News from the Office of the President - Harvard University

University Leadership Updates

william — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 18:12:35 +0000

Dear Members of the Harvard Community,

I am pleased to announce that John F. Manning, the Morgan and Helen Chu Dean and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, has agreed to serve as Harvard’s interim provost. He will begin a leave from his deanship on March 14.

John has led HLS with distinction since his appointment as dean in 2017, advancing excellence in the School’s core activities while launching important new initiatives. In a community that deeply values vigorous argument and debate, he has developed a reputation for listening carefully to different points of view; engaging faculty, staff, and students in a spirit of common enterprise; building consensus in support of highly consequential decisions; and working with a team to move significant initiatives forward across multiple areas. He has supported his faculty’s unwavering commitment to rigorous and impactful scholarship and innovative teaching. Moreover, despite polarization in the wider society, John and his colleagues have developed several successful initiatives at HLS that nurture a culture of free, open, and respectful discourse. Drawing on his own experience as a first-generation student, John has also worked to make an HLS education more accessible, regardless of one’s background or financial need, and to enable more HLS graduates to pursue careers of their choosing.

An outstanding dean and eminent scholar of public law, John is also a valued colleague and a trusted advisor to me and to other leaders around the University. He is an ideal individual to advance several key University initiatives, including forthcoming efforts to explore institutional neutrality and how best to nurture an atmosphere of open inquiry, respectful dialogue, and academic freedom essential to academic excellence. I am thrilled by the prospect of the important work John will do in his new post and look forward to welcoming him to Massachusetts Hall.

While John Manning serves as interim provost, John C. P. Goldberg, Carter Professor of General Jurisprudence, has agreed to serve as interim dean of Harvard Law School.

A member of the faculty since 2008, John is admired as much for his integrity, generosity, and compassion as for his extraordinary intellect, rigorous academic work, and broad institutional service. As deputy dean of HLS from 2017 to 2022, he worked closely with John Manning on issues ranging from the oversight of curricular reform to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has been a member of the HLS Lateral Appointments Committee for eleven years, three of them as chair, and led the redesign and implementation of a mentoring program for the Law School’s tenure-track faculty. He has also served as a member of the steering committee that oversaw the development of the University’s non-discrimination and anti-bullying policies, as a member of the committee that drafted Harvard University’s Electronic Communications Policy, and as the inaugural chair of the Electronic Communications Policy Oversight Committee. I have benefited from John’s thoughtful counsel through his participation on the Provost’s Advisory Committee and look forward to collaborating with him more closely.

John Manning and John Goldberg have more than a given name in common. They are University citizens of the highest order, devoted to their areas of scholarly excellence and to their intellectual home in equal measure. I am grateful for their willingness to serve in their new roles and inspired by their commitment to advancing Harvard’s vital work of teaching, learning, research, and service. Please join me in congratulating and thanking them.

Sincerely,
Alan M. Garber

P.S. For more, please see the related news release.

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Update on Presidential Task Forces

william — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 14:02:39 +0000

Dear Members of the Harvard Community,

I write to update you on the presidential task forces to combat antisemitism and anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias. Over the past five months, grief, anger, and fear have taken a toll on members of our community as divisions on our campus have persisted. The University has responded to these challenges with consolidated safety and wellbeing resources, as well as new and expanded community supports compiled on the respective task force websites, while reaffirming rights and responsibilities on which our future efforts must necessarily build. But there is more to be done.

We must do much more to bridge the fissures that have weakened our sense of community, and the task forces, which have the full support of the University, will be critical to our success. The co-chairs and I have been working together to finalize membership and plan the work ahead. The names of the members of the task forces are appended here. Jared Ellias, Scott C. Collins Professor of Law, has been added to the leadership of the Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism, replacing Raffaella Sadun, Charles E. Wilson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, who has decided to refocus her efforts on her research, teaching, and administrative responsibilities. Ali Asani, Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures, has been added to the leadership of the Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab Bias. Jared, Ali, and all of their fellow members are taking on difficult work under extraordinary pressure and public scrutiny. They are true University citizens, dedicated to strengthening our community now and in the future. I hope that you will join me in thanking them for their service.

