FAS
Harry Lewis To Retire After 46 Years
After this semester, computer science professor and former Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ’68 will teach only two more semesters before he officially retires on July 1, 2020.
Challenging the Norms: Durba Mitra Comes to Harvard
In other words, Durba Mitra is already challenging Harvard norms, and she hasn’t even left Fordham’s campus yet.
Professors Fear Loss of Federal Arts, Humanities Funding
Professors and administrators are bracing for the potential elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Harvard-MIT Institute Wins Patent Battle for Gene-Editing Tech
The Broad Institute won the right to keep its patent for CRISPR, a groundbreaking gene-editing technology, in a ruling Wednesday.
Admissions Cuts Concern Some Graduate Students
News that FAS will admit 4.4 percent fewer graduate students next year has precipitated concern and disappointment among some current graduate students.
Shopping Week Chaos
Though many undergraduates love the week for the flexibility it provides, for Harvard administrators, shopping week means not knowing the size of each course until the Course Registration Deadline.
From the Lectern to the Loudspeaker
Recent events—most notably, President Donald Trump's election—have stirred an activist's sensibility in some Harvard professors.
FAS Will Cut Grad Student Admissions by 4.4 Percent
The "drying up of some funds" has prompted Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences to reduce the number of admissions slots for graduate students this year.
Faculty Meeting Agenda Set Without Lewis Motion
The agenda for Tuesday’s Faculty meeting, released Friday, includes a notable absence: a motion proposed by former Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ’68.
Smith to Address Student Textbook Prices, UC Says
At a meeting with Undergraduate Council leaders Friday, University President Drew G. Faust said she will ask Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Michael D. Smith to discuss the rising costs of textbooks.
Metallic Hydrogen Discovery Met With Skepticism
Two Harvard researchers claim to have synthesized a form of solid metallic hydrogen—but some scholars in the field remain skeptical.
Harvard Grad Council Discusses Immigration Order, Governance
Members of the Harvard Graduate Council criticized President Donald Trump's immigration order at the body's first meeting of the semester Monday.
FAS Dean Calls Faculty Criticism About Lack of Involvement in Sanctions ‘Categorically False’
FAS Dean Michael D. Smith called Faculty criticism about their lack of involvement in crafting a historic social life policy “categorically false,” expressing his most in-depth comments on the contentious sanctions to date.
Sanctions Didn’t Receive Proper Faculty Consultation, Professors Charge
During a contentious Faculty meeting Tuesday that adjourned without an expected vote on a motion against Harvard’s unprecedented social life policy, professors offered impassioned remarks about the lack of input members of the Faculty had in shaping the sanctions.
Faculty Council Declines to Vote on Sanctions Motion
The Faculty Council has declined to vote on a motion opposing the College’s historic sanctions against members of final clubs, fraternities, and sororities, citing uncertainty about whether a vote for the motion would impact the policy.
In Anticipation of Sanctions Vote, Smith Releases Extensive Survey Data to Faculty
FAS Dean Michael D. Smith has released five years of undergraduate survey results to every voting member of the Faculty “to further inform” an upcoming debate on a College policy that penalizes members of final clubs and Greek organizations.
Q Guide Will Likely Ask About Affordability of Course Materials
Beginning next semester, the Q guide will likely contain a question about the affordability of course materials—part of an ongoing effort by the committee to address the high course material costs on campus.
Phi Beta Kappa Selects ‘Senior 48’ for Class of 2017
In total, 48 seniors will be inducted into the oldest undergraduate honor society in the United States, joining the 24 students selected last spring.
Anthropology Department Urges Faust to Designate Harvard a Sanctuary Campus
In an email, members of the Anthropology Department called on University president Drew G. Faust and other Harvard administrators to protect undocumented students by designating Harvard a sanctuary campus.
The Frontier between the Arts and Sciences: Harvard's Pioneers
Harvard College promises its undergraduates a liberal arts education, but under its online course catalog, departmental classes are categorized under four distinct headings. The widespread ingrained sense of division between the arts and sciences traces back to popular ideas about brain lateralization: The left hemisphere processes logical information, and the right hemisphere, creative. But what of the students interested in studies that fall within the intersection of disciplines?
Vote Count on Student Unionization Pushed to Tuesday
Officials at the National Labor Relations Board have not yet begun counting the ballots from last week's union election due to the time-consuming process of sifting through challenges.
Deans Email Students Before Historic Union Vote
Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Michael D. Smith and Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Xiao-Li Meng wrote separate emails about the unionization vote to graduate students on Tuesday.
Supporters and Opponents of Unionization Ramp Up Efforts as Vote Approaches
Students for and against graduate student unionization have escalated their organizing activity in preparation of the official vote on Wednesday and Thursday.