The current Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Academic Calendars are located at https://registrar.fas.harvard.edu/academic-calendar.

July 1, Saturday

• Applications for non-resident status for the fall term or full academic year for graduate students due.
• Applications for part-time graduate study due in the Harvard Griffin GSAS Dean’s Office.

August 1, Tuesday

• Graduation applications for November 2023 degrees (A.M., S.M., M.E., MFS, and Ph.D.) must be submitted on or before this date.
• Undergraduate applications for November 2023 degrees (A.B. and S.B.) must be submitted on or before this date.
• Last day that November 2023 graduate degree candidates may submit a completed and signed application for a secondary field.

August 9, Wednesday

• Fall online Check-In opens for students.
• FAS Course Registration (Crimson Cart) opens for graduate students - Add courses to the Crimson Cart.

August 18, Friday

• FAS Course Registration (Crimson Cart) opens for undergraduate students - Add courses to the Crimson Cart.

August 21, Monday

• Fall Online Check-In must be completed for undergraduate and graduate students. 
• FAS Course Registration opens for graduate and undergraduate students to allow enrolling in courses.

August 22, Tuesday through August 24, Thursday

• Derek Bok Center Fall Teaching Conference

TBD

• New Faculty Institute (for ladder faculty).

August 28,  Monday 

• Navigating Harvard (for non-ladder faculty).

August 29, Tuesday and August 30, Wednesday

• Make up exams held for Spring 2023 courses.

August 31, Thursday

• Course Registration Deadline. Fall term course registrations are due for all students by 11:59 PM. Students must submit minimum course load - typically 16 credits - on my.harvard by 11:59 PM.

 September 4, Monday

• University Holiday: Labor Day.

September 5, Tuesday

• Academic year begins; first day of classes. (When classes begin on Wednesday, they begin on a Monday schedule.)

September 6, Wednesday 

• Approved graduate dissertations due for November 2023 degree candidates who wish to have fall tuition and Student Health Insurance Plan removed from their student account.

September 7, Thursday

• Approved graduate dissertations due for November 2023 degree candidates who wish to retain health coverage for the fall 2023 term (through January 31, 2024) and who would like to be charged accordingly.

September 12, Tuesday

• After this date students must obtain permission from all instructors to enroll in courses.

September 26, Tuesday (3rd Monday - moved to Tuesday due to holiday)

• Last day that undergraduates and graduate students may drop or add any course without a fee.

October 3, Tuesday

• Faculty meeting at 3:00 PM.

October 9, Monday

• University Holiday: Columbus Day (Federal) / Indigenous Peoples' Day (City of Cambridge).

October 10, Tuesday (5th Monday - moved to Tuesday due to holiday)

• Last day that undergraduates may drop or add any course or change the grade status of a letter-graded or Pass/Fail course.
• Last day students from other schools may file cross-registration petitions for fall term with the FAS Registrar's Office. Note some schools have earlier deadlines.

October 23, Monday (7th Monday)

• Last day that graduate students may add (or enroll in) fall term courses. To add a course after this date an approved Petition to Add must be submitted to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Student Affairs.
• Last day that graduate students may add or change SAT/UNS grading option for designated language courses.

October 25, Wednesday

• Declarations of Concentration due for third-semester undergraduate students.
• FAS Spring 2024 Course Registration (Crimson Cart) opens  - to allow searching for courses.

November 1, Wednesday

• Course registration for Spring 2024  begins.

November 6, Monday (9th Monday)

• Last day that graduate students may drop a fall course. To withdraw from a fall course after this date an approved Petition to Withdraw must be submitted to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Student Affairs and a notation of WD will be recorded if petition is approved.

November 7, Tuesday

• Faculty meeting at 3:00 PM.

November 10, Friday (observed)

• University (Administrative) Holiday: Veterans' Day. FAS classes will be held as scheduled.

November 14, Tuesday

• Conferral date for November 2023 degrees.

November 15, Tuesday

• Course Registration Deadline. Spring 2024 term course registrations are due for all students by 11:59 PM. Students must submit minimum course load - typically 16 credits - on my.harvard by 11:59 PM.

November 20, Monday (11th Monday)

• Last day that undergraduates may petition to withdraw from a fall term course.

November 22, Wednesday through November 26, Sunday

• Thanksgiving Recess.

December 1, Friday

• Undergraduate applications for March 2024 degrees (A.B. and S.B.) must be submitted on or before this date.
• Last day for Undergraduates to change concentration for March 2024 degree candidates without Administrative Board approval.
• Last day that March 2024 undergraduate degree candidates (A.B. and S.B.) may file for a foreign language citation study plan or petition for a secondary field.
• Graduate student applications for March 2024 degrees (A.M., S.M., M.E., MFS, and Ph.D.) must be submitted on or before this date.
• Graduate student applications for Secondary Field due for March 2024 degree candidates.
• Graduate student applications for part-time study for Spring 2024 due.

December 5, Tuesday

• Last day of fall term classes.
• Faculty meeting at 3:00 PM.

December 6, Wednesday, through December 10, Sunday.

• Reading Period.

December 10, Sunday

• Last day in the fall term upon which graduate students may petition for late withdrawal from a course.

December 11, Monday, through December 20, Wednesday

• Final Examination Period. (Does not include Sunday)
  See the Registrar's Office website for exam times and locations for fall term courses.

December 20, Wednesday

• Last day that graduate students may submit work for incomplete grades from the spring 2023 term.

December 21, 2022, Thursday through January 2, 2024, Tuesday

• Harvard Griffin GSAS Winter Recess. (Most University offices are closed during recess.)

December 21, 2022, Thursday through January 21, 2024, Sunday

• College Winter Recess.  

January 8, Monday through January 19, Friday

• January@GSAS

January 15, Monday

• University Holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  

January 17, Wednesday and January 18, Thursday  

• Make up exams held for Fall 2023 courses.

The current Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Academic Calendars are located at https://registrar.fas.harvard.edu/academic-calendar.

October 16, 2023, Monday

• Spring 2024 FAS Course Registration (Crimson Cart) opens for all students - add courses to the Crimson Cart.

November 1, 2023, Wednesday

• Spring 2024 FAS Course Registration begins.

November 15, 2023, Wednesday

• Spring 2024 Course Registration Deadline - Spring term course registrations are due for all students by 11:59 PM. Students must submit minimum course load - typically 16 credits - on my.harvard by 11:59 PM.

January 5, 2024, Monday

• Spring term Online Check-In opens for students.

January 15, Monday

• University Holiday: Martin Luther King Day.

January 23, Tuesday

• Approved graduate student dissertations due for March 2024 degree candidates.

January  TBD

• See Bok Center Winter Teaching Week to check for updates.

January 17, Wednesday and January 18, Thursday

• Make-up examinations for Fall 2023 term are held.

January 22, Monday

• Online Check-In must be completed. Students who fail to Check-In online will be charged a late Check-In fee.
• Spring term begins.

January 23, Tuesday

• Deadline for electronic submission of approved Dissertations for March degree candidates. 

January 29, Monday

• After this date students must obtain permission from all instructors to enroll in spring courses. 

February 5, Monday (3rd Monday)

• Last day that students may drop or add any course without a fee.

February 6, Tuesday

• Faculty meeting at 3:00 PM.

February 19, Monday

• University Holiday: Presidents’ Day. No classes held.

February 20, Tuesday, moved due to holiday (Fifth Monday)

• Last day that undergraduates may drop or add a spring course or change the grade status of a letter-graded or Pass/Fail course.
• Last day students from other schools may file cross-registration petitions for spring term with the FAS Registrar's Office. Note some schools have earlier deadlines.

March 4, Monday (7th Monday)

• Last day that graduate students may add (or enroll in) spring term courses. To add a course after this date an approved Petition to Add must be submitted.
• Last day that graduate students may add or change SAT/UNS grading option for designated language courses.

March 5, Tuesday

• Faculty meeting at 3:00 PM.
• Conferral date for March 2023 degrees.

March 9, Saturday through March 17, Sunday 

• Spring Recess.

March 18, Monday (9th Monday)

• Last day that graduate students may drop a spring course. To withdraw from a spring course after this date an approved Petition to Withdraw must be submitted and a notation of WD will be recorded.

March 27, Wednesday

• Continuing students: FAS Crimson Cart opens for Fall 2024 term.
• Declaration of Concentration due for third semester undergraduates.

April 1, Monday (11th Monday)

• Undergraduate (A.B. and S.B.) and graduate (A.M., S.M., M.E., MFS, and Ph.D.) student applications for May 2024 degrees must be submitted on or before this date.
• Last day to change concentration for May and November 2024 degree candidates without Administrative Board approval.
• Last day that May and November 2024 undergraduate degree candidates (A.B. and S.B.) may file a foreign language citation study plan or petition for a secondary field.
• Graduate student application for secondary field due for May 2024 degree candidates.
• Last day upon which undergraduates may petition to withdraw from a spring term or year-long course.

April 2, Tuesday

• Faculty meeting at 3:00 PM.

April 3, Wednesday

• Continuing students: Course Registration for Fall 2024 begins. Incoming students will register in August for the fall term.

 April 17, Wednesday

• Continuing students: Course Registration deadline for Fall 2024. Incoming students will register in August for the fall term.

April 24, Wednesday

• Last day of spring term classes.

April 25, Thursday, through May 1, Wednesday

• Reading Period.

May 1, Wednesday

• Last day in the spring term that graduate students may submit approved petition to withdraw from a spring course and a notation of WD will be recorded.

May 2, Thursday, through May 11, Saturday (Sunday not included)

• Final Examination Period.
  See the Registrar's Office website for exam times and locations for spring term courses.

May 7, Tuesday

• Faculty meeting at 3:00 PM.

May 9, Thursday

• Approved graduate dissertations due for May 2024 degree candidates.

May 11, Saturday

• Last day that graduate students may submit work for incomplete grades from the fall 2023 term.

May 20, Monday

• Degree Meeting; Faculty vote May 2024 degrees at 4:30 PM.

May 23, Thursday

• Harvard University Commencement.

May 27, Monday

• University Holiday: Memorial Day.

Note: The Harvard University Coordinated Academic Calendar became effective with the 2009-2010 academic year. Special attention should be paid to deadlines as many will vary from prior years.
 

Instructors' Presence During the Academic Year

Faculty members are expected to be "in residence" and available to colleagues and students during term time (including the Reading Periods and Examination Periods). However, short absences for unforeseen personal business or professional development during term time are possible. Faculty are expected to fulfill their assigned teaching obligations and should only use substitute instructors (including teaching fellows) in exceptional cases.

Faculty members wishing to be absent during term time (including Reading Periods and Examination Periods) for a period of more than one week, or for a period of one week or less where the absence will require some reduction or change in scheduled instruction, should first consult with the Chair of their department. When requesting such leaves, it is incumbent on faculty members to consider their academic responsibilities and to ensure that they continue to be met. Before authorizing the absence, the Chair should be satisfied that the reason for absence, whether personal or professional is sufficiently compelling and that all teaching and other departmental responsibilities are appropriately covered. If the absence is for one week or less, no further approval is required. If a period longer than one week is necessary, the faculty member submits to the Assistant Dean for the division a “Request for Permission to be Absent” form, signed by the Chair (found on the "Leaves" page of the website for FAS faculty and researchers). To request a leave for public service, faculty should follow the procedure outlined in Chapter 3 of the FAS Appointment and Promotion Handbook.

Note: If the faculty member is teaching only in non-departmental programs for the term, the faculty member has the “Request for Permission to be Absent” form signed by the Director of the relevant program before submission to the Assistant Dean for the division.

For more information on leave policies for faculty, please see Chapter 3 of the FAS Appointment and Promotion Handbook.

Responsibility for Instruction

FAS Faculty appointments at the rank of Convertible Instructor, Lecturer, Dependent Lecturer, Preceptor, College Fellow, Benjamin Peirce Fellow, Briggs-Copeland Lecturer, Associate Senior Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Senior Preceptor, full-time or part-time Professor of the Practice, Professor in Residence, Visiting Lecturer, Visiting Professor (assistant professor, associate professor, or professor), or Professor (assistant, associate, or tenured) are teaching appointments. Teaching Fellowships, Teaching Assistantships, and Course Assistantships are not faculty appointments; persons holding these ranks assist in courses or tutorials under the supervision of faculty. Recommendations for faculty teaching appointments may be made only by departments or committees empowered to offer courses for credit.

Responsibility for instruction rests solely with the head of the course. This person’s name appears with the course listing in my.harvard as the instructor of the course.

Faculty appointment ranks listed above can serve as course heads. However, Preceptors do not ordinarily serve as course heads.

Regarding members of other (non-FAS) Harvard Schools, Senior Lecturers, Professors of the Practice, Professors in Residence, assistant professors, associate professors, or tenured professors in another Harvard Faculty may teach in the FAS without an FAS teaching appointment. All other non-FAS faculty may teach in the FAS only if they are appointed to the rank of Lecturer in the FAS under the normal rules governing such appointments.

The term “responsibility for instruction” includes:

• Responsibility for the structure and content of the course, including any regular sections of the course.
• Responsibility for the continuity of course meetings, whether these be lecture or discussion groups.
• Responsibility for the evaluation of student performance in the course, including the performance of students who may have been granted makeup examinations that take place the following term.
• Responsibility for the selection and training of teaching fellows, teaching assistants, and course assistants in accordance with policies established by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and/or the department.

None of the above responsibilities may be delegated to persons not holding faculty appointments.

Responsibility for Evaluation

Responsibility for evaluation rests with the individual listed in my.harvard as the instructor in charge (the course head). For Independent Study, responsibility rests with that individual holding a teaching appointment who has signed the petition permitting the student to enroll. (See Special Types of Courses: Independent Study.)

In some large courses or tutorials, teaching fellows, teaching assistants, or course assistants may have a role in the evaluation of the students in the course, subject to the limitations set by the Faculty Council and the Standing Committee on Undergraduate Educational Policy (the “EPC”) (see below). Nevertheless, the course head is responsible for ensuring that the standards for evaluating student work are equitable across all sections of a course, and the final responsibility for each grade rests with the course head. This includes the evaluation of makeup examinations that are administered during the following term.

The work of graduate students, including those enrolled in courses open to both graduate and undergraduate students (100-level and below), should be evaluated only by individuals holding teaching appointments as defined in the above section. "Work" refers to major examinations and written exercises but not necessarily to problem sets, laboratory work, or similar exercises. In the same light, while undergraduate course assistants may participate in the evaluation of students, they should not be involved in the subjective evaluation of essays and examinations.

