Dear Harvard College Student,
I write to welcome you back to Cambridge, and to update you on important College news and upcoming events. First, I know that all of us have been shocked by the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The College is reaching out to our students from the Gulf Coast and to as many students as possible enrolled in colleges affected by the destruction. To read more about what we as a university can do to help, please see Dean Kirby's letter to students, faculty, and staff. Many of you have already responded with offers of support and I want to thank you for your generosity.
This will be an exciting year for the College, as we continue work on several major initiatives. I'd like to call your attention to the new introductory course sequence in the Life Sciences that will launch this fall: Life Sciences 1a and 1b. The courses emerged directly from discussions in the Science and Technology Committee of the Harvard College Curriculum Review, and they represent the first of many exciting innovations that will come from the review process. We now have preliminary reports from the Faculty committees addressing academic advising, science education, study abroad, a possible January term, pedagogy, the teaching of writing, and concentrations. We look forward to refining these proposals as the Faculty begins serious debate on the Curriculum Review. Another exciting development in the ongoing review will be the production of a book of 13 student essays on The Purposes of a Harvard College Education available by the end of September.
Student input and leadership from last year contributed to a number of changes that will begin to take shape this fall. Responding to student request, Lamont will now be open continuously from 8 am Sunday through 9:45 pm on Friday, and Saturday from 8 am to 9:45 pm. We have also extended shuttle service to run until 4 am during the week. Students led the campaign to increase participation in the online CUE evaluations this past spring, and the successful participation rate of 84% paved the way for a fully online CUE this year. Students also collaborated to produce Loker Pub Nights: Veritas Records set up the stage and booked the bands and HSA coordinated the food and drink service. Over 5500 students attended the six Pub Nights. Building on last year's success and continuing student leadership of the effort, a Pub Night Commission has been created and is working closely with Zac Corker '04 to produce Pub Nights this year. Look for the first fall Pub Night on September 17. And, the College is seriously exploring the idea of a permanent student Pub in Loker Commons. This coming spring, you will see another important change as neighborhood blocking will be adopted as a feature of the freshman lottery, enhancing the transition from Yard to House life.
As several major construction projects near completion, new spaces will soon be available for your use. The Harvard Dance Center, located near the Quad on Garden Street, will have a public opening on October 20, and the Center for Government and International Studies (CGIS) on Cambridge Street will open its doors for fall classes, providing a new home for the entire Government Department as well as History faculty with international research interests and many international research centers. The new Quad library, on the first floor of the Hilles building, opens on October 1 and we have plans to redesign the top floors in Hilles for student organization space. In addition, you may notice that we have begun several projects such as the complete renovation of the Hasty Pudding where we are building a new College theatre - only the facade remains on Holyoke Street. Another project in the works includes the renovation of some basements in the Yard, which will provide more social space for freshmen, create possible seminar rooms, and allow for growth in critical College-wide student services. We are also exploring the possibility of a café in Lamont Library.
I'm looking forward to meeting directly with students in the coming year. I will continue to host regular breakfasts in University Hall. The dates will be posted on the College website, but I can tell you now that the first is scheduled for Friday, September 23, from 8:45-9:45 am. Please email my new executive assistant, Anna Fraser (hcdean@fas.harvard.edu), if you can join me then. I also plan to visit many of the Houses during the year. A number of you have taken the time to email me over the summer with comments about your experiences in the College. I appreciate these comments, and have tried to respond to all of them.
Below are some links that will provide you with more details on recent College news and upcoming events. In particular, I'd like to point to Online Registration - new this year - beginning at 7 am on Saturday, September 10, and available through the "Campus Resources" tab at my.harvard.edu. I hope you have a great year, and look forward to seeing you at the Harvard State Fair on September 16.
Select a topic below to view the full text.
