House Life
Covid-19 Sends Students Home, Ushers in Remote Learning
Five days after waking up to a March 10 email informing them of Harvard’s decision to de-densify campus, most College students found themselves uprooted from residential life and scattered across the globe.
Students Living on Campus During Winter Recess Confront Logistical Hurdles
Students living in Harvard housing during winter recess, which officially began Monday, reported challenges adjusting to their temporary accommodations, such as moving dorms during a snowstorm.
Adams House Faculty Deans Announce Retirement
Adams House faculty deans Judith S. Palfrey ’67 and John G. “Sean” Palfrey ’67 will retire from their positions at the end of the academic year, they announced in a Wednesday email sent to Adams House affiliates.
Advising from Afar: Tutors Adapt to a Virtual Year
As the pandemic scattered Harvard students across the world this semester, resident and non-resident tutors alike have endeavored to preserve a sense of community that has long defined Harvard residential life.
After a Socially Distant Fall, Freshmen Will Face Blocking Process Next Semester
Despite their unusual introduction to classmates this fall, Harvard freshmen will face the process of blocking — choosing students with whom they will share an upperclassman House — this spring, administrators explained at a virtual panel Wednesday.
'It’s Going to Feel Very Different': Administrators Discuss Spring Plans at Town Hall
Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana discussed the administration’s planning process for next spring at a town hall for College affiliates Wednesday evening with other University administrators.
After Virtual Semester, Freshmen Navigate the Pressures of Blocking
For members of the Class of 2024, the infamously stressful blocking process may be extra fraught due to pandemic-era social restrictions.
Students Find Outlets for Relaxation and Freedom Outside of Dorms
From picnics on the banks of the Charles River to brass concerts in Cambridge Common, Harvard students living on campus have discovered new outlets to enjoy themselves outside of their stifling dorm rooms.
Harvard Police Investigating Unlawful Entry into Cabot House
An individual broke into Cabot House early last Tuesday, though they did not appear to steal property or enter residents’ rooms, according to reports by Harvard officials.
Quincy Dining Staff Receive Conflicting Instructions After Staff Member Tests Positive for COVID-19
After a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, Harvard University Dining Services employees and kitchen staff were immediately instructed by a manager to go home when they arrived at the Quincy House dining hall Tuesday morning.
‘We Cannot Let Our Guard Down’: O’Dair Urges Students on Campus To Refrain from Attending Large Gatherings
Dean of Students Katherine G. O’Dair penned a stern email to students living in residence Wednesday after reports of large groups congregating — often maskless — along the Charles River in recent days.
Mather House Schedules Meeting to Review Social Distancing Rules as Students Circulate Videos of Large Campus Gatherings
Mather House scheduled a meeting for residents Tuesday to review College social distancing rules as some students say their peers have appeared to violate them.
Leverett House Welcomes Katie Daily as Resident Dean
Katie Daily, a former United States Military Academy professor and associate dean, began her appointment as Leverett House’s resident dean on July 1, according to an email sent to House affiliates by Faculty Deans Brian D. Farrell and Irina P. Ferreras.
Cambridge and Boston Residents Ambivalent about Harvard Students Returning to On- and Off-Campus Housing
As a limited number of students move into their dorms and others occupy apartments near campus, residents of the Greater Boston area are voicing concerns about the student population’s impact on their own health and safety.
Harvard Undergraduates Tackle Week-Long Quarantine After Arrival on Campus
The interval between undergradute move-in days and the first week of classes is usually filled with students bustling in Harvard Yard, friends reuniting over meals in the dining halls, and freshmen eagerly learning how to navigate campus.
Bagged Meals, Nose Swabs, and Quarantines: How Students Are Moving Into Harvard’s Dorms During the Pandemic
Before settling into their assigned dorm rooms and beginning their mandated period of quarantine, undergraduates had to complete a highly regimented series of tasks within two hours: undergoing testing, picking up their keys and a day’s worth of pre-packaged meals, and moving into their dorms.
Adams House Resumes Renovations After Five-Month Delay
Construction on Adams House has resumed after a five-month hiatus due to the City of Cambridge’s decision to place a moratorium on construction projects in response to the ongoing spread of coronavirus, according to an email sent to House affiliates Saturday.
Lowell Faculty Deans Announce Group to Explore House Name Change
A Lowell House committee will begin exploring a possible change to the House’s name, according to an email sent to Lowell affiliates by Faculty Deans Nina Zipser and David I. Laibson ’88.
Harvard to Track Affiliates’ Wi-Fi Signals as Part of Contact Tracing Pilot
Harvard began piloting Tracefi — a Wi-Fi-based contact tracing system — in Adams House this past Friday in preparation for freshmen and a select group of upperclassmen students’ return to campus later this month.
Left Out of Fall Planning, Harvard Parents Send Demand Letters to Administration
Parents of the Harvard Class of 2022 organized a group lobbying effort urging the University to reduce the College’s tuition, soften leave of absence policies, and better articulate their decision making around why only a limited number of students will be permitted to return to campus.
Undergraduates Will Have ‘Very Limited’ Access to Campus Buildings This Fall, Gay and Khurana Say
Harvard undergraduates living on campus in the fall will have “very limited” access to physical facilities, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay and Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana wrote in an email to faculty and staff Thursday morning.
Harvard’s Leave of Absence Policies, Explained
Harvard students who decide to take a leave of absence this fall will make a series of tradeoffs — sacrificing their eligibility to participate in extracurriculars, school-sponsored jobs, and campus research to buy back in-person time with friends on campus.
Just 15 Percent of Undergraduates ‘Extremely Unlikely’ to Enroll in Online Fall Semester, Per Harvard Open Data Project Survey
Seventy percent of Harvard students are at least somewhat likely to enroll for the fall semester, while 15 percent are extremely unlikely to stay on, the Harvard Open Data Project found in a survey published Sunday.