Professional Conduct

FAS Professional Conduct Policy for conduct that occurred on or after September 1, 2023
 

Individuals in a position of authority holding academic appointments in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences^{[1]​​​​​​​} (hereinafter referred to as “Faculty” or “Faculty Members”) have an obligation to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in their interactions with all members of the Harvard community, including faculty colleagues, students, persons holding research appointments (e.g., postdoctoral fellows), and staff members. Faculty Members are expected to abide by the FAS Professional Conduct Policy:
1) on-campus at all times, and
2) off-campus when they are representing the University in any professional capacity (e.g., leading a group of researchers in the field; attending an academic conference or University-related or University-funded social or extracurricular activities).

In both circumstances, this policy also applies to Faculty Members’ actions in any electronic or digital medium.

​​​​​​​Any current or former member of the Harvard community may bring concerns about an FAS Faculty Member to the FAS Office for Faculty Affairs (“OFA”). Bringing a concern to the attention of OFA does not automatically launch a formal investigation or mediated resolution. OFA may, in its discretion, deem it appropriate to implement supportive measures (as outlined below), regardless of whether it launches a mediated resolution or formal investigation.

1. Anti-Bullying and Non-Discrimination

Faculty Members are subject to the Harvard University Anti-Bullying and Non-Discrimination Policies and Procedures.^[2]

2. Professional Behavior and Judgement

Faculty must avoid behaviors which display a pattern of extreme negligence or poor professional judgment that endangers the health, safety, or well-being of any person or group, or unreasonably interferes with a person’s or group’s ability to perform University duties or undertake their course of education or training.

3. Appropriate Engagement of Community Members

Faculty members may not use their positions to obtain services for which individuals are not compensated. This includes, but is not limited to, requiring staff under their direction to perform services or duties unrelated to or outside their professional/job responsibilities. In addition, Faculty Members must contact their department/unit administrator before they engage an individual to assist with research or other services related to their role as a Faculty Member to ensure compliance with Harvard policies and labor laws.

4. Confidentiality

Faculty Members must uphold confidentiality in matters pertaining to student and employee files and records, which could reasonably be considered confidential. This could include employment information, employee records, or student application materials.^{​​​​​​​[3]}

5. Non-Retaliation

Faculty Members must abide by Harvard University's Non-Retaliation Policy.

6. Compliance with other policies and laws

1. Members must comply with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and professional standards, including FAS policies and practices; this includes, but is not limited to, policies regarding discrimination, and sexual and gender-based harassment. In addition,
   a) Members should not undertake unauthorized use of University resources or facilities on a significant scale for personal, commercial, political, or religious purposes.
   b) Members should not commit forgery, alteration, misuse of University documents, records, or identification, or knowingly furnishing false information to the University.
   c) Conviction of a felony that is clearly related to performance of University duties is a violation of this policy.

Additional information about the FAS Professional Conduct Policy can be found here:  https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/f-sexual-harassment-and-unprofessional-conduct

FAS Professional Conduct Policy for conduct that occurred prior to September 1, 2023

FAS Faculty members (‘Faculty’ or ‘Faculty Members’) hold positions of authority and trust at FAS. As such, they have an obligation to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in their interactions with all members of the FAS community, including Faculty colleagues, students, persons holding research appointments (e.g., postdoctoral fellows), and staff members. In keeping with this role:

a.  Faculty should treat members of the FAS community with respect and collegiality.
 b.  Faculty members should not use their positions to obtain uncompensated labor from any member of the community under their supervision. This includes, but is not limited to, requiring staff under their direction to perform services or duties unrelated to or outside their professional/job responsibilities.
 c.  Faculty members must uphold confidentiality in matters pertaining to employee files, records, or activities, which could reasonably be considered confidential. This could include employment information or employee records.
 d.  Faculty must comply with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and professional standards including FAS policies and practices; this includes, but is not limited to, policies regarding discrimination and sexual and gender-based harassment.

Non-compliance with these guidelines will be communicated to the Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and could result in varying sanctions.

Student Union Agreement

As noted on page 15 of the  Harvard University’s agreement with the Harvard Graduate Students Union: "Abusive or intimidating behavior (power-based harassment) by individuals who hold supervisory authority over SWs, when such conduct interferes with or limits a person’s ability to participate in, or benefit from their employment at the University is prohibited." In addition, the Academic Retaliation Policy states that "If a student is engaging in conduct protected by the HGSU-UAW bargaining agreement, or if they are participating in any investigation or proceeding arising under the agreement, it is unacceptable and prohibited to use an academic assessment or other academic actions as a means to retaliate against that student’s protected conduct."
 
Faculty Council Discussion Document
The following text was approved by the Faculty Council for distribution to the full Faculty, not as a codification of official institutional policy but as a "discussion document" to be used as a point of reference. An earlier version of this text was discussed at the Faculty Meeting of October 17, 1995.

The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil. −Emerson

The importance of professional conduct within the academic community is self-evident, but what precisely is meant by the phrase is not. For "professional conduct" covers a multitude of situations. No single style or method of teaching guarantees it; a teacher may be appropriately professional whether meeting students at a café or in an office, whether by nature gregarious and sociable, or shy and reserved. Yet there are principles underlying the concept, that allow it to be honored when present and deplored when absent. In a university setting, professional conduct rests upon an enduring respect for fellow human beings and for the vocation of teaching, and a recognition that a teacher’s powers and responsibilities must not be abused. The basic principles may be easier to appreciate abstractly than to apply while teaching.
 
The list that follows is designed to bring these principles into focus as a basis for discussion among and between Faculty, teaching fellows, and other instructional support staff.

Issues for Consideration

Authority
By virtue of their authority within the academic community, teachers have the power to influence thought and behavior, and the concomitant responsibility to recognize the potential weight of their verbal and nonverbal expressions. As leaders in the classroom, teachers have the responsibility not only to impart the excitement of ideas and the challenge of academic debate, but also the importance of courtesy and respect in intellectual dialogue.

Fair Treatment of All Students
Students should be treated even-handedly. Equity is not necessarily achieved, however, by treating all students in precisely the same way. For example, some students respond positively to hearty, well-intoned criticism while others are discouraged by it. Some students welcome public comments about their work, while others are embarrassed by them. Genuinely even-handed treatment of students depends upon making a conscientious attempt to recognize and appreciate such differences. Teachers (and students) should guard particularly against ethnic, religious, sexual, and other discriminatory stereotyping.

Interpersonal Relations
The power teachers exercise over students to penalize or reward in the form of grades and recommendations requires caution in interpersonal interactions, and the need to avoid the kind of familiarity that compromises objective and fair evaluation of a student’s work. Within these limits, however, intellectual mentoring and friendly interaction are important elements of the learning and teaching process. 

Interpersonal Relations – Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy*
As noted in the Interim FAS Policies and Procedures Addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct, “No FAS Faculty member shall request or accept sexual favors from or initiate or engage in a romantic or sexual relationship with, any undergraduate student at Harvard College. Faculty members are defined as ladder, non-ladder, and visiting Faculty. Furthermore, no FAS Faculty member, instructor, teaching assistant, teaching fellow, researcher, tutor, graduate student, or undergraduate course assistant, shall request or accept sexual favors from, or initiate or engage in a romantic or sexual relationship with, any student, including a graduate student or DCE student, who is enrolled in a course taught by that individual or otherwise subject to that individual’s academic supervision before the supervision has concluded and, if applicable, a final grade on the student’s supervised academic performance has been submitted to the Registrar. Academic supervision includes teaching, advising a thesis or dissertation, supervising research, supervising teaching, grading, or serving as Director of Undergraduate or Graduate Studies of the student’s academic program. In addition, no resident tutor or freshman proctor shall request or accept sexual favors from, or initiate or engage in a romantic or sexual relationship with, any undergraduate student at Harvard College.”

* This section regarding interpersonal relations and Title IX, while not part of the original document approved by Faculty Council, is provided here to reflect the FAS’s current policies on sexual and gender-based harassment and other sexual misconduct.

Clear Communication
Because the evaluation of students partly depends on their understanding of the requirements of a course, course heads should be clear in their articulation of expectations, assignments, and the rules of collaboration and citation. Providing written explanations of assignments and requirements reduces the risk of misunderstanding. Students have a right to expect prompt return of papers and exams and a clear justification of evaluation, just as instructors have the right to expect that assignments will be thoughtfully completed on time. 

Classroom Engagement
The classroom is frequently the site of intense intellectual debate—or, alternatively, unbearable silence. Maintaining an environment for a constructive contest between ideas and their supporting evidence is primarily the responsibility of the teacher. Teachers should be aware of any tendency to favor one mode of argument over another, in which only certain students thrive; of the importance of listening attentively and with respect; and of the significance of nonverbal clues (nods, frowns, gestures, etc.). 

Services

Criticism of Work
Comments should be directed at the work, not the person; and they should contribute to the refinement of both thinking and presentation. Peremptory dismissiveness is not appropriate.

Grades
Professors are responsible for the oversight of all grades given by teaching fellows.

Letters of Recommendation
Students depend on instructors for letters of recommendation. Honesty and fairness in responding to requests for recommendations are essential.

Advising
Access to advising should be offered and equally afforded to all.

Confidentiality and Discretion
Teachers are privy to information (and opinions) about students that ought to remain confidential. Exceptions should be made only as necessary, e.g., in Title IX situations or emergencies such as threat of suicide or other harmful behavior, when confidentiality is secondary to a student’s welfare. Beyond such exceptions, talking with colleagues or other students about confidential student information is inappropriate, as is any form of public embarrassment or shaming of a student.

Confidentiality regarding Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy *
As noted in the Interim FAS Policies and Procedures Addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct, “Consistent with University policies, the FAS officers, other than those who are prohibited from making such notifications because of a legal confidentiality obligation, must promptly notify the relevant Title IX Resource Coordinator(s) about possible sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct. This means that if those FAS officers learn about a possible incident of sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct, they need to contact an FAS Title IX Resource Coordinator, who will know what steps, if any, to take next (including which other Title IX Resource Coordinators should be notified). Such FAS officers include (but are not limited to): deans; administrative and professional staff; those responsible for residential life (for example, Faculty Deans, Resident Deans, Resident and Non-Resident Tutors, Resident Advisors and Proctors); coaches and assistant coaches; other personnel who work directly with students, such as those who work with student clubs and organizations, career services, academic support, and others; and Faculty, instructors, teaching assistants, and others who teach students, including graduate student teaching fellows.” 

For more information, please see section IV, “Information Sharing and Confidentiality,” in the Interim FAS Policies and Procedures Addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct.

* This section on confidentiality regarding Title IX, while not part of the original document approved by Faculty Council, is provided here to reflect the FAS’s current policies on sexual and gender-based harassment and other sexual misconduct.

Collegial Conduct
Status differences exist within the teaching staff of every university. Awareness of the relative positions of colleagues in the academic hierarchy may avoid placing them in awkward or compromising situations. The implications of making particular requests of one’s juniors ought to be considered before making them; the right to refuse, for reasonable cause, without consequence, ought to be guaranteed every member of the community. Professional and research opportunities should be awarded with equity and fairness.

In addition to the Faculty Council’s text above, please note:

Interactions with Minors
Members of the Harvard community who interact with minors (i.e., individuals under the age of 18) in any official capacity are expected to foster and maintain an appropriate and secure environment for minors. Please see Harvard University’s Policy for the Safety and Protection of Minors for more information.

Other Sources of Information

• Information for Teaching Fellows (from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences)
• Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning

Please see the section on Sexual Harassment in this chapter for more information on FAS policies and procedures related to sexual harassment and other misconduct.
 

^[1] Tenured Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, full- and part-time Professors of the Practice, Professors in Residence, Senior Lecturers, Senior Preceptors, Benjamin Peirce Fellows, Briggs-Copeland Lecturers, Associate Senior Lecturers, Lecturers, Preceptors, College Fellows, Visiting Faculty, Emeriti Faculty, Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows, Fellows, Post-Doctoral Fellows, Research Associates, Research Fellows, Research Scientists, Senior Research Scientists, Senior Research Fellows and Visiting Scholars.

^[2] For example, no faculty member should suggest that they were the reason that a student was admitted to a program, in such a way that the student feels unduly obligated to that faculty member and/or their academic advancement or education is impeded.

The University has a legal obligation to protect the privacy of students and the confidentiality of student records. No information about a student’s academic performance can be released without the student’s written permission. It is equally important to respect students’ privacy when distributing their grades. Instructors should not leave papers, projects, or examinations in unattended public areas. Similarly, grades should never be posted with the students’ names, and/or Harvard University Identification (HUID) numbers. Such practices are a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Questions about the confidentiality of student records and about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be directed to the Registrar, Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center, 1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 450, Cambridge, Massachusetts. (See Posting of Grades.)

Use of Computing and Network Services 

Faculty members are provided access to University computer systems for academic use. All authorized users assume responsibility for acting to preserve the integrity of these systems and any University data to which they may have access. Information about academic computing and network services offered by Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) is available at huit.harvard.edu/ithelp or by calling 617-495-7777.

Privacy of Information

The unauthorized examination of information stored on a computer system or sent electronically over a network is a breach of academic and community standards. Authorized system support staff, however, may gain access to users’ data or programs when it is necessary to maintain or prevent harm to the University, its computer systems, or the network.

Faculty members have the legal obligation to maintain the privacy of files containing confidential information, including student information such as course grades and letters of recommendation. Helpful information about using confidential information securely may be found at www.security.harvard.edu.

On shared and networked computer systems certain information about users and their activities is visible to others on those systems. Examples of observable information include, but are not limited to, certain accounting and directory information (for example, usernames and email addresses), certain records of file names and executed commands, and information stored in shared or public folders.

For consultation on securing electronic information, please contact HUIT at 617-495-7777.

Harvard University Policy on Access to Electronic Information

Harvard has established a Policy on Access to Electronic Information that sets out guidelines and processes for University access to user electronic information stored in or transmitted through any University system. This policy applies to all Schools and units of the University. 

Students Requiring Disability-Related Accommodations 

Disability Access Office 

Smith Campus Center, Fourth Floor 
617-496-8707 
Fax: 617-496-1098  
Email: dao@fas.harvard.edu 
Website: https://dao.fas.harvard.edu/ 

Harvard University is committed to providing students who have disabilities with equal access to all affiliated programs and activities through inclusive design and the provision of reasonable accommodations.

The Disability Access Office (DAO), which serves Harvard College, Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) as well as the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) students, collaborates with faculty and students to make this possible.

Disability information, including diagnoses and clinical documentation, is protected under FERPA, and it is important that all communication with students regarding accommodations be individualized and only shared with other university officials on a need-to-know basis. 

