A message from Dean Douglas Elmendorf

Dear Members of the HKS Community,

Harvard strives for practices of work and communication that result in a supportive, constructive environment for everyone in the University community. That means learning, teaching, and engaging with each other in positive ways that enable all to thrive.

To further this goal, the University is establishing new policies against discrimination and bullying. These policies have been developed over the past few years by committees of faculty, staff, and students, including some from HKS, and will go into effect in the fall. 

Please take time to look at the policies as described in the recent message from Provost Alan Garber and the links included in that message. We will be talking more in the coming months about how to use these policies and other tools to create and sustain the HKS community we want.
 
Sincerely,
Doug

A message from Harvard Provost Alan M. Garber 

Dear Members of the Harvard Community,
 
Last year, I sent a message to the community that included drafts of new policies to address discrimination and bullying at Harvard.* Following several months of community input, including email comments and dozens of outreach conversations organized by Schools and Units, the proposed policies were further revised. These new policies have now been approved by the Harvard Corporation and will take effect on September 1, 2023. I encourage everyone in our community to become familiar with these policies, available on the Provost’s Office website, and to watch for further information on how the policies will be implemented in your School or in Central Administration.
 
I want to thank everyone who engaged in this process for their commitment to ending misconduct and advancing this important work. Many dedicated staff, students, faculty, and other academic personnel devoted substantial time to these efforts, whether through serving on the initial Working Groups and Steering Committee or providing thoughtful input by email, in individual conversations, or in outreach meetings. An archive of past statements, committee members, reports, and drafts is available on the Community Misconduct Policies website.
 
In the months ahead, Sherri Charleston, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, will lead a working group of community members from multiple Schools, as well as Central Administration, to lay out the steps necessary to implement these policies and procedures. Sherri will provide information on the implementation process before the start of the Fall 2023 academic term. Meanwhile, I encourage you to read today’s Gazette Q&A with Sherri and Deputy Provost Peggy Newell, in which they discuss the policies and their implementation over the coming months.  
 
As I’ve said before, one of Harvard’s priorities is to provide an environment where each of us can feel that we are truly welcome to participate in the full range of University life. We know that policies and procedures alone cannot cultivate the kind of culture and community we aspire to. They play an important role by setting basic standards. But we can and must do more, treating each other with respect and dignity and fostering an environment at Harvard where everyone can thrive and do their best work.

Sincerely,

Alan M. Garber 
Provost
Harvard University


*Note: In view of new regulations forthcoming from the Department of Education, we anticipate further changes to the Title IX Sexual Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct policies that were also amended as part of this process. In order to avoid confusion, we will release these policies at a later date.