In the coming weeks, the task forces will undertake initial outreach, information gathering, and research, including listening sessions, surveys, and historical analysis, to better understand the experiences of members of our community who have been disproportionately affected by the events of October 7 and their aftermath. Our work should be informed by the best evidence about the nature and severity of the problems we confront and about the impact of approaches that have been put to the test. Though the work of the task forces will take several months to complete, I have asked the co-chairs to send recommendations to the deans and me on a rolling basis so that we might consider, refine, and implement interventions, and to keep the community apprised as our work together proceeds.

We are accustomed to asking the most difficult questions and taking on the most complex problems. Those inclinations do more than spur our individual and collective efforts—they connect us to one another in fundamental ways. Despite our differences, what we share is far greater than what we do not. I know that we care enough about each other and our University to join together in ensuring that Harvard offers an environment in which Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab students feel welcome and can thrive. We should expect nothing less.

Sincerely,
Alan M. Garber

—

Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism

Jared Ellias, co-chair
Scott C. Collins Professor of Law at Harvard Law School

Derek Penslar, co-chair
William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Danielle Allen
James Bryant Conant University Professor

Boaz Barak
Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Erica Newman-Corre
Student at Harvard Law School

Jesse M. Fried
Dane Professor of Law at Harvard Law School

Jerome Groopman
Dina and Raphael Recanati Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School

Nim Ravid
Student at Harvard College

Vicki Rosen
Professor of Developmental Biology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Andrew Teeter
Professor of Hebrew Bible at Harvard Divinity School

Sherri Charleston, advisor
Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Ara Gershengorn, advisor
University Attorney

Robin Glover, advisor
Associate Provost for Student Affairs

Jonah Steinberg, advisor
Executive Director Emeritus at Harvard Hillel

Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab Bias

Ali Asani, co-chair
Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Wafaie Fawzi, co-chair
Richard Saltonstall Professor of Population Sciences, and Professor of Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Global Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Asim Ijaz Khwaja, co-chair
Sumitomo-FASID Professor of International Finance and Development at Harvard Kennedy School

Danielle Allen
James Bryant Conant University Professor

Jana Amin
Student at Harvard College

Hakeem Belo-Osague
Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School

Melani Cammett
Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Diana L. Eck
Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies at Harvard Divinity School, and Fredric Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Fawwaz Habbal
Senior Lecturer on Applied Physics at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Alta Mauro
Associate Dean for Inclusion and Belonging at Harvard College

Nader Uthman
Senior Preceptor in Arabic in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Additional student members to be determined

Khalil Abdur-Rashid, advisor
Muslim Chaplain at Harvard University, and Lecturer on Muslim Studies at Harvard Divinity School

Nadir Ahmed, advisor
University Attorney

Sherri Charleston, advisor
Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Robin Glover, advisor
Associate Provost for Student Affairs

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The Interim President’s Agenda

william — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:18:37 +0000

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The Antisemitic Cartoon

kimberly — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 23:35:44 +0000

Dear Members of the Harvard Community,

A few groups purporting to speak on behalf of Harvard affiliates recently circulated a flagrantly antisemitic cartoon in a post on social media channels. The cartoon, included in a longer post, depicted what appeared to be an Arab man and a Black man with nooses around their necks. The nooses are held by a hand imprinted with the Star of David, and a dollar sign appears in the middle of the star. Online condemnation of this trope-filled image was swift, and Harvard promptly issued a statement condemning the posted cartoon. While the groups associated with the posting or sharing of the cartoon have since sought to distance themselves from it in various ways, the damage remains, and our condemnation stands.

Perpetuating vile and hateful antisemitic tropes, or otherwise engaging in inflammatory rhetoric or sharing images that demean people on the basis of their identity, is precisely the opposite of what this moment demands of us. As members of an academic community, we can and we will disagree, sometimes vehemently, on matters of public concern and controversy, including hotly contested issues relating to the war in Israel and Gaza, and the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But it is grossly irresponsible and profoundly offensive when that disagreement devolves into forms of expression that demonize individuals because of their religion, race, nationality, or other aspects of their identity.

The members of the Corporation join me in unequivocally condemning the posting and sharing of the cartoon in question. The University will review the situation to better understand who was responsible for the posting and to determine what further steps are warranted.