Upcoming Events - Student Activities Fairs
- Harvard State Fair & Homecoming in the Yard
- It's Movie Time at Harvard
- Career Week
- Study Abroad and International Experience Fair
- Oktoberfest
Academic Matters - Curriculum Review
- Life Sciences
- CUE Online
- International Programs
New Faces, Familiar Faces - Tom Dingman
- Suzy Nelson
- John Gates
- Anna Fraser
- Resident Deans
- BGLTS Proctors and Tutors
- Race Relations Proctors and Tutors
- Ryan Travia
- Abigail Lipson
- Justin Haan
Technological Innovations - Online Registration
- Online Course Enrollment
- Online Directory Update Tool
- Online Communication Packet
- Online Student Record
Under Construction - Hasty Pudding
- Hemenway Gymnasium
- VES Film Studies Renovation
- Dunster/Mather Serveries
- Harvard Dance Center
- Banks/Cowperthwaite/Grant Project
UPCOMING EVENTS
Over 300 student organizations will gather again in Tercentenary Theatre to showcase their talents at the annual Student Activities Fairs. The fair for first-year students is on Monday, September 12, from 11:30 am - 2 pm, and the one for returning students is on Friday, September 16, from 2 pm - 5 pm. Please stop by and consider new ways to be involved on campus. You may also want to check out the new student organizations online database at the Office of Student Activities website www.college.harvard.edu/student/organizations/list.html.
Following the Upperclass Activity Fair on Friday, September 16, the College will be hosting the first-ever, campus-wide welcome back celebration in Tercentenary Theatre. From 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm, come by the New Yard to experience the "Harvard State Fair," complete with carnival foods, bluegrass bands, a mechanical bull, games, pie-eating contest, and a dunk tank where youll have the opportunity to take aim at some of your favorite deans, House Masters, and peers. Its a great chance to reunite with friends and meet new ones. In the hour before the Harvard State Fair, you are encouraged to drop by your freshman dorm room and welcome the '09ers as part of the first annual "Homecoming in the Yard." Meet those lucky few with whom you will forever share the experience of having lived in Pennypacker 48, Wigglesworth 21, Canaday A33, or wherever you called home freshman year. Take a moment to enlighten the freshmen with the wisdom you have acquired since departing your cozy confines in the Yard.
President Summers has announced that "It's Movie Time at Harvard" will be held this year at 7:30 pm on Sunday, September 25, in Tercentenary Theatre. A double feature is new this year with the second movie beginning at 9:45 pm. This annual event is open to the entire Harvard community and admission is free. Movie fare, including popcorn and soda, is also provided. Voting for movie choices will take place during the activity fairs on September 12 and 16, so make sure to drop by to cast your vote.
You'll have a chance to investigate career possibilities at the Office of Career Services "supersized" Career Week, September 26 - October 7, which will be held in collaboration with academic departments, student groups, and other offices. At the Annual Career Forum on September 30, more than 100 employers will visit the campus to talk about opportunities with their organizations. Check the OCS website, www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu, for details.
I hope you will also plan to stop by the Study Abroad and International Experience Fair on Thursday, October 6, from 11 am - 3 pm in the tent outside the Science Center. Here you'll be able to explore options for summer, semester and year-long international opportunities by meeting and talking to over 80 representatives from study abroad programs; work, travel and volunteer organizations; and foreign universities; as well as from a collection of Harvard departments, centers and international organizations. Find details on the Office of International Programs website at www.fas.harvard.edu/oip.
The Undergraduate Council will be holding their annual Fall Fest, this year themed "Oktoberfest," on Saturday, October 8, from 12 - 4 pm in the Radcliffe Quadrangle.
ACADEMIC MATTERS
The Curriculum Review has generated reports by seven Review committees and will be the major topic of discussion among faculty, students, and administrators this fall. The seven reports address academic advising, science education, study abroad, a possible January term, pedagogy, the teaching of writing, and concentrations. Additional progress will be the compilation of a book of 13 essays written by students involved with the Review on The Purposes of a Harvard College Education. This booklet will be available at the end of September and will also be online at www.fas.harvard.edu/curriculum-review. I continue to look forward to your questions, suggestions, and comments regarding the Curriculum Review at curr-rev@fas.harvard.edu.
A new introductory course sequence in the Life Sciences will launch this fall: Life Sciences 1a and 1b. The courses emerged directly from discussions in the Science and Technology Committee of the Harvard College Curriculum Review, and they represent the first of many exciting innovations that will come from the review process. Next year, we hope to launch a parallel course sequence in the Physical Sciences that will complement the pedagogical and intellectual aims of the new Life Sciences courses. The innovative course sequence in the Life Sciences will draw on an interdisciplinary team of faculty who will teach foundational material in the context of contemporary questions and problems. While they are designed largely as first-year courses, they are open to all students, regardless of background or preparation in science or mathematics. Visit www.lifescience.fas.harvard.edu for more information.
