-affirmative action amicus status in the lawsuit accusing the College of setting quotas on Asian applicants and target percentages for underrepresented minorities.
Khurana Fields Criticisms on College Diversity
Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana fielded student criticisms on the state of diversity programming on campus and promised Wednesday night to implement short-term initiatives outlined in a recent report on diversity at the College.
House Life Survey Part I: Housing Day and House Renewal
A recent Crimson survey indicates that students are overall satisfied with their on-campus living experiences, but perceive inequities between Harvard’s upperclassman Houses.
College Accepts 14.8 Percent of Early Applicants to Class of 2020
While the size of the early action pool increased slightly—about 4.3 percent larger than last year—the acceptance rate fell 1.7 percent, with 918 students receiving offers of admission.
FOP’s Struggle With Diversity
Leaders of FOP’s steering committee both past and present are candid about the struggles they face in addressing the dearth of diversity within the program, citing a score of both institutional and social barriers as obstacles of closing that gap.
Faculty May Vote To Reaffirm Commitment to Student Diversity
A report drafted by a faculty committee chaired by Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana outlines the development of religious, ethnic, and racial diversity at Harvard.
After Lengthy Debate, UC Votes To Fund Ventfull
In the Undergraduate Council’s last meeting this semester, representatives narrowly voted to continue funding the calendar application Ventfull, with many calling the initiative—which the outgoing leaders have touted as an accomplishment—a failed program.
Top UC Leaders Support House Master Name Change
Both the outgoing and incoming presidents of the Undergraduate Council say they support the College’s recent decision to rename the House master position, a title that some students had criticized as associated with slavery.
Cultural Student Groups Plan Coalition for ‘Collective Action’
As college students across the country stage protests in response to race-related incidents on their campuses, some cultural student groups at Harvard are planning to form a coalition “to present demands to the administration.”
School Work: The Benefits and Burdens of Campus Jobs
While some students find the expectation that students work during term time a meaningful distraction and opportunity for learning, others describe it as a major burden that puts them at a disadvantage.
House Masters ‘Unanimously’ Agree To Change Title
Administrators and House masters acknowledged Tuesday that the move to abandon the term was in part prompted by recent protests against racism on campuses across the country.