Ongoing communication and collaboration on the part of Faculty, teaching staff, DAO, administrators, and students themselves is essential. Students should initiate accommodation requests through the AIM portal, which is accessed through a link on the DAO website. Once students are determined eligible for accommodations, they will be guided each semester to select which approved accommodations they need for each class. This will then be communicated through an introductory letter sent by DAO giving an overview of their approved accommodations. Students making such requests without this letter should be referred directly to DAO. Providing accommodations in the course to students who are not registered with DAO can result in inconsistent implementation of university procedures. Members of the faculty best understand the essential components of their courses, and accommodations are not designed to alter or eliminate any essential requirements of a course.

The course head is responsible for implementing all DAO-approved academic accommodations needed for classroom instruction, including midterm or hourly examinations. This may include providing a separate room and additional proctors for extended testing time, breaks, student access to food/drinks, and other specified accommodations. DAO does not have access to a Test Center or proctors for mid-term tests, and DAO staff are not available to proctor tests. Faculty should contact their department administrator or faculty support specialists for assistance with booking rooms. If proctors beyond the available TF/TA corps are required, Faculty may choose to hire other graduate students from their department to assist.

Accommodated exams are expected to occur on the same day as in-class exams. All final examinations for students with DAO-approved exam accommodations are administered during the final exam period by the Exams Office and appropriate accommodations will be made in conjunction with DAO (see entry below).

Course heads should routinely note in the course syllabus and announce at the first class meeting that students approved for accommodations should contact the teaching staff to discuss elements of the course that may be inaccessible and develop a plan together on how their accommodations will be implemented, based on their letter from DAO.

Faculty who utilize universal design in learning for all students know that effective strategies for instruction frequently obviate the need for accommodations. Some suggestions are:

• Provide course materials in accessible formats, including documents/PDFs that are screen-readable. The Assistive Technology Center (ATC) is available to help with preparation of accessible materials if they are provided to them in advance. Increased reliance on and availability of digital text benefits all students. Other formats may include Braille or enlarged print, which the ATC can provide.

• Ensure students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing have available seating space in the front of the room and that the room has appropriate lighting. If movies or slide presentations occur, an alternative lighting source will be required for students who need to see interpreters. Some students may use FM listening devices associated with their hearing aids that require teaching staff to use a wireless (non-amplifying) microphone. If microphones are available in the classroom, they should always be used. Faculty should make advance arrangements to provide open-captioned films and audio material and can receive assistance with captioning by contacting the DAO.

• Ensure that lectures, sections, review sessions, etc. are held in physically accessible spaces when required. The Registrar's Office, Classrooms Office (617-495-1541) can assist when relocation of a course is necessary.

When students make course changes after the registration deadline and before the fifth Monday of the term, it is understood that delays in the preparation of reformatted materials may result, affecting both students and instructional staff.

Assistive Technology Center

Harvard University Science Center B06  
617-496-8800  
Email: atc@fas.harvard.edu 
Website: atc.fas.harvard.edu

The Assistive Technology Center (ATC) serves all students registered with DAO and Local Disability Coordinators throughout the University and who depend on print alternatives to access course materials. The ATC provides support through technology, which can include electronic version of course materials, and access to course content in the classroom. 

Faculty members who require assistance producing handouts, lecture notes, exams, or other course materials converted into digital text, Braille, or enlarged text, can contact the ATC for assistance. It is at Faculty’s discretion to allow students who require the use of a laptop as an exam accommodation to bring their own. A course staff member may also email the ATC  in advance to arrange for an equipment loan if personal devices are not permitted. Arrangements for reformatted material or the loan of equipment should be made least 5 business days in advance.  

Final Examinations for Students with DAO-Approved Exam Accommodations

All seated final examinations for students with Disability Access Office (DAO)-approved exam accommodations are administered during the Examination Period by the FAS Registrar's Office, and appropriate accommodations will be made in conjunction with DAO. For questions concerning the administration of final exams (e.g., the date, time, or location of exams) contact the FAS Registrar's Office, exams@fas.harvard.edu or 617-495-1542. For questions concerning accommodations, contact the DAO, dao@fas.harvard.edu or 617-496-8707.

Sexual Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) is committed to fostering an open and supportive community that promotes learning, teaching, research, and discovery. This commitment includes maintaining a safe and healthy educational and work environment in which no member of the community is, on the basis of sex, including sexual orientation or gender identity, excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination in any University program or activity. Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination in that it denies an individual equal access to the University’s programs or activities.

The Harvard University Interim Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy was developed in response to the changes issued by the U.S. Department of Education in May 2020, and conduct that falls outside of the jurisdiction of that policy is addressed in the Harvard University Interim Other Sexual Misconduct Policy.

According to the University Interim Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy, sexual harassment is defined in the following way: “Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances; requests for sexual favors; and other verbal, nonverbal, graphic, or physical conduct of a sexual nature or based on sexual orientation or gender identity, that satisfies one or more of the following: (1) an employee of the University either explicitly or implicitly conditioning the provision of an aid, benefit, or services of the University, such as an individual’s employment or academic standing (for example, academic evaluation, grades, or advancement) on an individual’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct (quid pro quo); quid pro quo sexual harassment can occur whether a person resists and suffers the threatened harm, or the person submits and avoids the threatened harm. Both situations could constitute discrimination on the basis of sex; or (2) unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the University’s education or work programs or activities; or (3) sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking.”

The University Interim Other Sexual Misconduct Policy defines “other sexual misconduct” in the following way: "Other sexual misconduct is unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity. Other sexual misconduct includes unwelcome sexual advances; requests for sexual favors; and other verbal, nonverbal, graphic, or physical conduct of a sexual nature or based on sexual orientation or gender identity, that satisfies one or more of the following: (1) an employee of the University either explicitly or implicitly conditioning the provision of an aid, benefit, or services of the University, such as an individual’s employment or academic standing (for example, academic evaluation, grades, or advancement) on an individual’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct (quid pro quo), which may occur whether a person resists and suffers the threatened harm or the person submits and avoids the threatened harm; or (2) unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it effectively denies a person access to the University’s education or work programs or activities (hostile environment)."

While the FAS adheres to the University policies, the Interim FAS Policies and Procedures Addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct elaborates on and supplements the University policies.

The FAS Interim Policies prohibit sexual relations with students in the following way: “No FAS Faculty member shall request or accept sexual favors from, or initiate or engage in a romantic or sexual relationship with, any undergraduate student at Harvard College. Faculty members are defined as ladder, non-ladder, and visiting faculty. Furthermore, no FAS Faculty member, instructor, teaching assistant, teaching fellow, researcher, tutor, proctor, graduate student, or undergraduate course assistant, shall request or accept sexual favors from, or initiate or engage in a romantic or sexual relationship with, any student, including a graduate student or DCE student, who is enrolled in a course taught by that individual or otherwise subject to that individual’s academic supervision before the supervision has concluded and, if applicable, a final grade on the student’s supervised academic performance has been submitted to the Registrar. Academic supervision includes teaching, advising a thesis or dissertation, supervising research, supervising teaching, grading, or serving as Director of Undergraduate or Graduate Studies of the student’s academic program. In addition, no resident tutor or freshman proctor shall request or accept sexual favors from, or initiate or engage in a romantic or sexual relationship with, any undergraduate student at Harvard College.”

The FAS Interim Policies contain the following provision regarding information sharing and confidentiality: “Consistent with University policies, the FAS officers, other than those who are prohibited from making such notifications because of a legal confidentiality obligation, must promptly notify the relevant Title IX Resource Coordinator(s) about possible sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct. This means that if those FAS officers learn about a possible incident of sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct, they need to contact an FAS Title IX Resource Coordinator, who will know what steps, if any, to take next (including which other Title IX Resource Coordinators should be notified). Such FAS officers include (but are not limited to): deans; administrative and professional staff; those responsible for residential life (for example, Faculty Deans, Resident Deans, Resident and Non-Resident Tutors, Resident Advisors, and Proctors); coaches and assistant coaches; other personnel who work directly with students, such as those who work with student clubs and organizations, career services, academic support, and others; and faculty, instructors, teaching assistants, and others who teach students, including graduate student teaching fellows.”

Title IX Resource Coordinator contact information is available here.

The Commission of Inquiry serves as a clearing house for inquiries or complaints brought to it by members of the Faculty or of the student bodies of Harvard College or the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. It consists of three faculty members and two students. Complaints or inquiries should be addressed to the Commission of Inquiry c/o the Secretary of the Faculty at secfas@fas.harvard.edu. The Commission will then direct the complaint or query to the appropriate agency of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. If such an agency does not exist, the Commission will attempt to aid in resolving the matter. The Commission is sometimes instrumental in establishing a new agency for handling recurrent issues. Although the Commission has no power to make rulings, it can play an advocacy role in pressing for the resolution of issues.

Harvard University policy and federal regulations require that all research involving human subjects that meets the federal regulatory definition of human subject's research be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) before the research begins. This requirement applies to all human subjects research meeting the federal definition conducted by faculty, staff, and students, on and off campus, regardless of funding. The IRB for Harvard University Area (HUA) researchers is the HUA IRB also known as the Committee on the Use of Human Subjects (CUHS).

The purpose of the IRB is to weigh risks and benefits of participation in research and to protect the rights and welfare of the research participants. The guiding ethical principles of the IRB,­ respect for persons, beneficence, and justice ­ are embodied in the "Belmont Report: Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research."

Applications to the IRB must be submitted through the Electronic Submission, Tracking and Reporting system (ESTR). Please consult the HUA CUHS website or contact the HUA IRB office at 617-496-2847 or cuhs@harvard.edu to find out more information about:

• The types of research that require IRB review.
• The process for submitting applications.
• The training required for investigators and their Faculty Sponsors.
• Appropriate forms, templates, and guidance documents.
• The special process and training program for undergraduate research, the Undergraduate Research Training Program.

Harvard University Area IRB 
Email: cuhs@harvard.edu
Phone: 617-496-2847

HUA IRB Staff Contact Information

IACUC Website; HarvardKey access with permission; email IACUC@fas.harvard.edu for access.
Office of the Vice Provost for Research

The use of live animals in research and teaching is a societal and individual privilege that is taken seriously at Harvard and is a highly regulated activity. University policies and government regulations require advance review and approval of all vertebrate animal and cephalopod research prior to its commencement. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ federally mandated Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is responsible for reviewing and approving proposed studies.

All individuals planning to use vertebrate animals or cephalopods in research and/or teaching must establish, or be listed on, an IACUC-approved protocol, participate in the institution’s occupational health program, be appropriately trained to perform procedures, attend facility orientation as required, and complete assigned Harvard Training Portal modules that acquaint the participants with Harvard policies as well as federal, state, and City of Cambridge regulations regarding the use of animals. These processes may be started or verified by contacting IACUC Administration at IACUC@fas.harvard.edu.

The Office of Animal Resources (OAR) is the unit responsible for the housing, daily care and health of vertebrate animals used on campus in the FAS. All mammals and other select vertebrates housed in OAR-managed facilities must be ordered through the OAR’s Animal Ordering system; questions regarding animal orders may be sent to animalorders@fas.harvard.edu.

Any concerns or questions about the care and use of laboratory animals should be directed promptly to any of the following contacts listed below. In accordance with the University’s Whistleblower Policy, the University will protect from retaliation members of the Harvard community who make good faith reports of suspected violations of law or University policy. The University’s Compliance Hotline is a resource for members of the Harvard community who are uncomfortable reporting through the recommended contacts and prefer to anonymously report any suspected violations of law or Harvard policy. 

• Craig P. Hunter, PhD, IACUC Chair, HU/FAS Standing Committee on the Use of Animals in Research and Teaching: 617-495-8309 or cphunter@fas.harvard.edu.
• Scott A. Jordan, Dean of Administration and Finance for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Institutional Official of the Animal Care and Use program: 617-496-8729, sjordan@fas.harvard.edu.
• Kathleen R. Pritchett-Corning, DVM, Attending Veterinarian and Director of the Office of Animal Resources: 617-384-6642, pritchettcorning@fas.harvard.edu.
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee administrative office: iacuc@fas.harvard.edu.
• Compliance Hotline:  https://www.integrity-helpline.com/HarvardUniversity.jsp or 877-694-2275.

FAS Schedule
The instructional day is organized around designated class start times and fixed pass times. All classes (including labs, discussions, etc.) must adhere to the designated class start times.

Cambridge Campus
Classes requiring up to 75 minutes in any single meeting shall begin from a specified subset of the designated class start times: 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM**, 4:30 PM, 6:00 PM, and 7:30 PM.  

• Except for  designated intensive language courses, no regular instruction may take place during Reading Period. Sections and review sessions may take place during Reading Period as may class sessions that must be made up due to weather or other emergencies.
• Courses may not assign new material during Reading Period.
• Courses may not host field trips or excursions during Reading Period.
• All seated final examinations, of whatever duration (up to three hours) or scope, must take place during the course's Exam/Final Deadline Group, as assigned by the Registrar's Office.
• Final papers, take-home exams, projects, presentations, and other culminating course assignments due after the end of regular classes must be due on or before the day of the course’s assigned Exam/Final Deadline Group, but no earlier than the fourth day of Reading Period. Final projects that include individual or group presentations may be scheduled beginning on the fourth day of Reading Period and may extend through the Final Examination Period.*
• Short regular assignments that address material covered in the last two weeks of classes (such as problem sets or response papers) may be due during the first three days of Reading Period.

Regardless of whether a class meets during Reading Period, that time is an integral part of the term. Students are expected to remain in the immediate vicinity of Cambridge throughout this period.

* Each course will be assigned an Exam/Final Deadline Group to spread out student deadlines and to establish grading due dates. While instructors may establish earlier deadlines per faculty legislation, the spirit of this policy is to spread students’ final assignment deadlines across the entire exam period to avoid having all assignments due at the same time. If an instructor decides to use an earlier deadline it is very important that students are well informed about this change from the posted deadline.

Examination Period
Courses that culminate in a final examination of any duration (up to three hours) must hold their exams during the designated Final Examination Period and during the Exam/Final Deadline Group assigned by the FAS Registrar's Office. There are two exam sessions each day: morning exams begin at 9:00 AM and afternoon exams begin at 2:00 PM.

Office of the FAS Registrar
Academic Planning: Classrooms Office
Richard A. & Susan F. Smith Campus Center
1350 Massachusetts Ave., Suite 450 
Cambridge, MA 02138
classrooms@fas.harvard.edu
617-495-1541 
registrar.fas.harvard.edu

Classroom assignments for courses are coordinated between academic departments and scheduling offices.

Instructors should immediately contact their department if the meeting time changes from the published course listing in my.harvard or when a change in location occurs after the initial classroom assignment has been determined.

Course meeting times and locations are published in my.harvard, and on course Canvas websites.

To request audio-visual equipment or classroom service help, instructors should contact Educational Support Services at ess@fas.harvard.edu.