Reckless provocation draws attention without advancing understanding. Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab members of our community have reported feeling targeted, rejected, and ostracized. The war and its effects on the lives of people directly affected by the conflict demand our profound concern and sympathy. We must approach one another with compassion, open minds, and mutual respect, our discourse grounded in facts and supported by reasoned argument.

Sincerely,
Alan M. Garber

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New Members of Harvard Corporation

melissa — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 21:34:17 +0000

Dear Members of the Harvard Community,

We write to let you know that two accomplished alumni will join the Harvard Corporation in the coming months. Kenneth C. Frazier, an acclaimed leader, lawyer, and advocate for opportunity, will become a Fellow of Harvard College on February 7, 2024, filling a current vacancy on the Corporation. Joseph Y. Bae, an admired expert in finance with extensive global experience and a long record of service to Harvard, will become a Fellow of Harvard College on July 1, when Paul J. Finnegan concludes his twelve years of service on the Corporation. In line with Harvard’s charter, both new Fellows were elected today by the Corporation with the consent of the Board of Overseers.

Ken Frazier, a 1978 graduate of Harvard Law School, is former chairman and CEO of Merck & Co., one of the world’s premier biopharmaceutical companies. In addition to his experience leading a complex global enterprise with a major commitment to biomedical research, he has had a distinguished career as a practicing lawyer, first in private practice and later as Merck’s general counsel. Known for his dedication to expanding opportunity for others, he recently co-founded OneTen, a nonprofit coalition focused on expanding family-sustaining employment opportunities for people lacking a four-year degree with an emphasis on Black Americans.

He currently serves as chair of health assurance initiatives at the venture capital firm General Catalyst. A member of the Harvard Law School Dean’s Council, he has had extensive experience as a board member for his undergraduate alma mater, Penn State, and an array of other nonprofit and for-profit organizations. His many honors include the Anti-Defamation League’s Courage Against Hate Award (2020) “for using his platform to speak out on behalf of marginalized communities and serving as an exemplary role model for corporate leadership.” Chief Executive magazine named him CEO of the Year in 2021, and he has appeared twice on TIME’s annual list of the world’s most influential people.

Joe Bae,a 1994 graduate of Harvard College, is co-CEO of KKR, a global investment firm where he has worked for nearly three decades. He became co-CEO in 2021, after having served as the firm’s co-president and co-COO since 2017. He is credited, among other things, as being the architect of KKR’s major expansion into Asia, and overseeing the firm’s global private equity, infrastructure, and real estate businesses.

Highly experienced in institutional governance, he has served on numerous boards, including institutions such as the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (current vice chair), Phillips Academy Andover (former trustee and chair of nominating and governance committee), the Asia Society, the Hong Kong Ballet, and the Nature Conservancy’s Asia Pacific Council. He is also a co-founder and board member of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), which was established in 2021 to serve the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

He has been one of Harvard’s most engaged alumni leaders in recent decades. Among other roles, he serves on the Corporation Committee on Finance, the University’s Global Advisory Council, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Council, and the FAS Committee on Financial Aid. Along with his wife, the novelist Janice Y. K. Lee ’94, he led a recent philanthropic drive to support an FAS initiative to expand education and scholarship in Asian American studies.

Our two newly elected Corporation members emerged from a deliberative process led by members of Harvard’s two governing boards. In assessing nominees, consideration was given to a range of criteria including, among others, experience in leading complex organizations; prior service in board-level governance roles, especially with educational, cultural, and other nonprofit institutions; the importance of maintaining strength on the Corporation in fields such as finance, law, biomedical research, and the arts; international outlook; breadth of interests; dedication to creating opportunity for others; demonstrated commitment to fostering excellence in teaching, learning, and research, along with the ideals of excellence, inclusion, and academic freedom; and personal qualities such as integrity, judgment, intellectual acumen, open-mindedness, and discretion.

We very much look forward to welcoming both Ken Frazier and Joe Bae to the Corporation. Our work is sure to benefit from their leadership qualities, their wide-ranging expertise and experience, and their devotion to Harvard and higher education. We know that they share a commitment to academic freedom, inclusion, and the pursuit of excellence in Harvard’s mission of teaching and research.

