University News
Mass. Supreme Court Allows Emotional Distress Claim Against Harvard to Proceed in Suit Over Photos of Enslaved People
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned a lower court’s dismissal of Tamara K. Lanier’s emotional distress claim against Harvard, according to a decision released Thursday morning, allowing Lanier to continue to seek damages from the University.
With Bacow Set to Step Down, Some Faculty Want Harvard’s Next President to be From a Different Mold
In interviews after Bacow's announcement that he would step down next year, faculty members offered a wide range of hopes for Harvard’s next president: Some say they want someone from a different academic background, and many others vie for a candidate who will use the perch of the University presidency to tackle global social issues.
Bacow Joins a Growing List of Higher Education Leaders Who Are Heading for the Exits
University President Lawrence S. Bacow, who announced Wednesday that he plans to step down next year, has joined more than a half-dozen prominent higher education leaders who are set to depart soon, including the presidents of Dartmouth College, Columbia University, Tufts University, and MIT.
Harvard Police Department to Prepare Proposal for Five New Unarmed Campus Support Officers
Harvard University Police Department Chief Victor A. Clay plans to develop a proposal that would create five new unarmed “Campus Support Officer” positions, he said in an interview last week.
81 Republican Lawmakers File Amicus Brief Supporting SFFA in Harvard Affirmative Action Lawsuit
More than 80 Republican lawmakers filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court on Monday supporting anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions’ lawsuit against Harvard and the University of North Carolina.
Duke Senior’s Commencement Speech Appears to Plagiarize 2014 Address by Harvard Student
Duke University’s 2022 undergraduate commencement speaker, Priya Parkash, appears to have plagiarized a 2014 student commencement address at Harvard given by Sarah F. Abushaar ’14.
SFFA Asks Supreme Court to Overturn Precedents Upholding Affirmative Action in Filing for Harvard, UNC Cases
The anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions asked the United States Supreme Court to ban affirmative action in American higher education by overturning precedents that allow universities to consider race as a factor in admissions in a brief filed with the court Monday.
Harvard CFO Says the University’s Revenues Have ‘Rebounded’ to Pre-Pandemic Levels
Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer Thomas J. Hollister said the University’s revenues have “rebounded” to pre-pandemic levels, placing Harvard in a “healthy” financial condition, in an interview last Thursday.
Harvard Has Pared Down Most Covid Restrictions. How Long Will Mandatory Testing Last?
When Harvard officials announced that it would drop its indoor mask mandate, University officials said that regular testing protocols would remain in place. But some experts say testing requirements, too, could soon be on the way out.
Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Bill Lee Discusses Affirmative Action Lawsuit at EDIB Forum
Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow William F. Lee ’72 discussed the lawsuit challenging Harvard’s race-conscious admissions policies during an event at the University’s first-ever Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Forum on Wednesday.
Divinity School Hosts Conversation on Peace and Power in Palestine
Kennedy School lecturer Marshall L. Ganz ’64-’92 and Noura Erakat, an associate professor at Rutgers University, discussed power and decolonization in Palestine and Israel at a Divinity School event Wednesday.
Phi Beta Kappa Welcomes 25 Harvard Juniors
Twenty-five juniors at Harvard College learned of their induction into the Alpha Iota Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honor society, through an email from the Office of Undergraduate Education on March 28.
As Supreme Court Hearing Approaches, Harvard's Lead Lawyers Reflect on Time at the College
Over 50 years William F. Lee ’72 and Seth P. Waxman ’73, Harvard’s race-conscious admissions practices are in jeopardy as a lawsuit alleging discrimination against Asian-American applicants heads to the Supreme Court in the fall. The court agreed to hear the case filed against Harvard by anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions alongside a similar lawsuit against the University of North Carolina.
Harvard Affiliates Call on Universities to Bar Fossil Fuel Industry Funding from Research
Harvard affiliates signed a letter released in March demanding that British and American universities stop accepting funding from fossil fuel corporations for climate change and energy research.
Harvard’s Covid-19 Paid Leave Benefits, Pay for Idled Workers Set to Expire April 1
Two weeks after Harvard lifted indoor mask mandates, the University is set to end its Coronavirus Workplace Policies, which will eliminate emergency paid sick leave benefits and partial compensation for some employees who were involuntarily idled by the pandemic.
Harvard Law School Names Stephen L. Ball New Dean of Students
Harvard Law School tapped Stephen L. Ball, a senior vice president at Wells Fargo, as its new Dean of Students in February. Ball is the first Black male to hold the title at HLS.
Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum Celebrates its 150th Anniversary
The Arnold Arboretum celebrated its 150th anniversary with a special lecture at its Weld Hill Research Building on Tuesday afternoon.
One Month Into Invasion, Harvard Affiliates Rally for Ukraine, Affected Scholars
One month after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, more than one hundred demonstrators rallied in Harvard Yard on Saturday in support of Harvard students and scholars impacted by the war.
Biddy Martin Has Spent a Decade as a College President. Now She’s Set to Return to the Classroom at Harvard.
After decades in higher education administration — including 11 years as Amherst College’s first female president and nearly four years on Harvard’s highest governing board — Carolyn A. “Biddy” Martin is returning to the classroom at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Lisa Kewley to Serve as Director of Harvard's Center for Astrophysics
Lisa J. Kewley will serve as the next director of Harvard’s Center for Astrophysics, a collaboration between the Harvard College Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Harvard Police Department Sees Senior Leadership Shakeup in Clay’s First Year
When longtime Harvard University Police Chief Francis D. “Bud” Riley retired in 2020, he left behind a department roiled by allegations of racism, sexism, and favoritism — part of a toxic work environment some current and former officers alleged he created.
Harvard’s Century-Old Boathouses to Undergo Renovations
Harvard will commence renovations on its historic Weld and Newell Boathouses this year in what is planned to be the most significant update to the buildings since their construction more than a century ago.
One Year After an External Review into Sexual Harassment at Harvard, Three Recommendations Remain Unfulfilled
Just over a year after the release of an external review examining gender-based harassment at Harvard, the school has not fulfilled three of the report's recommendations.
Tracy K. Smith ’94 to Speak at Harvard Alumni Day
Pulitzer-Prize winning poet Tracy K. Smith ’94 will serve as the Harvard Class of 2022's Alumni Day speaker, the University announced Wednesday.
Harvard Spent $560,000 on Federal Lobbying in Biden’s First Year
Harvard spent $560,000 in federal lobbying during President Joe Biden’s first year in office, topping the Ivy League for the fifth time in the past six years.