After-hour emergencies and problems with the temperature or ventilation of classrooms should be referred to the University Operations Center (617-495-5560). Classroom maintenance or repair requests should be directed to your Department Administrator, to Harvard Yard Operations (617-495-8842), or to the appropriate Building Manager.

Course Classroom Assignments

The FAS Classrooms Office schedules about one-third of the classrooms in the FAS room inventory. The remaining classrooms are scheduled by individual departments, centers, and houses.

Initial classroom assignments by the FAS Classrooms Office are made after considering a number of factors including instructional requirements, enrollment information, accessibility, special circumstances, and room availability at the time of assignment. Faculty members requesting classroom space scheduled by the FAS Classrooms Office should communicate their classroom needs for their courses and course-related events to the appropriate Department staff member, who will compile and submit room requests to the FAS Classrooms Office in July (for the fall term) and October (for the spring term). Department Administrators and/or Course Coordinators should enter classroom preferences in EMS (the software used to maintain room scheduling in FAS) by the necessary deadlines. The Classrooms Office will evaluate preferences and supply tentative assignments to each department.  Once the department has reviewed the assignments, classroom assignments will be sent to instructors.

Assigned classrooms for courses and section meetings are reserved from the first day of the term through the last day of the term. Courses and section meetings will NOT be scheduled through the Reading Period, unless requested by teaching staff via FAS RoomBook. During the Examination Period, all classrooms are reserved for Final Exams. Classrooms are not reserved during University holidays and recesses.

Classroom Reassignment

The FAS Classrooms Office typically does not reassign classrooms until after the start of the term, when initial enrollment figures are more accurate. However, if there seems to be an urgent need to change room assignments, contact the FAS Classrooms Office immediately (classrooms@fas.harvard.edu). As a reminder, room assignments are subject to change due to enrollment numbers or other pedagogical needs.

Discussion Sections

Fall 2023: Instructors should direct their Head Teaching Fellows to the FAS Registrar’s website to review procedures for requesting section space. Classrooms for discussion sections are reserved on a first come, first served basis and are requested via FAS RoomBook.

During prior term registration departments can submit room preferences for discussion section/s to the Registrar ahead of the start of term, in addition to the room preference for the lecture. Students enrolled in the placeholder section must be moved into timed, capped sections in my.harvard by the Classroom Preferences deadline ahead of the term to be assigned rooms.

Reading Period

If instructors would like to hold class during the Reading Period, they must reserve a classroom via FAS RoomBook as their course will not be scheduled after the last day of classes for that term. 

Examination Period

During the Final Examination Period, all classrooms are reserved for the FAS Exams Office. After the final examination schedule is set, limited classroom space may become available for review sessions.

Non-Course Events

The FAS Classrooms Office does not book rooms within its purview for non-course events until official course meeting locations have been finalized, usually within two weeks of the start of term.

The following documents and links are posted to the FAS Registrar's Office website:

• Educational Support Services' Room Information Database

• Guidelines for Requesting Discussion Section Space

Faculty should post a complete course syllabus to the course website before the start of the semester so that students can make efficient use of the course selection period during the first days of the term with minimal disruption to classes. For help posting your syllabus on your course Canvas site, visit atg.fas.harvard.edu/canvas syllabus.

The syllabus should include a listing of course readings and materials. To control the escalating cost of reproducing coursepacks and sourcebooks, instructors are encouraged to determine whether the course readings they assign are available electronically from the Harvard libraries, and if they are, to link to them from course websites. For information on how to include links from your syllabus/course web page directly to readings available in electronic format, contact your department's Library Liaison or refer to the Get Teaching Support for Your Courses page on the Harvard Libraries website.

In addition to a description of the course and its pedagogical goals, the syllabus should include contact information and office hours for teaching staff, a reading list, dates of hour/midterm exams, due dates for papers or other assignments, plans and expectations for Reading Period, course policy with respect to late work and makeup hour exams, and the basis on which the course grade will be awarded. It should also include a clear statement about plagiarism and collaboration. (See Papers and Other Written Assignments for a description of the policy and for template text for this portion of the syllabus.) 

Beginning with Spring 2024 registration, Faculty must provide basic syllabus information in Canvas ahead of each registration period to help students select their courses. Faculty do not need to provide a full syllabus at the time of Registration, but should provide general information about the course that will help students decide to enroll in the course such as: format, assessment type, grading, absence, and late work policies etc. A full syllabus must be in Canvas by the start of term.

In selecting the dates for midterm examinations, as well as for papers and other assignments, instructors should be aware of the constraints of the Academic Calendar and should consult the information on religious holidays on the Harvard Divinity School's Multifaith Calendar. Instructors noting the possible dates of the course's final examination on the syllabus should also note on the syllabus that these dates are tentative until the final examination schedule is approved. Instructors are reminded of the policy that a three-hour final exam will not be scheduled for the course unless the FAS Registrar's Office is appropriately notified. For further information about final examinations, policy concerning alternative means of end-of-term assessment, and the process by which faculty should notify the Registrar if a three-hour exam is intended, see Final Examinations.

In courses designed for undergraduates, it is helpful and beneficial for students to receive an evaluation on at least one course assignment before the seventh Monday of the term, the last day on which undergraduates may withdraw from a course. In addition, it is important to note any limitations on the credit earned by passing the course -- e.g., a full-year 8-credit course may not be divisible at midyear for 4 credits -- should be made clear as part of the presentation of the course.

No substantial changes in the work load or calendar of a course should be made after the registration deadline each term.

As students enroll in courses, instructors will be able to view their course lists via their web-based portal pages at my.harvard.edu. After entering your HarvardKey on the authentication page, your portal page will appear. Note that enrollment data are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 and are therefore not for distribution. 

The online course lists are continually updated. Only when a student’s name appears on the course list is a student officially enrolled in a course. Instructors should report to the Registrar's Office any student (other than auditors) who attends class, but whose name does not appear on the course list. Instructors should also report any student (except those with the status of “withdrawn”) who has stopped attending class, but whose name appears on the course list. If the student is a Harvard College student, reports should be entered in my.harvard using the Mid-Term Reporting which will become an advising note and distributed to the student's academic advising team. All other students should be directed to the Registrar's Office at 617-495-1543 or email enrollment@fas.harvard.edu.

No course may charge undergraduates special fees for course participation or required activities. Departmental budgets are expected to cover the cost of films, laboratory equipment and other materials. The aim of this policy is to ensure that all courses are equally accessible to students regardless of their financial means.

Course Enrollment

Prior term registration will provide Harvard College and Harvard Griffin GSAS students with an earlier period to register for courses, more flexibility to adjust class schedules, and the ability to set their class schedules ahead of time and therefore be more thoughtful in their planning. Students will have time during the first week of classes to adjust their schedules during the add/drop period. 

Drop, Add, Withdraw

No undergraduate may drop or add a course or change grading status in a course after the fifth Monday of the term. Undergraduates have until the eleventh Monday of the term to withdraw from a course. Exceptions to these rules may be granted only by the Administrative Board. Any course that a student drops by the deadline is removed from the student’s transcript. If a student withdraws from a course, that course remains on the transcript with the notation “WD.” Deadlines for graduate students are indicated in the Academic Calendar. Students officially enroll through my.harvard.

Graduate students have until the seventh Monday to add a course or change grading status (SAT/UNS)  in a designated language course. To add a course after this date, an approved Petition to Add must be submitted to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Student Affairs. Graduate students have until the ninth Monday of the term to drop a course in my.harvard. To withdraw from a course after this date,  an approved Petition to Withdraw must be submitted to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Student Affairs. A notation of “WD” will be recorded on the student’s transcript for the course if the petition is approved. 

Instructor’s Permission and Petitions

Students wishing to enroll in courses that require the permission of the instructor will not be able to do so until the instructor admits them into the course via the permissions tool of my.harvard.  The instructor’s permission must be obtained for all undergraduate enrollments in graduate-level courses and for those that require the permission of the instructor.

Undergraduates adding a course after the Open Add/Drop deadline or changing grading status to Pass/Fail must request permission via my.harvard. Permission is not required for dropping or withdrawing from a course. For graduate students, the instructor’s permission is required for adding or withdrawing from a course and is not required for dropping a course. For instructions on how to respond to petitions in my.harvard, please read this knowledge article: Responding to Petitions in my.harvard.

Instructors may not delegate their responsibility for approving course enrollments, change-of-course petitions, or submitting grades. Instructors are therefore asked to be available to students to discuss their course enrollment status and, when necessary, to grant permissions.

Limiting Enrollment in Courses at the 100- or 1000-Level and Below

As a general principle, students should be able to study the topics they want and for which they have the appropriate background, with the exception that concentration tutorials, including junior seminar programs, are ordinarily limited to concentrators. Nevertheless, there may be courses in which enrollment must be limited because of resource constraints or special instructional needs. The decision to limit enrollment for either or both of these reasons, as well as decisions about appropriate prerequisites, should be made by the instructional unit’s curriculum committee. The committee should be mindful of the general principle stated above, perhaps creating other venues where interested students can study the material in question.

When enrollment in a non-tutorial course is to be limited, the reason for the limitation should be reported to the Office of Undergraduate Education and the enrollment ceiling should be noted in the course catalog. The criteria for selecting among appropriately-qualified students for space in limited enrollment courses should be based on the curricular needs and interests of the students and on whether a student will have other opportunities to take the course. Selection on the basis of other criteria is inappropriate.

Enrollment of Non-FAS Students

Cross Registration

Students cross-registering from other Faculties or other institutions are allowed to enroll in FAS courses if they have obtained the instructor’s permission via my.harvard. Instructors will be e-mailed with instructions when there are cross-registration requests awaiting their attention. Students registering from other Faculties or other institutions are subject to all of the FAS regulations and deadlines, including the examination schedule, and are graded according to the FAS system. The Pass/Fail option is not available to cross-registered students. The graduate student option to enroll in certain language courses on a SAT/UNS basis is also not available to cross-registered students.

Employees (Tuition Assistance Plan)

Employees of Harvard University may enroll in FAS courses through the Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP) administered by the Office of Human Resources. Employees are subject to all of the FAS regulations and deadlines, including the examination schedule, and are graded according to the FAS system. Employees are permitted to add or change a course once TAP and enrollment forms have been filed with the Registrar's Office at enrollment@fas.harvard.edu by the appropriate deadlines. The Pass/Fail option is not available to TAP students.

Auditing

Auditors are permitted only at the instructor’s discretion, and may not attend remotely. Faculty have a responsibility to protect student information that Canvas may provide, and they are responsible for informing auditors of University and FAS policies governing access to student and course information. The following may be admitted as auditors: students enrolled in any Faculty of the University, individuals holding teaching appointments in the FAS, and their spouses. No official record is maintained for auditors.

Simultaneous Enrollment/Courses with Overlapping Meeting Times

No undergraduate may  enroll in courses that meet at the same time or overlapping times. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that there is no overlap in the meeting times of their courses. Exceptions to this rule may be granted only by the Administrative Board and will be considered only if the instructors in both overlapping courses agree and only in one or more of the following circumstances: 

• When one of the two courses has been granted a waiver from the Administrative Board petition process by a subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Undergraduate Educational Policy (EPC). Some of the courses approved for this waiver may establish limitations to such enrollment and/or delineate requirements that must be followed for a student to enroll simultaneously with another course. For a list of approved courses, please visit the OUE website: https://oue.fas.harvard.edu/simultaneous-enrollment. 

• When a senior can meet degree requirements only by taking the two particular courses in question and will have no other opportunity to enroll in the courses before graduation, in such circumstances, the Administrative Board may approve reasonable accommodations in consultation with the instructors of the courses involved. 

Undergraduates in Courses Designated "Primarily for Graduates"

Undergraduates may not enroll in courses numbered in the 300s or 3000s (Graduate Courses of Reading and Research). The only exceptions to the latter rule are students who are candidates for the master’s degree and in their fourth year of residence. They may enroll in such upper-level courses with the instructor’s permission. Incomplete (INC) cannot under any circumstances be given to undergraduates. 

Pass/Fail Grading Status (Undergraduates Only)

In 1967 the Faculty extended the use of Pass/Fail in order to permit students to enrich their educational experience by enrolling in courses they might otherwise avoid because of material that was too advanced or too unfamiliar. Consequently, with an instructor’s permission any undergraduate may enroll in a course on a Pass/Fail rather than a letter-graded basis. After the fifth Monday of the term students are not allowed to add Pass/Fail courses or to change their grading status in courses from or to Pass/Fail. Students enrolled in courses on a Pass/Fail basis are so identified on the course lists and grade sheets.

Instructors may not request that students enroll in a course on a Pass/Fail basis. The Pass/Fail option is not available to graduate, cross-registered, or TAP students.

All students are expected to attend classes regularly. Absence from academic exercises for whatever reason, including representing the College in extracurricular and athletic activities, does not relieve a student from responsibility for any part of the work required by the course during the period of absence. Students who, by their classroom absence, neglect work in a course may be excluded from the course. (See Exclusion.)

Storm and Emergency Conditions

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences rarely cancels classes due to weather. However, faculty and section leaders who commute should not be expected to put themselves in danger during serious storms, and may choose to cancel their individual classes. Because the Faculty rarely cancels classes, it is important that course staff inform students at the start of the term of the procedures for learning of class meetings that will be canceled. Similarly, it is important that the course staff provide students with instructions on how to inform instructional staff of planned absences. Instructors might find the following information helpful in establishing storm and emergency procedures for their courses:

• For the most part, undergraduate students are in residence and are expected to attend classes. Undergraduate students who decide that they cannot make it to class should be able to find in their course materials instructions on how to inform the course’s instructional staff of absences from class. For example, some courses request that the student inform the instructor or the teaching fellow of the planned absence by email or by telephone.

• Similarly, students should be able to find instructions in the course materials that indicate how the instructional staff would inform students of the cancellation of a class or section meeting. For example, courses might inform students of the cancellation via an announcement posted at the course’s home page on the web, via an email to the class attendees, or by leaving a message on the voice mail system of a centralized departmental telephone.

• FAS offices and academic departments will be open depending on staff availability and whether there are critical functions in progress. Call the central number for that office before going there.

• Final examinations and makeup examinations are rarely cancelled by the College and students should report to their exam rooms on time.

• On the very rare occasion when FAS decides to cancel classes, an announcement of the cancellation will be posted at the following urls: www.college.harvard.edu, my.harvard.edu, and https://www.energyandfacilities.harvard.edu/operations-center.