Sincerely,

Alan M. Garber, Interim President

Penny Pritzker, Senior Fellow

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‘Harvard Dialogues’ taps power of respectful debate

melissa — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 16:10:42 +0000

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Statement of Interim President and Deans on University Rights and Responsibilities

william — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 20:13:33 +0000

Dear Members of the Harvard Community,

In recent weeks, University and School administrators have received questions about how the guarantees and limitations regarding protest and dissent found in the University-wide Statement on Rights and Responsibilities apply in specific settings.

The University-wide Statement on Rights and Responsibilities defines the rights and duties we share as an academic community, ensuring that Harvard’s dual commitment to free expression and mutual respect is honored, regardless of the specific subjects of debate and disagreement. We write to reaffirm our shared commitment to the University-wide Statement’s guarantee of freedom of speech—including the right to protest and dissent—as integral to the values of our University. We also reaffirm our commitment to the University-wide Statement’s crucial policy that one may not exercise those rights in a way that “interfere[s] with members of the University in performance of their normal duties and activities.” These principles together enable the University to fulfill our central mission of “learning, teaching, research and scholarship.”

The University-wide Statement has been in place for more than 50 years. It was first adopted on an interim basis by the Governing Boards on September 20, 1970, and then voted in May 1977 to remain in effect indefinitely, alongside an interpretation making clear that “intense personal harassment” amounting to “grave disrespect for the dignity of others” is “an unacceptable violation of the personal rights on which the University is based.” In early 2002, a second interpretation clarified that the University-wide Statement prohibits “any unauthorized occupation of a University building, or any part of it, that interferes with the ability of members of the University to perform their normal activities.” This essential framework is complemented by other important policies, including the University’s Non-Discrimination and Anti-Bullying Policies, and the community principles and protest and dissent guidelines embraced by individual Schools.

We recognize that primary responsibility for determining particular violations of the University-wide Statement rests with our several faculties and disciplinary boards. We also thought it helpful at this time to articulate our shared understanding of key principles in the University-wide Statement—to answer questions and to provide guidance both for those seeking to understand how the University-wide Statement would apply to planned expressive activity and for faculty, staff, and disciplinary boards charged with implementing it. The following guidance has been shared with and endorsed by the Corporation.

Guidance on Protest and Dissent

By protecting freedom of speech while not permitting interference with the “normal duties and activities” of members of the University, the University-wide Statement guarantees the right of students to learn and study and to make a residential campus their home; the right of faculty and instructors to teach, research, and mentor; and the right of staff to do the vital work necessary for the University to fulfill its mission. Accordingly, unless a particular School makes an explicit exception, demonstrations and protests are ordinarily not permitted in classrooms and other spaces of instruction; libraries or other spaces designated for study, quiet reflection, and small group discussion; dormitories, residence halls, or dining halls where students live and take their meals; offices where the work of the University is carried out; or other places in which demonstrations and protests would interfere with the normal activities of the University. Because free speech is of fundamental importance, Schools should take steps to have venues for protest, dissent, and the like in courtyards, quadrangles, and other such spaces, and through the ability to reserve classrooms, event spaces, and/or places for “tabling,” which is understood to be the reservation by a student organization of a table within a campus building for purposes of activities such as soliciting views or seeking signatures for petitions.

The University-wide Statement also contains explicit time, place, and manner limitations relevant to protest and dissent. For example, because the University-wide Statement prohibits interference with “freedom of movement,” blocking ingress or egress to campus buildings, classrooms, administrative offices, or other spaces is forbidden, as is blocking or otherwise interfering with the free flow of vehicular, bicycle, or pedestrian traffic. Because the University-wide Statement further guarantees “freedom from personal force and violence,” conduct such as assaulting, threatening, or intimidating another person or damaging, defacing, or removing a properly posted sign is not permitted.

Finally, because the University’s mission includes hosting lectures, speeches, and other events that expose community members to ideas, discussions, and debates, disrupting such events or activities interferes with the normal activities of members of the University. Accordingly, community members may not protest a speech or event in a manner that interferes with the right of the speaker(s) to be heard or of the audience to hear them. Many Schools have adopted detailed protest and dissent guidelines that elaborate on the rules and principles of the University-wide Statement.

By providing guidance on the University-wide Statement, we reaffirm the essential function of our University, fostering an environment where community members learn from a vibrant exchange of ideas through debate, discussion, and disagreement. Harvard’s dual commitment to free expression and mutual respect enables our University to be a place where students, faculty, and staff can work together to continue to expand human knowledge and deepen understanding.

