Addressing Student Problems

The Administrative Boards

The Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct houses both the Administrative Board and the Honor Council and is responsible for dealing with concerns pertaining to undergraduates at the College.

The Administrative Board of Harvard College has the responsibility for reviewing all unsatisfactory undergraduate records and disciplinary cases involving social misconduct for possible action. The Board also votes on all student petitions for makeup examinations as well as exceptions to the academic rules described in the Harvard College Handbook for Students. The Board is composed of the Dean of Harvard College and several administrative and teaching members of the faculty. For additional information, see both the Handbook for Students and the Administrative Board website.

The Honor Council handles matters dealing with academic integrity and violations of the College’s Honor Code. The Council is composed of faculty, students, and staff and chaired by the Dean of Harvard College. For additional information, see both the Handbook for Students and the Honor Council website. 

The Administrative Board of the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences reviews and rules on all matters of discipline and unsatisfactory student performance as well as exceptions to the rules contained in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Handbook. For a list of members of this board, see the Administrative Board page on the Harvard Griffin GSAS website. 

The Allston Burr Resident Deans, Resident Deans of First-Year Students and the Dudley Community Resident Dean

Resident Deans

The Resident Deans are the academic deans for Harvard undergraduates. Their full titles are slightly different depending on the College student population they oversee. Resident Deans are directly responsible for the academic and personal welfare of undergraduates. There are twelve Allston Burr Resident Deans, one in each of the Houses. There are four Resident Deans of First-Year Students, one for each first-year Yard. The Dudley Community Resident Dean has responsibility for students who live in the Co-op, a large percentage of the students who resided off-campus, and for visiting undergraduates (VUS).  
 
Whenever instructors have a concern about an undergraduate, they are urged to contact the appropriate Resident Dean. Students’ Yard or House affiliations are indicated on course lists. The Mid-Term Progress Report tool, accessible in the course roster on my.harvard, is one way to communicate with a Resident Dean about a student in your course, but you can also email or call the Resident Deans directly. For a full list of Resident Deans and their contact information, please visit the Dean of Students Office page.

Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Office of Student Affairs

Instructors with concerns regarding graduate students’ academic or personal welfare should contact the Office of Student Affairs in The Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center, Room 350 (617-495-1814). This office is directed by the Dean of Students, who has general responsibility for the welfare of graduate students and monitors students’ academic status. The Dean represents students in disciplinary cases before the Administrative Board of the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Neglect of Academic Work

Neglect of Academic Work by Students: Exclusion

A student who is neglecting course work should be warned in writing that they risk exclusion from the course and that exclusion is equivalent to a failing grade. A copy of the instructor’s warning must be sent to the Secretary of the Administrative Board of Harvard College and the student's Resident Dean in the case of an undergraduate and to the Dean of Students in the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in the case of a graduate student. If the student continues to neglect academic work after receiving this written warning, the instructor should then send a second letter requesting exclusion to the Secretary or Dean of Students as appropriate, who will forward it to the Administrative Board for action. Upon the Board’s approval of the exclusion petition, the student is denied any right to further course evaluation, including final and makeup examinations.

It is to the advantage of both the student and faculty member to address early a case of gross neglect of course work. An undergraduate has the option of withdrawing from the course before the eleventh Monday of the term. Beyond that date there remain only a few weeks for the instructor to pursue the process of warning and exclusion or, conversely, for the student to recover much lost ground.

Faculty policy gives the Administrative Boards no choice but to grant a makeup exam to any student who remains in a course until the end of the term and presents a medical excuse, signed by an appropriate Harvard University Health Service (HUHS) staff member, for missing the final examination. This policy applies even when circumstances clearly indicate the student’s gross neglect of academic work during the term.

Reports of Unsatisfactory Records

Reports of Undergraduates with Unsatisfactory Records

Instructors teaching an undergraduate course are asked to report students making unsatisfactory progress to the Allston Burr Resident Deans/Resident Deans of First-Year Students by using the “Mid-term Reports” tool. (Unsatisfactory grades are: D, E, EXLD, FL, UNS, ABS. See The Grading System.) This process can also be used to communicate special concerns about a student to the Resident Dean even if satisfactory progress is being made. Instructors may submit progress reports from approximately the third week of the semester until final grading opens. Please follow this knowledge article for instructions on how to report unsatisfactory progress: Mid-Term Reporting in my.harvard.