Restricting Attendance

Ordinarily only students enrolled in a course and auditors who have been given specific permission by the instructor may attend course meetings. From time to time, instructors may permit other guests, such as colleagues, parents, alumnae/i, or prospective students, to attend individual class meetings; however, instructors are always free to restrict attendance at a class meeting or meetings to regularly enrolled students and authorized auditors.

Date for Submission of Senior Theses and General Examinations

The dates for submission of undergraduate senior theses and for concentration general examinations are set by the individual concentrations but must be early enough to enable the concentration to make its degree recommendations available to the Registrar's Office during the first week of the Examination Period.

The dates for required language and general examinations for graduate students are set by the departments.

Students should be informed of these dates well in advance of the examination.

The administration of hour and midterm examinations is the responsibility of the instructor; these exams should normally be scheduled during regular class meeting times. In cases where hour and midterm examinations must be given outside regular class meeting times, the course head must offer a makeup examination for documented academic conflicts. The FAS Registrar's Office has no role in the administration of hour or midterm examinations. Instructional staff are responsible for administering Disability Access Office-approved accommodations, in consultation with DAO staff.

Instructors are required by law to offer makeup examinations to students who are absent from hour and midterm examinations for the observance of a religious holiday. Instructors are not required to offer makeup examinations to students who are absent from hour and midterm examinations for other reasons.

In cases other than absence for a religious holiday, if an instructor is satisfied that the absence is necessary and that omitting a grade for the missed hour or midterm examination will not affect the student’s course grade, final evaluation of the student’s work in the course may be determined from the remainder of the course work. The instructor may also elect to give a makeup examination. The responsibility for such decisions rests with the instructor only and not with the Dean’s Office or the Administrative Board. Instructors may also decide whether to require the attendance of graduate students at hour and midterm examinations.

Although instructors are obligated to offer makeup examinations only in the case of absence for the observance of a religious holiday, students who have obtained proper Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) documentation of illness may not be penalized for their absence from hour and midterm examinations. The appropriate form must be signed by a HUHS medical professional and given to the student’s Resident Dean who will write the student a letter acknowledging receipt of the HUHS form. This letter may be presented to the instructor as certification of the student’s illness.

Examination Booklets

Examination booklets for hour or midterm examinations may be obtained from the Exams Office (by appointment). Course instructional staff can contact the Exams Office (exams@fas.harvard.edu) to obtain examination booklets. A Harvard ID or Faculty identification card must be shown to receive them.

Athletic Events

The Department of Athletics is aware that midterm examinations are frequently given in the seventh or eighth weeks of the term, and thereby schedules few athletic contests away from Cambridge during that time. Sometimes the academic calendars of other institutions require contests to be scheduled in these periods. However, absence from academic exercises in order to represent the College in athletic activities does not relieve the student from responsibility for any part of the work required in the course during the period of the absence.

Absences for Religious Holidays

A student who is absent from an hour or midterm examination as a consequence of his or her religious belief “shall be provided with an opportunity to make up such examination...” (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 151C, Sec. 2B). It is therefore recommended that prior to setting the dates for such exercises or examinations course heads request dates of absence due to religious holiday observance from students in their classes. It is the responsibility of the students concerned to provide that information promptly when so requested. If conflicts are unavoidable, students who are absent from hour or midterm examinations for religious reasons shall be offered an opportunity to make up the work, without penalty, unless it can be demonstrated that such an opportunity would constitute an “unreasonable burden” on the faculty. Information on religious holidays can be found on the Harvard Divinity School's Multifaith Calendar.

Papers and Other Written Assignments

One or more papers or other written assignments (e.g., problem sets, laboratory reports) are often included as part of the work required of students in their courses. Most students learn more effectively from a series of graduated writing assignments than from a single term paper, particularly in courses designed to introduce students to a new field or a particular mode of inquiry. The feedback that students receive on work completed early in the term helps to clarify what is expected in written assignments, and later assignments provide students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned from the earlier comments.

The nature and number of written assignments and their due dates should be included on the course syllabus. All regular written assignments must be due by the last day of classes, though instructors may grant individual undergraduates an extension of time for medical reasons and other special circumstances up to the end of the Examination Period, but no later, and may grant graduate students an extension of time until the end of the next regular term. (See Late Work and Extension of Time for Course Work.) Incomplete (INC) cannot under any circumstances be given to undergraduates. This policy does not include written final assessments (take-home exam, final paper, etc.). For information on final assessment deadlines, please see Legislation on Reading and Exams Period section of Information For Faculty.

Plagiarism

Any material submitted to meet course requirements — homework assignments, papers, projects, examinations — is expected to be student’s own work. Students are directed to Harvard Guide to Using Sources at the beginning of their first term, and in the required first-year writing course, Expository Writing 20. Undergraduates are urged to take great care in distinguishing their own ideas and thoughts from information and analysis derived from printed and electronic sources. Although instructors are encouraged to take every opportunity to reinforce and develop these lessons, the final responsibility for knowing proper forms of citation rests with students.

In cases of suspected plagiarism by an undergraduate student, please contact the Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct or honorcouncil@fas.harvard.edu. (See also The Administrative Boards) In cases of suspected plagiarism by a graduate student, please contact the Harvard Griffin GSAS Dean of Students.

Faculty seeking advice on how they might adapt teaching and student assignments to account for widely available artificial tools and platforms should consult the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning Artificial Intelligence online resources.

Collaboration

It is essential that instructors set out carefully in writing and at the outset of a course or course assignment the extent of permissible student collaboration in the preparation of papers, computer programs, or examinations. Students must assume that collaboration in the completion of assignments is permitted unless explicitly prohibited by the instructor. Students should be reminded that they are expected to acknowledge any collaboration and its extent in all submitted work.

Sample text for syllabus, if collaboration is not allowed:

Students should be aware that in this course collaboration of any sort on any work submitted for formal evaluation is not permitted.

If collaboration is to be allowed, the instructor may wish to define what is acceptable and what is not. Here is a possible approach:

You are encouraged to consult with one another on the choice of paper topics, and you may also share library resources. You may find it useful to discuss your chosen topic with your peers, particularly if you are working on the same topic as someone else, but you should ensure that the written paper you submit for evaluation is the result of your own research and reflects your own approach to the topic.

Submission of the Same Work to More than One Course

Papers and other work should normally be submitted to only one course. Any student who wishes to submit to another course or for another academic purpose the same or similar work used in a previous course must obtain the prior written permission of the instructor. If a student wishes to submit the same or similar work to more than one course during the same term, the prior written permission of all of the instructors involved must be obtained. A student who submits the same or similar work to more than one course without such prior permission will ordinarily be required to withdraw from the College or from Harvard Griffin GSAS.

Late Work and Extension of Time for Course Work

Undergraduates

Instructors have the authority to grant undergraduates an extension of time for medical reasons and other special circumstances up to the end of the Examination Period. Ordinarily, students requesting an extension of time to complete course work must have received the consent of the instructor before the final examination or before the final meeting of a course in which there is no final examination.

In deciding the length of an extension granted for medical reasons, the head of the course should apply the principle used by the Administrative Board when it votes extensions beyond the Examination Period: Extensions are granted for a period commensurate with the time missed during an illness, without penalty. Questions about an appropriate extension for an individual undergraduate may be addressed to the student’s Allston Burr Resident Dean or Resident Dean of First-Year Students.

If a student submits work after a grade has been filed with the Registrar but before the end of the Examination Period, and if acceptance of that late work results in a grade change, the instructor should submit a grade change at my.harvard.edu. (See Changes in Grades.)

An extension of time to complete course work beyond the end of the Examination Period can be granted to an undergraduate only by vote of the Administrative Board of Harvard College and only in exceptional circumstances. Instructors may not accept work from an undergraduate after the end of the Examination Period without the explicit authorization of the Administrative Board

Undergraduates cannot receive a grade of incomplete (INC).

Graduate Students

Instructors may grant graduate students an extension of time until the end of the next regular term. However, such extensions of time for completion of course work must be granted before the assignment of the course grade.

Instructors teaching an undergraduate course are asked to report students making unsatisfactory progress to the Allston Burr Resident Dean/Resident Dean of First-Year Students. 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 in my.harvard: Mid-Term Reporting in my.harvard. 

These progress reports go to the Allston Burr Resident Deans/Resident Deans of First-Year Students 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.

Hiring, Training, and Supervision of Instructional Support Staff

The teaching done by supervised instructional support staff is an important part of the undergraduate educational experience, as well as a critical aspect of the training of graduate students. Departments and individual instructors have developed successful strategies that encourage and ensure a high standard of instruction by teaching fellows, teaching assistants, and course assistants. These local strategies have been reinforced by guidelines developed by the Committee on Undergraduate Education and the Committee on Graduate Education (CGE) and endorsed by the Faculty Council. All hiring, training, and supervision of graduate student teaching fellows and undergraduate course assistants fall under the HGSW-UAW collective bargaining agreement. Please email studentunionization@harvard.edu with any questions about the contract and its provisions.

HGSU-UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement 

Graduate Teaching Fellows and undergraduate Course Assistants are governed by the HGSU-UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement under which they are considered “Student Workers” by the National Labor Relations Board. The agreement is comprehensive and includes provisions on a range of topics, including but not limited to hiring, training, workload, supervision, discipline and discharge, leave and other time off.  All University representatives responsible for the hiring, training, and supervision of Student Workers should familiarize themselves with the agreement, executive summary. Additional resources are available on the Provost’s Office website on unionization.  General questions about the agreement can be directed to studentunionization@harvard.edu, which is monitored by members of the Provost’s Office and the Office of Labor and Employee Relations (OLER). 

For additional information on supervision and discipline of bargaining unit members, including when the union must be included in discussions or correspondence with unit members, please refer to the guidance at the end of this document. In any case of potential discipline of a bargaining unit member, please contact the contract manager, Brian Magner, at the Office of Labor and Employee Relations (brian_magner@harvard.edu) before taking any action. 

Categories of Instructional Support Staff

Teaching fellows are candidates for advanced degrees and are registered as students at Harvard, in the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) or other Harvard graduate schools, except for the Division of Continuing Education (DCE). They serve as section leaders, tutors, and laboratory section leaders, and always work under the supervision of instructors who hold faculty-level teaching appointments in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) or another Harvard faculty. (See Responsibility for Evaluation for the appropriate role of teaching fellows in the grading of students.)

Teaching assistants engage in the same kinds of supervised instruction as teaching fellows but are not enrolled as candidates for an advanced degree in any Harvard School. Students in DCE hired as instructional support staff are hired as teaching assistants. Ordinarily, teaching assistants will have received at least the AB before the appointment begins.

Undergraduate course assistants are currently registered Harvard undergraduates who, under the supervision of instructors who hold faculty-level teaching appointments in the FAS or another Harvard faculty, assume limited instructional responsibilities. They ordinarily assist in quantitative-based courses such as mathematics, science, and computer science classes. (See Responsibility for Evaluation for the appropriate role of course assistants in the grading of students.)

In accordance with the Faculty’s policy, course heads should appoint qualified Harvard Griffin GSAS students for teaching positions before hiring non-Harvard Griffin GSAS candidates.

Instructional Support Staff Appointment Guidelines 

The CGE and the Faculty Council have adopted the following general guidelines for the process or appointment of instructional support staff. These guidelines generally apply to the hiring of Teaching Assistants and Undergraduate Course Assistants as well but contain details specific to the appointment of Harvard graduate students, and the relationship of teaching to their funding.  For general questions about instructional support staff appointments, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) at instruct@fas.harvard.edu.   

1. Early Allocations of Sections: Each spring, the OUE will pre-allocate sections for eligible departmental courses for both terms of the coming academic year based on prior enrollment. Departments should then provide information on available teaching positions to eligible graduate students as early as possible. Please note that pre-allocated sections are not guaranteed. (See below for more information on the possible reassignment of instructional support staff.) 

2. Application Period: Departments should accept applications for instructional support staff positions for several weeks to ensure the broadest possible applicant pool before a decision is made. To avoid financial inequities, final decisions should involve consultation between the course head and the chair or director of graduate studies, or another designated member of the department or program

3. Hiring Criteria and Timetable: The criteria for appointing instructional support staff should include an evaluation where applicable of each candidate’s preparation, English language proficiency, student graduate year, teaching experience, teaching guarantee (see note below), and satisfactory academic standing. Note in this regard that for teaching fellows, Harvard Griffin GSAS 1) requires that all incoming Ph.D. students who are non-native speakers of English and who have received their undergraduate degrees from non-English speaking institutions pass English proficiency tests before they can be appointed as teaching fellows; and 2) prohibits graduate students who receive dissertation completion fellowships from teaching as well as taking on concurrent employment. (Further details on English language requirements and dissertation completion fellowships for teaching fellows may be found on the Teaching page of the Harvard Griffin GSAS website.) 

The Appointment Process

Each spring, the OUE will request that departments submit their enrollment estimates and course section requests for the coming academic year via the online section allocation tool (SAT). The OUE will make its pre-allocations directly in the SAT. After the course enrollment deadline (April for fall semester, November for spring semester – OUE will provide specific dates each semester), the SAT will automatically display actual enrollment numbers that the OUE will use to adjust section allocations. These allocations will be updated depending on enrollment changes after first-year registration (in the fall semester), and the add-drop period (first week of class meetings each semester).  For questions or further details about this process, contact the Office of Undergraduate Education. 

Departments should make instructional support appointments for the coming academic year by the end of the spring term. Preference for instructional support appointments should be given to graduate students to whom a guarantee of teaching was offered at admission. (See note below.) 

After those students have been accommodated who are expected to teach as part of their funding packages, departments and course heads should consider other qualified applicants from within Harvard Griffin GSAS; special attention should be paid to qualified applicants from related departments and disciplines.After the Harvard Griffin GSAS applicant pool has been exhausted, students from other Harvard schools and non-affiliates may be considered. 

Written notification should be provided to each successful applicant making explicit the teaching assignment and the terms of the teaching appointment, as well as expectations for training and orientation, and satisfying the requirements of the collective bargaining agreement. A sample appointment letter is available on the Provost’s Office website. Graduate student applicants who are not appointed as teaching fellowsshould be informed in writing at the same time so that they can make alternative arrangements for financial support before the academic year begins. If a student who has been offered an appointment receives funding from another source or for other reasons declines the opportunity, that appointment may be offered to another Harvard Griffin GSAS student after direct consultation with Harvard Griffin GSAS and in accordance with the priorities described above. 

An important note on teaching "guarantees": As an integral part of their graduate funding packages, Ph.D. students in the humanities and social sciences are ordinarily guaranteed two sections of teaching per term for four terms before their sixth year of study at Harvard Griffin GSAS. Meeting this guarantee should be a cooperative endeavor between the student and their program. 