Sincerely,

Alan M. Garber
Provost and Interim President, Harvard University

Andrea Baccarelli
Dean, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Tomiko Brown-Nagin
Dean, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study

Nancy Coleman
Dean, Division of Continuing Education and University Extension

George Q. Daley
Dean, Harvard Medical School

Srikant Datar
Dean, Harvard Business School

Emma Dench
Dean, Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Douglas W. Elmendorf
Dean, Harvard Kennedy School of Government

Marla Frederick
Dean, Harvard Divinity School

William V. Giannobile
Dean, Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Hopi E. Hoekstra
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Rakesh Khurana
Dean, Harvard College

Bridget Terry Long
Dean, Harvard Graduate School of Education

John F. Manning
Dean, Harvard Law School

David C. Parkes
Dean, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Sarah M. Whiting
Dean, Graduate School of Design

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Announcement of Presidential Task Forces

melissa — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 15:08:34 +0000

Dear Members of the Harvard Community,

Among the repercussions of conflict in the Middle East have been the loss of family and friends among many members of our community, as well as feelings of uncertainty, abandonment, mistrust, and fear. Incidents of bias and hate against Jews and against Muslims, Palestinians, and other people of Arab descent have risen across the country. Reports of antisemitic and Islamophobic acts on our campus have grown, and the sense of belonging among these groups has been undermined. We need to understand why and how that is happening—and what more we might do to prevent it.

I write today to announce two presidential task forces: one devoted to combating antisemitism and one devoted to combating Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias. Though differently focused, the groups are similarly charged with:

examining recent history and current manifestations of bias;
identifying the root causes of and contributing factors to bias-based behaviors on campus;
evaluating evidence regarding the characteristics and frequency of these behaviors; and
recommending approaches to combat bias and to mitigate its impact on campus.

The Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism will be co-chaired by Derek Penslar, William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Raffaella Sadun, Charles E. Wilson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. The Presidential Task Force on Combating Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Bias will be co-chaired by Wafaie Fawzi, Richard Saltonstall Professor of Population Sciences, and Professor of Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Global Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Asim Ijaz Khwaja, Sumitomo-FASID Professor of International Finance and Development at Harvard Kennedy School. I have asked that the work of the task forces be completed as soon as is feasible, and I will share reports and recommendations in due course.

I am exceedingly grateful to Derek, Raffaella, Wafaie, and Asim for their willingness to serve the University in this capacity. Their leadership of our efforts will profoundly influence how we think about the role each of us plays in nurturing a climate of inclusion, especially at times when the ties that bind us as a community are under tremendous strain.

Strengthening our ties to one another will take considerable effort and engagement across the University. I have asked each task force to undertake broad outreach, and I encourage you to share your perspectives and your experiences with equal measures of care and candor. We have before us an opportunity to meet challenges with far-reaching implications, and I am appreciative, as ever, for your help in our efforts.

Sincerely,
Alan M. Garber

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Speaking his mind

melissa — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 14:32:56 +0000

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

melissa — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 17:24:05 +0000

Dear Members of the Harvard Community,

We join countless others today in honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose legacy urges hope in the possibility of progress, especially in challenging and disheartening times. Seeking justice through nonviolence, Dr. King envisioned “a community at peace with itself,” a community in which freedom is assumed rather than secured, in which “the practical art of living in harmony” is both learned and practiced. His vision of what is possible continues to inspire us.

Last week, I wrote about the importance of bridging the fissures that have weakened our sense of community. In the days to come, I will have more to share about how we intend to strengthen efforts to address and combat bias, safeguard free expression, and foster a climate of mutual understanding. Like Dr. King, we embrace diversity in every form. Our resolve to ensure that all who are part of Harvard feel that they are seen and that they belong—and our belief in the enduring power of learning from one another—will not waver.

In the words of the Honorable Loretta E. Lynch, our 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecturer, “those of us who are focused on equality, those of us who are focused on moving forward, don’t stop.” On this holiday of commemoration and reflection, I wish all of us moments spent in quiet contemplation of what it means to seek equality and peace as we pursue truth and excellence.

Sincerely,
Alan M. Garber

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