FAS Administration
Faculty Notebook: Parliamentarians and All That Jazz
Harvard faculty continue to look nervously at snacks that disappeared from faculty meetings in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department Occupies New Building
This is the first time the newly-renovated Sherman Fairchild Biochemistry Building has been entirely devoted to stem cell laboratories since the consolidation was proposed in early 2009.
FAS To Revise COI Policies
A new set of regulations that will govern faculty members’ off-campus commitments will be introduced by the end of this academic year.
FAS Deficit Down by Half, to $16 Million
The new deficit figure was revealed at a meeting late last week with Leslie A. Kirwan, dean of Administration and Finance for FAS. Dean of FAS Michael D. Smith is expected to announce the number at the Oct. 4 Faculty meeting, according to FAS spokesperson Jeff Neal.
Fixing the Faculty
As the School recovers and the deficit slims, departments are evaluating the state of their faculties and identifying the holes that have appeared.
Psychology Department Bars Hauser from Teaching
Psychology Department Chair Susan E. Carey ’64 confirmed that psychology professor Marc D. Hauser will not be teaching next academic year.
FAS Beats National Faculty Salaries
While a recently-released report from the American Association of University Professors indicated that across the board faculty salaries still reflect a depressed fiscal environment, professors in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences will continue to receive 2 percent annual salary increases.
Harvard Leads Digital Library Initiative
Harvard is solidifying plans to lead one of the largest national efforts to create a digitized public library, which might eventually include all printed books.
Former Dean Questions Response to Professor's Past Financial Ties to Libya’s Gaddafi
Former Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ’68 questioned University President Drew G. Faust on whether the University should actively criticize a University professor for his financial ties with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Student Recommendation Letters Accidentally Viewable to Others
Because of a loophole in a computer system, fellowship applicants have been able to access their own and other students’ recommendation letters submitted to the Office of Career Services—making available what are supposed to be confidential documents on a wider basis than previously believed.
Growing Sociology Dept. Struggles Amidst Tight FAS Budget
As the Faculty of Arts and Sciences continues to recover from the impact of the financial crisis, a growing Sociology Department remains constrained by a faculty size that has not kept pace with the rise in undergraduate concentrators.
FAS Approaches End of Deficit
Compared to peer institutions like Yale and Princeton, FAS has reduced its deficit, which today stands around $35 million, more efficiently than other universities.
FAS Discusses Global Teaching
Members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences met Friday in the second symposium to discuss the school’s initiatives on teaching and learning, which FAS Dean Michael D. Smith has identified as a lead priority in a Faculty Meeting at the start of the academic year.
Smith Honors FAS Staff
The event—in its second year, after FAS Dean Michael D. Smith established the program last year—salutes staff members throughout FAS for their commitment to the school.
FAS Hopes For Increased Endowment Funding
Senior administrators in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences have provided loose guidelines to departments for long-term financial planning that foresee a growth in the distribution from the University endowment to pre-2008 nominal levels by 2018.
Capital Campaign Plans Underway
Harvard is currently in the quiet phase of a multi-billion dollar capital campaign, which will aim to raise money for House renewal and development in Allston.
Limit on Visiting Faculty Continues
Still $35 million in the red, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences has maintained a restriction on the hiring of visiting professors, instead favoring the use of less expensive post-doctoral students to fill teaching positions.
Houses Renewal To Review Climate Control
Administrators saythat heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and accessibility will all likely be included in House renewal.
Smith Hosts Panel on Education
Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Michael D. Smith joined three instructors at a symposium on teaching and learning this past Friday.
Just $35 Million to Go
It is a tremendous relief to see that the projected deficit this academic year is only $35 million. This is an extraordinary feat.
Deficit Strains FAS Budgets
Some department administrators questioned the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ capacity to close its $35 million deficit by the 2012 self-imposed deadline, citing already painfully slim budgets.
Living with Mold, Quincy Looks Ahead
Residents of Old Quincy, a section of Quincy House which will begin renovations in June 2012, say there are a number of improvements that they hope will be made to the House as part of the College’s ambitious House renewal project.
As Potential Blizzard Approaches, Harvard Graduate Schools Cancel Classes
Schools within Harvard University have announced that classes will be canceled Wednesday, and the University has advised a large portion of its staff not to report to work in light of a storm that may bring up to 16 inches of snow to the Boston area.
FAS Dean Plans House Renewal Announcement
The Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences said he is planning a major announcement as early as next month on the status of and plans for House renewal.
FAS Discusses Dept. Renaming, Teaching Mission
Faculty members expressed favor for a proposal to rename the Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies the Department of South Asian Studies as of July 1. The proposal, conceived this April, also involves incorporating faculty members from other departments in pursuit of a more interdisciplinary approach to the study of the subcontinent.