As soon as possible after enrollment (and again after the add/drop period), departments should reassign teaching fellows from courses that are under-enrolled to those that are over-subscribed, within certain limits. Reassignments should be made based on the graduate student’s prior indication of courses or areas in which he or she is prepared to teach. Departments should offer reassignments in ways that will minimize the number of teaching fellows with multiple preparations. If no reassignment is possible, the financial commitment will be honored for those students operating under a teaching guarantee, even if no instructional support is needed in the course. In this case, the teaching fellow should perform meaningful work for the department or committee, preferably in support of undergraduate instruction. Such reassignment must be approved by OUE.  Salaried teaching fellows (not teaching assistants or undergraduate course assistants) outside of their guarantee period will be paid 70% of the amount promised.  More details can be found in Article 4 of the collective bargaining agreement.   

Finally, be aware that immigration regulations limit the employment of international students to 20 hours per week while school is in session. This limitation also applies to teaching fellowships and research assistantships. 

For additional information about teaching fellow appointments, please refer to the Teaching page of the Harvard Griffin GSAS website.  

Training and Supervision of Instructional Support Staff 

Several principles have been formulated to assist departments in the training and supervision of instructional support staff. 

Departments should develop regular procedures for screening and training instructional support staff as well as routine methods of supervising and monitoring their performance. Not only do such practices help to maintain good standards, but they also encourage graduate students to improve their teaching skills. Student teaching should be a rewarding opportunity rather than an automatic step in graduate education. 

By vote of the faculty on October 17, 1995,  instructional support staff are expected to attend lectures of the courses in which they hold appointments unless, in the judgment of the course head, the nature of their work does not depend upon their attendance at the lectures. 

• Individual course heads remain responsible for the orientation, preparation, oversight, and evaluation of support staff in the execution of their specific course responsibilities.  

• Instructional support staff should be provided with structured teaching assignments, recognizing that section teaching is more effective the more the instructor is involved. Regular, perhaps weekly, meetings to review course material, visits by the instructor to sections, and the teaching of a section by the instructor can be helpful to instructional support staff. In certain departments, these forms of involvement are routinely expected. Departments may adjust the teaching credit given to faculty members, if need be, to encourage their involvement in section teaching. OUE’s instructional meeting fund is available to support weekly luncheon meetings with instructional support staff. The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning encourages instructors and instructional support staff to seek help in improving their teaching quality

The Faculty Council has adopted the following guidelines for the training and preparation of first-time instructional support staff: 

• All departments and instructional programs must develop plans for preparing and orienting first-time instructional support staff in the pedagogical skills that will allow them to fulfill their teaching obligations. Training is considered part of the total workload of graduate student teaching fellows and undergraduate course assistants. 

• Orientation in issues of appropriate professional conduct should also be provided, and departments must provide a 30-minute slot for the union to introduce itself to teaching fellows. These plans should provide for practice teaching or other orientation to teaching methods at or before the start of the appointment for those without prior teaching experience. Plans should also provide for the observation and appraisal of teaching performance. The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning offers a wide range of instructional support and professional programs for Harvard College’s classroom instructors. Departments are encouraged to have their new and experienced teaching fellows and other instructional support staff utilize these resources. Contact studentunionization@harvard.edu and see Professional Conduct for more information. 

• Departments should devise a record-keeping system for instructional support staff based on instructors’ reports on, and observations of their performance. Such departmental monitoring can be used to reward outstanding teaching and to provide a solid basis upon which to recommend graduate students for future teaching jobs. At the same time, regular evaluation ensures that poor teaching performance does not go unnoticed. 

Student Compensation and Credit for Course Work 

A student may not receive course credit for the same work for which the student is financially compensated. 

Graduate students may enroll in departmentally designated 300(0)-level courses to have their teaching, research, or independent study efforts recognized and recorded (formerly designated by enrolling in TIME-T, TIME-R, and TIME-C). These courses are typically ungraded, but will appear on students’ Harvard Griffin GSAS transcripts.   

An undergraduate course assistant may not receive academic credit in any form, including independent study and supervised reading and research course credit. Research for which a student receives a grant may inform their academic work. Research performed for other financial compensation may inform academic work in subsequent semesters only, and only with the express permission of the employer, including a laboratory head. 

Special Considerations Concerning the Appointment of Undergraduate Course Assistants 

Because special considerations enter into the appointment of undergraduates as course assistants, instructors should observe the following guidelines when hiring and supervising course assistants: 

• Departments and committees that employ undergraduate course assistants should consult with the candidate’s Allston Burr Resident Dean to confirm that the candidate has attained sophomore standing and has earned a cumulative GPA of 3.33 or higher. Departments may also wish to consult with the candidate’s Allston Burr Resident Dean and academic adviser about the candidate’s ability to successfully balance the duties of the course assistant position with his or her other commitments. 

• Under faculty supervision, undergraduate course assistants may lead sections or problem-solving sessions and assume other limited instructional duties. Over the term, they may work an average of 10-12 hours per week. However, undergraduate course assistants may not take on any administrative responsibilities for a course, such as those typically held by a head teaching fellow. 

• Under faculty supervision, undergraduate course assistants may evaluate other students’ assignments when the grading involves objective assessment, such as checking answers on a problem set. However, undergraduate course assistants may not grade other students’ work when that work requires subjective assessment, such as evaluating essays, written portions of examinations, or final projects.  

• As undergraduates may fail to recognize the implications of serving in an instructional role, instructors should take special responsibility for initiating discussions about professional conduct, including the impropriety of amorous relationships with students and the importance of both equity and confidentiality. 

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences oversees a process of course evaluation of undergraduate and graduate courses each term. This evaluation process serves several purposes. It provides feedback from students to the head of a course about course structure, the quality of the instruction, and the nature of assignments. It also provides important feedback for instructional support staff, many of whom are in their early years of teaching and benefit from the comments of students. Participation in the course evaluation process is required of all Faculty in courses with 5 or more students. The course evaluation process itself takes place online.

Students who, for whatever reason, submit work either not their own or without clear attribution to its sources will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including requirement to withdraw from the College. Students suspected of any violation of these standards will not be permitted to submit a Q evaluation of the course in which the infraction occurred.

Summary statistics and comments submitted by students are accessed electronically by the course heads, instructors, teaching fellows, teaching assistants, and course assistants of evaluated courses after final grades for the term have been submitted (Q.fas.harvard.edu). Course evaluation results are also made available to the chair of the department or committee offering the course. Both Faculty and instructional support staff, particularly teaching fellows, should keep this information as it will be useful later as an input for promotion decisions and as part of consideration for other teaching positions. These evaluations will be part of the graduate student’s electronic teaching record. Finally, aggregate numerical data and limited text results are also made available to students, providing them with additional information for use in their course selection process. Students can access the course evaluation results through the online course selection tool at my.harvard.edu.

The Office of Undergraduate Education reviews the forms for any member of the instructional support staff whose average "overall" rating raises concerns about the quality of instruction. In these very few cases, the Dean of Undergraduate Education may send a letter to that instructor, copied to the course head(s), urging them to seek appropriate advice on how to improve their teaching. If members of the instructional support staff receive such cautionary letters a second time, they may be prohibited from further teaching in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Reading Period

At the end of each term - ordinarily a period of six or seven days but occasionally shortened to 5 days due to term start and number of instructional days in the term - prior to the start of the Final Examination Period is designated as Reading Period. Reading Period is intended to be a time for students to reflect, review, and synthesize what they have learned during the semester. To protect this educational purpose, the following rules apply during Reading Period:

• With the exception of designated intensive language courses, no regular instruction may take place during Reading Period. Sections and review sessions may take place during Reading Period as may class sessions that must be made up due to weather or other emergencies.
• Courses may not assign new material during Reading Period.
• All seated Final Examinations, of whatever duration (up to three hours) or scope, must take place during the course's Exam/Final Deadline Group as assigned by the Registrar's Office. (See also, section on Final Examination Period below.)
• Final papers, take-home exams, projects, presentations, and other culminating course assignments due after the end of regular classes must be due on or before the day of each course’s assigned Exam/Final Deadline Group, but no earlier than the fourth day of Reading Period. Final projects that include individual or group presentations may be scheduled beginning on the fourth day of Reading Period and may extend through the Final Examination Period.*
• Short, regular assignments that address material covered in the last two weeks of classes (such as problem sets or response papers) may be due during the first three days of Reading Period.

Regardless of whether a class meets during Reading Period, that time is an integral part of the term. Students are expected to remain in the immediate vicinity of Cambridge throughout this period.

* Each course will be assigned an Exam/Final Deadline Group to spread out student deadlines and to establish grading due dates. While instructors may establish earlier deadlines per faculty legislation, the spirit of this recent change is to spread students’ final assignment deadlines across the entire Exam Period to avoid having all assignments due at the same time. If an instructor decides to use an earlier deadline it is very important that students are well informed about this change from the posted deadline.

Final Examination Period

Courses that culminate in a Final Examination of any duration (up to three hours) must hold their exams during the designated Final Examination Period and during the Exam/Final Deadline Group assigned by the Registrar’s Office. There are two exam sessions each day: morning exams begin at 9:00 AM, and afternoon exams begin at 2:00 PM.

Field Trips

Academic field trips should not take place during Reading or Final Exam periods. Instructors who wish to include an academic field trip or project that would take students away from campus must obtain permission from the Office of Undergraduate Education.

At the beginning of each term, course heads will be asked to submit Final Assessment Information in my.harvard for each course they teach. Final assessment options include the following examination categories:

• Final Examination for All Students 
  All students enrolled in this course are expected to write a seated three-hour examination scheduled by the FAS Registrar's Office during the Final Examination Period and proctored by instructional staff of the course. 
   
• Final Examination for Undergraduate Students 
  All undergraduates will write a seated three-hour examination and all graduate students will be given alternative assessment (paper, project, take-home examination, etc.). All alternative assessment deadlines must comply with the course’s assigned Exam/Final Deadline Group. 
   
• Final Examination for Certain Students 
  A seated three-hour examination will be given to a certain academic grouping of students in the course, while another grouping of students will be given an alternative means of assessment (paper, project, take-home examination, etc.). All alternative assessment deadlines must comply with the course’s assigned Exam/Final Deadline Group
   
• Final Examination Combinations
  A seated three-hour exam may be combined with another final assessment option, such as: students may complete either a seated three-hour examination or a take home exam; students may complete either a seated three-hour examination or a final paper. All alternative assessment deadlines must comply with the course’s assigned Exam/Final Deadline Group.

Completion of Work in Courses without Three-Hour Examination

Course heads should not assign any work to be done during the Final Examination Period. Faculty policy stipulates that this time should be reserved for standard three-hour exams or other final assessments. Assignments other than final examinations or other final assessments must be completed by the last day of classes. (See Legislation on Reading and Examination Periods.)

Take-Home Final Examinations

Take-home examinations must be due on or by the course’s assigned Exam/Final Deadline Group. Course heads should be careful to explain to students in writing the extent of collaboration and any source materials that may be permitted in the preparation of the examination.

Each course is assigned an Exam/Final Deadline Group, which indicates when the course’s final assessment is due, whether it be a take-home exam, paper, or the date of a seated final exam. The Exam/Final Deadline Group is listed in the my.harvard Course Search. The Exam/Final Deadline Group corresponds to course meeting patterns and ordinarily will change if the course’s meeting pattern changes. The Exam/Final Deadline Group may change to minimize the number of time conflicts. The FAS Registrar's Office is unable to accommodate individual requests to assign an alternative Exam/Final Deadline Group to courses.

Since course meeting patterns are subject to change, the official dates and times for seated three-hour examinations are published on the Final Examination Schedule posted on the Registrar’s website. The Final Examination Schedule only includes courses that have requested a seated three-hour final examination scheduled by the FAS Registrar's Office. The Final Examination Schedule will be available in late-September for fall semester final examinations and in late-February for spring semester final examinations.

The table below shows the dates associated with each of the Exam/Final Deadline Groups. For most courses, an Exam/Final Deadline Group is listed in the my.harvard course search. The Exam/Final Deadlines Group corresponds to course meeting patterns and ordinarily change if the course meeting pattern changes. Occasionally, the FAS Registrar's Office may need to assign an Exam/Final Deadline Group that does not correspond to the meeting pattern of a course. All students are therefore advised that they should not make any travel plans until the official Final Examination Schedule is published on the Registrar’s website. Students are expected to be in residence for the duration of the Final Examination Period. For the fall term, the Final Examination Period is Monday, December 11 through Wednesday, December 20. For the spring term, the Final Examination Period is Thursday, May 2 through Saturday, May 11.

*Please ignore if any alpha characters listed at the end of the Exam/Final Deadline Groups, for example, FAS01_A.

Seated final examinations are scheduled by the FAS Registrar’s Office and are administered by instructional staff of the course. Instructional staff must follow the exam procedures that are provided by the FAS Registrar’s Office. The procedures are intended to protect the security of examinations and to ensure that students undertake the writing of their exams in an environment free of distractions and disturbances. There are two exam sessions per day during the Examination Period: morning examinations start at 9:00 AM and afternoon examinations start at 2:00 PM.

Course Head Obligations during the Administration of Exams:

• The course instructional staff is expected to be familiar with and abide by the guidelines governing examination administration in FAS.
• The course instructional staff is expected to proctor their own main exams.
• A member of the instructional staff should be present in the examination room at least fifteen minutes before the start of the exam.
• All courses are expected to handle the printing and photocopying of their own examinations.
• All courses are expected to make arrangements for the delivery, set-up and collection of any audio/visual media equipment needed to facilitate the administration of oral/aural components of the examination.
• The course instructional staff is responsible for obtaining attendance slips and if needed, examination booklets, prior to the start of the examination.
• The course instructional staff is expected to take attendance at the examination and to report absences to the FAS Registrar’s Office after the completion of the examination using the Exam Roster located on the my.harvard Teaching and Advising tab. 
• The instructional staff of the course should retrieve the following items from the examination room at the time of examination completion:
  • completed examination booklets
  • scrap booklets
  • all other course materials (slides, audiotapes, etc.)
• Report any unusual circumstances to the FAS Registrar’s Office.
• If there are any scheduled out of sequence examinations for the course, the course head must submit the exam to the FAS Registrar’s Office at least 2 business days before the first scheduled out of sequence exam.

Examination Office Responsibilities during the Administration of Exams:

• Solicit course final assessment information from faculty each examination period via the Final Assessment button on the my.harvard Teaching and Advising tab.
• Establish the examination schedule for each examination period, including date, time, and location.
• Schedule examination classroom assignments for each examination period.
• Coordinate the distribution of attendance slips and examination booklets.
• Collect absence information after examination completion.
• Report examination absences for undergraduate students to the appropriate Resident Dean.
• Hire proctors for out of sequence examinations.