Last fall, the College conducted a pilot project to assess whether CUE teaching evaluations could be completed online rather than during class time. Our belief was that this would allow you to write up evaluations at your convenience, when you had time to respond thoughtfully; it also makes the collection and distribution of data much easier. With 84% of undergraduates participating in the spring term, response rates exceeded the goal set by the Committee on Undergraduate Education at the outset of the project. This year we anticipate moving to a fully electronic CUE. The design of the CUE evaluation itself will be revisited this year in order to consider the optimal questions and content.
The College saw continued gains in international experience for our students last year, in this second year since the establishment of the Office of International Programs. In the summer of 2005, Harvard gave sponsorship - credit or financial assistance - for 933 experiences abroad. These ranged from an internship program for 30 students in Santiago, Chile, under the auspices of the David Rockefeller Center, to English teaching in Namibia through World Teach, to ten programs offered by Harvard Summer School led by Harvard faculty throughout the world. Study abroad numbers rose by 28% for the academic year, and by 76% for the summer. New collaborative initiatives from Cairo to Hong Kong are under development with faculty from all divisions, and students will find themselves enthusiastically supported within the Houses and by the faculty in their concentrations. I hope that you will take time to consider opportunities to enhance your education through learning abroad.
NEW FACES, FAMILIAR FACES
On July 1, Tom Dingman '67 became Dean of Freshmen at Harvard College. Dean Dingman brings much experience and wisdom to the Freshmen Deans Office having recently served as Associate Dean of Residential Life and Senior Tutor of Dudley House. We welcome Suzy Nelson who will start her new role as Associate Dean of Residential Life this month. A seasoned academic administrator with broad experience in the areas of student affairs and residential life, Dean Nelson will work directly with the House Masters, the Dean of Freshmen, and the Resident Deans to ensure that all of our Dorms and Houses offer students services of consistently high quality. John Gates also joined our staff on July 1 in the role of Associate Dean for Administration and Finance. Dean Gates brings to the College vitality and vision, as we begin to implement changes recommended by the Curriculum Review. John (Jay) Ellison has been named Assistant Dean of Harvard College and Secretary of the Administrative Board. You may know Jay as Resident Dean in Lowell House and Lecturer on Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, positions he has held since 2002. Finally, Anna Fraser '03 recently joined my staff as Executive Assistant and Manager of the Deans Office assisting me and Dean Pat O'Brien and managing the operations of the Office of the Dean of the College. Anna brings valuable perspective as a graduate of Harvard College where she set the Harvard record in four events as a varsity swimmer.
On August 1, Ryan Travia became the Director of the new Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services at Harvard University. This position, which was recommended by the Committee to Address Alcohol and Health at Harvard, will strengthen our ability to provide the College with the best possible alcohol education, training, and policy. We also welcome Dr. Abigail Lipson as Director of the Bureau of Study Counsel. We are excited to have Dr. Lipson return to Harvard (she previously interned at UHS and worked as a counselor at the BSC) and take on the important work of directing BSC.
Two Houses will be served by acting Resident Deans this fall. Lowell House welcomes Ryan Spoering to this position taking over for Jay Ellison, who became Assistant Dean of Harvard College, and Sharon Howell will serve in Adams House (Michael Rodriguez returns from sabbatical in the spring). In Currier House, Cole Crittenden has assumed the position of Resident Dean after Carole Mandryk's departure for the University of Hawaii, and in Dudley House, Laura Johnson serves in this role, having taken up these duties from Tom Dingman, our new Dean of Freshmen. Finally, I am pleased to welcome Sue Brown who will serve as Resident Dean for Elm Yard taking over for Wendy Torrance, who recently relocated to Kansas with her family.
Dr. Sarah Kimmel will work with the BGLTS (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, and Supporters) Proctors and Tutors and Dr. S. Allen Counter, longtime Director of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations, will coordinate the work of the Race Relations Tutors and Proctors.