These progress reports go to the Assistant/Resident Deans and are used only for advising and counseling purposes. They are extremely important for identifying students who may be facing any of a wide range of difficulties. Instructors are also asked to cooperate with the Resident Deans of First-Year Students and the Allston Burr Resident Deans regarding inquiries that they may make about the status of individual students. However, please note that instructors should also be in direct contact with any student making unsatisfactory progress.

March grades in full year courses extending from September to May should reflect the student’s current standing for the spring term. At the same time, instructors should report students whose cumulative grade for the entire year is unsatisfactory.

Dishonesty in Course or Academic Work

Students Charged with Dishonesty in Course or Academic Work

Although instructors have the responsibility for evaluating students’ academic performance, the Faculty has granted jurisdiction over matters of student dishonesty to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Administrative Board and the College's Honor Council. Therefore, any instance of possible student dishonesty in course work should be reported at once.

If an undergraduate is involved, the incident should be reported to the Dean of Harvard College (through the Secretary of the Honor Council of Harvard College). After a preliminary investigation, the faculty member, in consultation with the Secretary of the Council and the Department Chair or his/her designee(s), can determine whether a “local sanction” is appropriate; if so, the Secretary of the Council will be available to provide advice to the faculty member as to how similar offenses have been treated in the past. Any local sanction imposed by the faculty member will be reported to the Council by the Secretary. In all instances in which it is determined that a local sanction is not appropriate the case will be referred to the Council.

If a graduate student is involved, the incident should be reported to the Dean of Students of the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. After a preliminary investigation, the faculty member, in consultation with the Dean and the Department Chair or his/her designee(s), can determine whether a “local sanction” is appropriate; if so, the Dean will be available to provide advice to the faculty member as to how similar offenses have been treated in the past. Any local sanction imposed by the faculty member will be reported to the Administrative Board by the Dean. In all instances in which it is determined that a local sanction is not appropriate the case will be referred to the Board.

Each case involving possible student dishonesty that goes to the Honor Council or Administrative Board will receive a careful hearing. Action taken by either body can range from “scratch” (the Council/Board decides that no disciplinary action is warranted) to requirement to withdraw or even a recommendation to the faculty that the student be dismissed. In cases involving undergraduates who have misused source materials in the preparation of course work, the Honor Council of Harvard College will often recommend and make available appropriate instruction on the proper use of sources and footnotes.

Students have a right to expect that grading will not be used as punishment for alleged academic dishonesty that has not been confirmed by the Honor Council or by the Administrative Board. Students may ask the Council/Board, through their Allston Burr Resident Dean/Resident Dean of First-Year Students in the case of undergraduates, or through the Dean of Students in the case of graduate students, to investigate and resolve informal allegations of academic dishonesty that have not been brought to the attention of the Council/Board.

Students in Distress

Instructors are not responsible for counseling students on personal or emotional difficulties, even when those problems affect academic work. It is the faculty’s responsibility to refer to appropriate resources. Undergraduate students who seem to be unusually upset or who are in need of special help should be referred to their Resident Dean. Instructors are encouraged to call or email Resident Deans to relay their concerns about a particular undergraduate. Other resources may be found in the Harvard College Crimson Folder at https://www.harvard.edu/wellbeing/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2022/09/Harvard-Crimson-Folder-Harvard-College.pdf

 

Concerns about a graduate student should be referred to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Student Services (617-495-5005). The Counseling and Mental Health Services (CAMHS)  (617-495-2042) and the Academic Resource Center (ARC) are also available to help both undergraduate and graduate. 

 

For more guidance on student well-being as well as how to create a mental health-friendly course, please find resources at https://www.harvard.edu/wellbeing/guidance-for-faculty-staff/

Administrative Sports Liaisons

Athletics and Administrative Sports Liaisons

The Harvard College Dean’s Office, Administrative Board, and Department of Athletics collaborated to develop a policy that limits the number of class days and weekend days that may be missed per semester on account of athletic competition. Controls and approval processes are in place to ensure that communication between an athlete and his or her Resident/Allston Burr Assistant Dean occurs prior to travel from campus. Athletes are ultimately responsible for resolving academic/athletic scheduling conflicts directly with academic faculty and staff. Sports Supervisors, designated by the Athletics Director and assigned to each team, are available to assist athletes with the compliance of these policies and procedures. Questions regarding these policies should be directed to Nathan Fry, Deputy Director of Athletics (617-495-4992), nfry@fas.harvard.edu.