Course Head Obligations after the Final Examination:

• Instructors should take every precaution to prevent the accidental loss of examination booklets. For example, under no circumstances should examination booklets be removed from the neighborhood of the University. If a course head has temporarily left the Cambridge area, only photocopies of the booklets should be sent to the course head for grading.
• Examination booklets not returned to students should be kept for one year after the end of the course.
• Most instructors return exam booklets, papers, and other academic work to the student enrolled in their courses. By law, students have the right to review all materials submitted to a course, including final examination booklets and, for a reasonable charge, may have copies of any originals not returned to them, within 45 days of the date of the original request.

Disability Access Office Examinations

Exam accommodations are determined by the Disability Access Office (DAO) and are intended to address documented disabilities or health conditions in such a way as to make exam administration fair and equitable for all students taking the same course. 

The administration of all timed exercises during the term, including midterms, is the responsibility of the course head. DAO does not have access to a Test Center or proctors for mid-term tests, and DAO staff are not available to proctor tests. Faculty should contact their department administrator or faculty support specialists for assistance with booking rooms. If proctors beyond the available TF/TA corps are required, faculty may choose to hire other graduate students from their department to assist. 

All seated final examinations for students with DAO-approved exam accommodations are administered during the Final Examination Period by the FAS Registrar’s Office and the appropriate accommodations will be made in conjunction with DAO. 

Timed exams administered online through Canvas should be modified by faculty to include the approved extended time for students with these accommodations. For assistance with this process, please see: Canvas Instructions for Extended Time

For assistance with converting examinations into alternative formats (e.g., digital text, Braille, or enlarged text), please contact the Assistive Technology Center (ATC) at atc@fas.harvard.edu or 617-496-8800. Arrangements for reformatting examinations should be made least five business days in advance.

Seated final exam administration is consistent with FAS exam procedures, with the following exception to ensure proper implementation of DAO-approved accommodations: all DAO exams typically begin at 10:00 AM on the same day as the main exam, unless there is a scheduling conflict with another exam, or an accommodated exam length exceeds 6.5 hours. In such instances, the FAS Registrar’s Office will administer the exam at an appropriate time, typically within 24 hours of the main exam. The FAS Registrar's Office may determine that exams over 6.5 hours will be split into two consecutive sessions.

For questions concerning appropriate exam accommodations, please contact DAO at dao@fas.harvard.edu or 617-496-8707.

For questions concerning the administration of final exams (e.g., dropping-off/picking up exams, location of DAO students, etc.) please contact the FAS Registrar’s Office at exams@fas.harvard.edu or 617-495-1542.

Religious Conflicts with Final Examinations

In accordance with Massachusetts law, students who are unable to participate in a final examination as a consequence of their religious beliefs shall be provided with an opportunity to make up the examination, without penalty, provided that the makeup examination does not create an unreasonable burden on the College. Students are expected to anticipate any religious conflicts with exams and report the conflict using the Religious Out of Sequence Exam Request Form found on the Exams page of the FAS Registrar’s Office website thirty days prior to the start of the Final Examination Period. Conflicts reported after the deadline may not be possible to accommodate or may result in a makeup exam scheduled for the following term. Please direct any questions to the FAS Registrar’s Office at exams@fas.harvard.edu.

Students, who for sufficient reason cannot be within 500 miles of Cambridge at the time of a seated final or makeup examination, may request to take the examination in absentia (at another location). Undergraduate in absentia examinations must be approved by the Administrative Board, and students must contact their Resident Dean to facilitate the petitioning process. Graduate students should contact the FAS Registrar’s Office. Student applications for in absentia exams should be submitted thirty days prior to the start of the Final Exam Period. Under extraordinary circumstances, the Administrative Board may grant examinations in absentia after the deadline has passed.

In absentia examinations are ordinarily administered at the same time and date as the examination in Cambridge and must be proctored by someone approved by the FAS Registrar’s Office. After determining that these conditions can be met, the FAS Registrar’s Office will work with the course head to facilitate the administration of the examination. For reasons of equity, the examination given to the student in absentia should be identical to that given at the regular examination in Cambridge. The examination should be returned to the FAS Registrar’s Office in Cambridge immediately after it has been administered.

The Administrative Board of Harvard College has sole jurisdiction over granting makeup examinations for undergraduates. The FAS Registrar’s Office has been authorized by the Graduate School to approve or deny makeup petitions for graduate students. Course heads may not give a makeup final examination without notification from the FAS Registrar's Office (see Special Senior Makeup Examinations below for exception). Moreover, course heads may not give a makeup examination at any time or location other than that specified by the FAS Registrar’s Office. The granting of a makeup examination by the Administrative Board does not imply that the student may receive credit for any assigned work in the course not submitted by the end of the Examination Period.

Makeup examinations are ordinarily granted by the Administrative Board in cases of medically documented illness or extraordinary circumstances over which the student had no control, such as a death in the family. Makeups are sometimes granted to undergraduate participants in intercollegiate competition, but only when out of sequence or in absentia examinations cannot be arranged. By vote of the Faculty Council, makeup examinations may also be granted when a student who is in good standing in the course misses an examination because of inadvertence, provided the petition is supported by the course head and filed on time. Undergraduate and graduate students in the FAS may be granted a makeup examination on the grounds of inadvertence only once during each tenure at Harvard.

If called upon to do so, course heads must prepare appropriate makeup examinations and grade them. Makeup exams are usually administered at the beginning of the following term based on the schedule established by the FAS Registrar’s Office. Ordinarily, a makeup examination should not be a duplicate of the original exam. Course grades dependent upon makeup examinations should be reported to the FAS Registrar’s Office no later than one week after the date of such examinations.

Makeup midterm examinations are not granted by the Administrative Board or the FAS Registrar’s Office. Offering such makeup examinations or substituting other work is at the discretion of the course head, except in the case of an absence for the observation of religious holidays. (See Hour and Midterm Examinations.) The FAS Registrar’s Office has no role in midterm examinations.

Special Senior Makeup Examinations

Graduating seniors who are absent from a spring term final exam in the last semester before graduation are permitted to write a makeup final exam as soon as possible. The scheduling and administration of the special senior make up exam are arranged by the graduating senior and the faculty; neither the Registrar’s Office nor the Administrative Board make provisions for the special senior make-up exam, although faculty may want to work with the student’s Resident Dean in arranging the exam. In the cases of special senior makeup exams, time is of the essence. The student and the teaching staff should arrange the special make up exam in a timely manner to ensure meeting the Registrar’s grades submission deadline for graduating seniors.

The Registrar is authorized to obtain from instructors reports on the performance of students in the form of the grades established by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Online grade entry forms are available to instructors and must be submitted by the indicated due dates. (See the Due Dates charts for fall and spring later in this chapter.) The Faculty of Arts and Sciences uses the following system of letter and non-letter grades to evaluate undergraduate student work:

Letter Grades: Undergraduate Students

• A, A- Earned by work whose excellent quality indicates a full mastery of the subject and, in the case of the grade of A, is of extraordinary distinction.
• B+, B, B- Earned by work that indicates a good comprehension of the course material, a good command of the skills needed to work with the course material, and the student’s full engagement with the course requirements and activities.
• C+, C, C- Earned by work that indicates an adequate and satisfactory comprehension of the course material and the skills needed to work with the course material and that indicates the student has met the basic requirements for completing assigned work and participating in class activities.
• D+, D, D- Earned by work that is unsatisfactory but that indicates some minimal command of the course materials and some minimal participation in class activities that is worthy of course credit toward the degree.
• E Earned by work which is unsatisfactory and unworthy of course credit towards the degree.

Non-letter Grades: Undergraduate Students

Incomplete (INC) cannot under any circumstances be given to undergraduates.

• ABS Students who miss a regularly-scheduled Final Examination scheduled by the Registrar's Office during the Final Examination Period are given a failing grade of Absent (ABS) which will be changed only if the student is granted and takes a makeup examination. Unexcused absences are counted as failures. (See Final Examinations.) No other grade can be accepted. Final assessments not scheduled by the Registrar's Office, including take-home examinations and special final projects, are not "regularly-scheduled" examinations; therefore, ABS cannot be used in these cases. If, after an absence from a regularly scheduled Final Examination, a student is granted a makeup examination by the Administrative Board, the appropriate grade is then submitted after completion of the examination.

• EXL A notation of Excluded (EXL) indicates that the student was not permitted to continue in the course by vote of the Administrative Board of the College and received no credit. Exclusion from a course is equivalent in all respects to failing it and in and of itself makes the student’s record for the term unsatisfactory.

• EXT Instructors may allow students extensions of time to complete course work up to the last day of the Examination Period. After that date, only the Administrative Board may grant extensions of time for undergraduates to complete course work. (See Late Work and Extension of Time for Course Work.) Until the date of extension set by the Board, a final grade should not be reported by the instructor; instead, the designation EXT (Extension) should be reported on the grade sheet. EXT is only a temporary notation. When the allowed time for late work has passed, or if additional time is not granted by the Administrative Board of the College, the instructor should officially inform the Registrar of the final grade. Students who miss a regularly scheduled Final Examination scheduled by the Registrar's Office must be given an ABS (Absent), not an EXT.

• PA/FL The grade of Pass represents letter grades of A to D-; the grade of Fail represents the letter grade of E only. Students admitted to a course on a PA/FL basis are so identified on the grade sheet. For such students, only a grade of Pass or Fail can be accepted by the Registrar. Independent Study is always graded PA/FL.

• SAT/UNS The grade of Satisfactory includes letter grades from A to C-; the grade of Unsatisfactory represents work below C- and is considered a failing grade. No students enrolled in courses graded SAT/UNS may receive letter grades in those courses.

The following junior and senior tutorials must be graded SAT/UNS:

African and African American Studies 99
Applied Mathematics 99r
Chemistry 91r, 98r, and 99r
English 99r
Folklore and Mythology 99
French 99
German 99
Government 99r
History 99
History and Literature 99
History of Art and Architecture 99
History of Science 99a and 99b
Italian 99
Latin American Studies 99
Linguistics 99a, 99b
Literature 98a, 98b, 99a, and 99b
Mathematics 60r
Philosophy 99
Portuguese 99
Psychology 985, 990, 992, and 993
Religion 99
Romance Studies 99
Scandinavian 99
Slavic 99a, 99b
Social Studies 99
Sociology 99
South Asian Studies 99
Spanish 99
Special Concentrations 99
Studies of Women, Gender, Sexuality 99a, 99b

All First Year Seminars are graded SAT/UNS.

Certain House Seminars may also be graded SAT/UNS, provided instructors inform the Standing Committee on First Year Seminars of their intentions at the time the House Seminar proposals are submitted, and all students in a particular seminar are graded on the same scale.

In addition, SAT/UNS may be reported as a midyear grade in any full year tutorial or half-course extending throughout the year which does not give a midyear examination. In this case only, Unsatisfactory may be used to indicate passing-but-unsatisfactory work. Assigning an unsatisfactory midyear grade will make the student’s record for the term unsatisfactory and subject to review by the Administrative Board.

The instructor must obtain permission from the Office of Undergraduate Education (for courses below the 200- or 2000-level) or Dean of the Graduate School (for courses at the 200- or 2000-level) before grading SAT/UNS for any course not listed above.

Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory Undergraduate Studies

Grades of C- or higher, as well as the grades of PA and SAT, are passing and satisfactory grades. Grades of D+ through D- are passing but unsatisfactory grades. Grades of E, ABS (Absent), FL (Fail), UNS (Unsatisfactory), and EXL (Excluded) are failing grades. All undergraduate student records with any unsatisfactory or failing grade are reviewed at the end of the term by the Administrative Board, which responds to such records in the manner described in the appropriate sections of the Handbook for Students and in the Administrative Board Guide for Students. Responses may include a period of academic probation or a requirement to withdraw from the College for a year.

Letter Grades—Graduate Students

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences uses the following letter grades: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, E. A grade of E is a failing grade.

The minimum standard for satisfactory work in the Graduate School is a “B” average in each academic year. A grade of “C” or “INC” is offset by a grade of “A” and a “D” by two “A’s”; no account is taken of plus or minus. Grades of “E” or an unexcused “ABS” are failing. A grade of “UNS” is unsatisfactory. A course in which a student receives an “E” or permanent “INC” or “ABS” may be retaken for credit at a later time, in which case both grades will appear on the student’s transcript. In many departments, students are expected to maintain an average well above the Harvard Griffin GSAS minimum.

Letter grades are to be used in every case except as follows:

Non-letter Grades—Graduate Students

Graduate students are not allowed to take courses on a Pass/Fail (PA/FL) basis.

• ABS The designation ABS (Absent) is used in the case of a student who is absent from a regularly scheduled Final Examination scheduled by the Registrar's Office during the Final Examination Period. No other grade can be accepted. Final assessments not administered by the Registrar’s Office, including take-home examinations and special final projects are not “regularly scheduled” examinations; therefore, ABS cannot be used in courses with take-home Final Exams. If, after an absence from a regularly scheduled Final Examination, a student is subsequently granted a makeup examination by filing a petition with the Exams Office in the Registrar's Office, the appropriate grade is then submitted after completion of the examination. Instructors should log into my.harvard.edu and submit a grade change request to submit the final grade.
• EXC Graduate students may be excused from a Final Examination or other course assignments by their division, department, or committee Chairs on the basis of having passed departmental examinations or other requirements. At the written request of a Chair, the Associate Registrar of Records and Requirements records the grade of EXC (Excused). If students elect to take the Final Examination and complete the course, they receive a letter grade.
• INC For graduate students only The instructor has the prerogative of approving an extension of time for completion of course work beyond the end of the term. The appropriate grade in this situation is INC (Incomplete), not EXT (Extension). In order to have the grade of INC changed to a letter or appropriate non-letter grade, the graduate student must complete the work of the course before the end of the next regular term. An INC which has not been completed by that time will become a permanent grade, unless the student successfully petitions for an extension of time. This petition requires the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies and of the Dean of the Graduate School. When a student has made up an INC within the allowable time period, the instructor should log into my.harvard.edu and submit a grade change request to submit the final grade. If the instructor reports the grade after the deadline for completing the work has passed, the instructor must include the date on which the student submitted the work to the instructor. Failure to affirm to the Registrar that the student completed the work on time will render the grade unacceptable.
• SAT/UNS For graduate students, Satisfactory indicates that the course was passed with distinction (B- or above). Graduate courses of Reading and Research (300-level courses) must be graded Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. No other courses may be graded on a SAT/UNS basis with the exception of designated foreign language courses. Graduate students must petition to obtain permission from the instructor to take a language course on a SAT/UNS basis. Graduate students admitted to a course on a SAT/UNS basis are so identified on the grade roster.