Justin Haan '05 has a one-year appointment as a Harvard College Fellow for Campus Life in the University Management Fellowship Program. In this new position, Justin will work with students and student groups, and College departments and staff, to help promote and implement social activities on campus.
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS
While students have been away from Cambridge, we've been working to improve and upgrade various services.
Students will register for the term using an electronic tool instead of the hard-copy "I Am Here" card that we previously included in the paper registration packets. The electronic tool is easy, intuitive, and will take only a few minutes to complete. Online Registration is available through the "Campus Resources" tab at my.harvard.edu. Online Registration begins at 7 am on Saturday, September 10, and all upperclass students must register by Friday, September 16, at 11:59 pm. The regular fee for late registration will continue to apply.
As part of online Registration, you will be asked to review and update your directory information. This tool will provide the data that are currently maintained for you in the Registrar's system and will allow you to update any information that is incorrect or outdated. Also as part of online Registration, each student will have a customized online Communication Packet, again available through the "Campus Resources" tab of my.harvard.edu. Through this electronic packet, students will be provided with the materials that the Registrar's Office and the academic departments and committees previously inserted into the hard-copy registration packets.
I also want to call your attention to the new Course Enrollment application that takes the existing online Shopping Tool one step further by allowing students to move courses from their online Shopping Cart to their online Study Card. Once you are sure about the courses in which you want to enroll, just print out your Study Card and gather required signatures before submitting it to your House. Advising conversations will take place as usual. Should changes need to be made, you will have the ability to make adjustments electronically and then re-print your Study Card. The Course Enrollment tool is designed to enhance your shopping experience and will not restrict course shopping in any way. To get started, go to my.harvard.edu and click on the "Courses" tab. The Course Enrollment tool will be available to students on Saturday, September 10, at 7:00 am. As with the online Registration, Course Enrollment will remain live past fall Study Card Day, which is Friday, September 23, for upperclass students. All students submitting their Study Cards past the 5:00 pm deadline will be charged the usual late fee.
New this fall, you will have access to your complete online Student Record through the "Campus Resources" tab at my.harvard.edu. As you know, the Student Record was in the past distributed in hard-copy format in the fall registration packet. The electronic Student Record will be a useful advising tool, since it will always be available and easily accessible in real time.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Im excited to announce that we have decided to build a new College theatre in the shell of the old Hasty Pudding building. This will be a performance space for students, almost doubling the existing useable area, with 272 seats in the theatre, dedicated space for classes, rehearsals, and props, and office space for some of our clubs. The Hasty Pudding Theatricals will be performing at Zero Arrow Street, the new performance space of the American Repertory Theatre, during the two years of construction, which began over the summer. Beyond the historic Hasty Pudding shows, we anticipate hosting over 70 student productions annually in the new theatre.
Efforts to improve recreational and fitness opportunities on campus have continued over the summer as Hemenway Gymnasium, located on the Law School campus, is entering the final stages of a $10 million renovation. Scheduled to reopen its doors in mid-September, Hemenway will offer 35 pieces of cardiovascular equipment, 30 strength training stations, three international squash courts, a multi-purpose gymnasium and a group exercise room for aerobics, yoga and the like. The facility will remain open to all undergraduates and will serve as an outstanding complement to the programs and recently-renovated facilities offered at the Malkin Athletic Center.
An extensive renovation on the top floor of Sever Hall for the Visual and Environmental Studies Department will provide new film studies facilities. The improved facilities include three new film screening rooms, faculty and administrative offices, a new animation studio, editing and computer labs, and a video, film, and book library with viewing carrels. VES facilities on the lower level of Sever have also been improved.
We have reached the end of the process of renovating the kitchens and serveries in all 12 Houses, with Dunster and Mather just completed this summer. And the new Harvard Dance Center for our dance program has been constructed at 66 Garden Street and will provide beautiful and technically advanced performance and rehearsal spaces. I hope you will join us for the public opening on October 20.
Additional University construction projects include the Banks/Cowperthwaite/Grant project that will develop much needed graduate student housing for Harvard. For additional information, questions, and concerns about Harvard construction projects visit www.construction.harvard.edu.