Student Request for Review of an Assigned Grade

Both undergraduate and graduate students may request that an instructor review a grade that has been received and may also ask to consult with the Chair of the department or committee offering the course. However, final authority for the assignment of grades rests with the course head.

Once a grade has been reported to the Registrar, it can be changed by submitting a request of the instructor to the Registrar, acting on behalf of the Dean of Harvard College (or the Dean of the Graduate School in the case of 200- or 300-level courses). The Registrar must be satisfied that all students in the course will have been treated equitably before authorizing any grade change. Grade changes should be submitted electronically through my.harvard.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences averages its letter grades with a 4-point scale: A = 4.00, A- = 3.67, B+ = 3.33, B = 3.00, B- = 2.67, C+ = 2.33, C = 2.00, C- = 1.67, D+ = 1.33, D = 1.00, D- = 0.67. E, ABS, UNS, EXLD = 0. The grade point average is the numerical average of all grades received in courses taken under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for degree credit, including courses taken for credit in the Harvard Summer School and cross-registration courses as appropriate. Passing grades received for courses given by other Harvard Faculties or MIT will not be used in computing a student’s grade-point average except when the courses are counted toward concentration requirements or taken in the Graduate School of Education. Grades received for course work done out of residence will not be used in computing the grade-point average. Grade-point averages are calculated on both a cumulative and annual basis.

Submission of Final Grades

During the Final Examination period, instructors should not leave the vicinity of Cambridge until their course grades have been submitted to my.harvard. Because the course head is responsible for the grades given by their assistants, it is important that the course head closely supervise grading. (See Responsibility for Evaluation.) Each grade roster for a course must be posted on my.harvard as soon as possible but no later than the due date noted.

Session Final Grade Due Dates 2023-2024 

Submitting Late Grades 

Grades must be submitted online to the Registrar's Office on or before the due date noted. Instructors will receive automated email reminders if grades are not submitted by published date. If grades remain outstanding the matter will be referred to the appropriate Dean’s office. 

Final Grades in Indivisible Courses

Final grades in indivisible courses are always cumulative—that is, they represent the standing of the students from the beginning of the first term of the course, not merely during the second term. The fall grade will appear on the transcript with a designation such as “A*” (with an explanation on transcript) and not factor into the GPA; faculty may also choose “IP” for “in progress.” The fall grade will be replaced by the spring grade at the time the spring grade is entered. Once the spring course has been graded that grade will appear on the transcript and be used to calculate GPA with all academic credits.

Grades for degree candidates must be submitted online by the date specified. Degree candidates are listed separately on the grading portal and they have an earlier due date. Grades submitted online are final and may not be changed except as indicated in Changes in Grades.

A grade that has been reported may be changed by requesting a grade change in my.harvard. The request should include an explanation for the grade change. If a grade change is requested because of a clerical error or misunderstanding of Faculty rules concerning the grading structure, the appropriate dean will ordinarily authorize the Registrar to change the grade. In the case of a grade change due to judgmental error, the instructor is expected to review the work of other students in the course or relevant section(s) to determine that grade equity would be maintained if the grade change were approved. When late work is the basis of a grade change request, it is essential that the work have been received by the deadline set by the Faculty: the end of the Examination Period for undergraduates or the end of the next regular term for graduate students. After submitting a grade change request, faculty will receive two emails: the first acknowledges that the submission of a grade change request, and the second confirms that the Registrar has approved or denied the grade change request. Consult grade change instructions in my.harvard.

Although the grades of degree candidates are reported before those of other students, these grades are considered final and are subject to the same regulations for changes.

It is the Faculty’s legal responsibility to maintain confidentiality of student grades and also of materials upon which evaluations are made. For this reason, instructors should not post grades by student name or student identification number. Furthermore, instructors should never make a student’s submitted work, such as problem sets, exam booklets, or papers, accessible to anyone other than the student who has submitted it, unless specifically authorized to do so by the author.

Approximately six business days after the end of the Final Examination Period, students can begin viewing their final and midyear grades via my.harvard. However, students who complete online evaluations for all courses in which they were enrolled for the term will be provided early online access to their final course grades. Faculty will not be provided online access to their course evaluation results until they have submitted their grades.

Most instructors return exam booklets, papers, and other academic work to the students enrolled in their courses. Work that is not returned to students must be kept in a safe, accessible location on campus for at least one year after the end of a course. By law, students have the right to review all materials submitted to a course, and for a reasonable charge, may have copies of any originals not returned to them. Course heads should be sure to collect from section leaders and tutors any course assignments that have not been returned to students for appropriate storage. Faculty who are leaving the FAS or who will be on leave and away from the University should make appropriate arrangements for maintaining the availability of students’ work.

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. 

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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/

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.

Advising Programs Office of Harvard College

1414 Massachusetts Avenue, Floor 3R
617-496-0218 
advising.college.harvard.edu
advising@fas.harvard.edu

The Advising Programs Office (APO) cultivates quality academic advising for all Harvard College undergraduate students. The APO promotes the intellectual and personal transformation of students across the four years by encouraging exploration, planning, reflection and informed decision-making about curricular and co-curricular choices and opportunities.

The APO leads the pre-concentration advising network, inclusive of faculty, administrative and residential staff, and graduate and upper-level students by providing them education, training, resources, and support to ensure students receive robust and equitable academic advising. The APO collaborates with colleagues in academic departments, partners in the Office of Undergraduate Education, the Dean of Students Office, and other constituents to ensure that students are well prepared and empowered to access the full scope of Harvard College’s liberal arts and sciences education.  

The APO offers resources and webinars for incoming students over the summer prior to matriculation, and the office works with the following adviser roles: 

Board of First-Year Advisors (BFA)  

The First-Year Advisor is a faculty member, administrator, Proctor, or other University affiliate  who helps first-year students select courses and advises on questions regarding the curriculum, academic requirements, educational goals, summer opportunities, and extracurricular interests.  

The Board of First-Year Advisors (BFA) is comprised of three groups:

• Proctors: Graduate students or staff who live in residence with first-year students, serve as academic advisor for ~10 first-year students  

• Non-Resident Advisors: Staff/administrators, graduate students, and faculty from around the University who advise between 4-10 first-year students   

• Pre-Concentration Advisors: Non-ladder faculty who teach a part-time courseload within a department and work part-time with the APO to advise 50-55 first-year students (this is a new pilot program as of 2023-24, with the hope of scaling-up) 

In the past, BFA members were asked to support a student through the entirety of the first-year, August through May; however, with the shifts to prior-term course registration coming into effect Fall 2023 for the Spring of 2024, we are asking our volunteers to support students through Concentration Declaration in late October of sophomore fall. Although a slightly longer time commitment, the concentration deadline is moving up to late October (from the third Thursday in November) and sophomore fall course selection will take place the previous spring. Upon concentration declaration, students will transition into departmental advising structures. We are also asking our advisors to take on a minimum of four advisees. 

Peer Advising Fellows Program (PAF) 

Peer Advising Fellows (PAFs) are upper-level students who are assigned to first-year students to facilitate their transition to the College and their acclimation to Harvard, roughly 190 students serve in this capacity. PAFs provide advice on student life at the College, including sharing their own academic experiences, helping with course selection, and identifying co-curricular opportunities like research and study abroad. PAFs are also there to listen to and talk through challenges with first-year students. They can give advice on anything from extracurricular to social experiences and refer first-year students to other resources when appropriate. PAFs are expected to have thorough knowledge of campus resources so that they know where to send advisees for information in each concentration. Finally, the PAFs play a key role in helping to build community within the entryway and dormitory by working with the Proctors and each other on study breaks, other entryway activities, and dorm-wide events. 

Sophomore Advising 

Each sophomore is assigned a Sophomore Advisor, who serves as the primary academic advisor guiding students in choosing courses for the third semester, exploring and selecting a concentration, and reflecting on co-curricular opportunities including research, study abroad, public service, and internships. Sophomore Advisors connect students to resources and guide students in how to pursue their interests. Concentrations will assume primary academic advising responsibility for sophomores in the fourth term, while House Sophomore Advisors will continue to offer on-going academic advising as students explore curricular and co-curricular endeavors outside of the concentration. Each House appoints a Sophomore Advising Coordinator (SAC) to manage this work and plan House-based advising events for sophomores. Given the changes to prior-term course registration and the shifts in advising, the Sophomore Advising program will sunset after the 2023-2024 academic year, allowing for fewer advising transitions, less role confusion, a more consistent group of individuals, and of course, alignment with the new faculty approved registration process. 

Concentration Advising 

Concentration advising seeks to guide students in three phases: into an appropriate set of introductory courses in the field of study, to advanced work in the field of study and, when applicable, through a final project or thesis in the senior year. Each concentration plays an important role in pre-concentration advising through collaborative efforts with the APO and the Houses. Students are encouraged to begin exploring concentrations in the first year especially during the Exploring Fields of Study (EFoS) program in the spring where students are invited to attend concentration events and meet with advising teams. In the third term, Sophomore Advisors encourage students to seek out information from the concentration advising teams before the declaration deadline in October. 

Once sophomores select a concentration, their primary academic advisor will be assigned based on the policies of their concentration. Most use a team approach: the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) or Head Tutor, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies (ADUS) or Assistant Head Tutor, and Undergraduate Coordinator (UGC) will advise various students, splitting duties as needed depending on the student, situation, and time. Some concentrations make use of the House Tutors to advise students by House, coordinating with the Faculty Deans in the hiring process. 

Each concentration has its own requirements. Several of the humanities and social science concentrations have a tutorial system (ranging from one to five semesters), and many students receive additional advising from their tutorial leaders. Basic concentration information, including gateway courses and contact information for each of the concentrations can be found on the APO's Exploring Concentrations page here.   

Advising Resources & my.harvard.edu 

Students can access records tracking their academic progress in my.harvard. In the “Advising Network” tab, students will find the photos, names, and contact information for all of their assigned advisors. They can also view their Academic Advising Report which outlines their progress towards completing the requirements for their degree and other important advising materials, such as advising questionnaires, score reports from placement exams, and a “What If?” report to help students plan their path to degree. Students’ advisors can also access the my.harvard portal to see the photos, names, and contact information for all of their advisees. Advisors are strongly encouraged to update and consult the “Advising Journal” frequently to facilitate communication between the advising network team. 

Official advisors in the network also receive access to an Advisor Portal. A SharePoint site that has been created as a centralized academic advising hub of resource information for all members of the advising network—including the BFA, PAFs, and many residential advisors. These individuals also receive support from the APO via regular newsletters, access to a Slack real-time messaging channel, and regular Advisor Learning Series workshops to stay abreast of everything academic advising.  

Finally, perhaps the most important resource is the Student Handbook and Fields of Concentration. The Harvard College Student Handbook contains the rules and procedures of Harvard College which students are expected to be familiar with and to follow. Specific requirements for each of the fields of concentration, secondary fields, and language citations can be found in the Fields of Concentration handbook. 

Advising is a crucial aspect of the graduate student experience, an activity that is central to the successful completion of a graduate student’s education. As an advisor, you are responsible for ensuring that your advisee receives the guidance they need to successfully navigate their academic training and graduate in a timely manner. You also play a critical role in helping with their career preparation and, ideally entering the profession of their choosing. Advising graduate students is a privilege, and the relationship you develop with them will affect their time at Harvard and the career path they follow afterwards.

As an advisor, you may feel you don’t have all the answers. Harvard Griffin GSAS maintains an advising website that outlines best practices, lists advising resources, and provides details on upcoming workshops. This site reflects the ongoing efforts of the Harvard Griffin GSAS initiative known as The Advising Project. We encourage you to reach out to theadvisingproject@fas.harvard.edu for more information. 

Harvard Griffin GSAS students are enrolled in 58 different graduate programs; each student’s experience is unique, meaning that each advising relationship is unique. While no single advising approach can be applied universally, several recommendations can be put into practice in all advising relationships.

Setting Expectations

During your first meeting with your advisee, discuss expectations:

• How often will you meet?
• How long will your meetings normally last?
• What are your expectations for communication? Email? Office visit?
• How long should a student wait for a reply to a communication before following up?
• What your role as an advisor will cover and who else in the program or at Harvard can help with their academic training.

Be sure to revisit these expectations regularly as the student progresses through their academic stages. And remember that, no matter how positive a relationship you have with your advisee, they will recognize that a power differential exists. Do what you can to create an environment in which the student will be comfortable discussing difficult topics.

Communicate Available Resources

Harvard Griffin GSAS students have access to Resources that will help them during their graduate careers. Examples include the Fellowships & Writing Center, Office of Career Services, Disability Access Office, and Academic Resource Center. Familiarize yourself with these resources so that you can refer to them at various points in the student’s career. If your advisee has an overall concern, you can direct them to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Student Services.

Faculty should also be aware of issues of diversity, inclusion, and belonging, understanding that a student’s identities can impact their sense of belonging in the program and at Harvard. Reach out to Harvard Griffin GSAS’s Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging for more information and guidance.

Advising Network

Advisors should be the student’s primary point of contact, but effective advisors recognize that students benefit from multiple perspectives. Connect them with other faculty members or program staff who may inform their project and provide fresh perspectives.

The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning

The Bok Center offers faculty, graduate students, and other instructors a wide variety of resources and programming to foster excellence in teaching and learning. We strive to promote a culture of experimentation, collaboration, and reflection about teaching, and to support instructors in creating equitable and inclusive learning environments.  The Center supports faculty in designing their courses and syllabi, in developing their classroom presence, and in exploring evidence-based strategies to promote learning. Annual series of lunches, mentoring workshops, exploratory seminars, and reading groups and journal clubs draw faculty together into communities of practice. We collaborate with the Office for Faculty Affairs to facilitate a peer observation program for tenure-track faculty in the FAS. Additionally, our Learning Lab collaborates with faculty to create and implement innovative assignments and course activites. 

The Bok Center offers a robust slate of professional development programming for PhD students. Early-stage PhD students look to the Bok Center as they prepare to teach, and may attend our Fall Teaching Conference or Winter Teaching Week for an introduction to the foundations of teaching, or take a Bok Seminar to explore topics in teaching, learning, and communication. We serve international students and scholars who want to improve their oral English communication skills to prepare for the language and culture of the Harvard classroom through our Professional Communication Program for International Teachers and Scholars. Advanced PhD students can demonstrate their commitment to developing as teachers in higher education by pursuing one of our Teaching Certificates or by applying to our Pedagogy Fellows and Media and Design Fellows programs, where we partner with departments to enhance training and support for graduate student teachers across the FAS.

Further information and resources on teaching are available on the Bok Center’s website.

Wheelchair accessible.

The Academic Resource Center (ARC) supports the academic missions of Harvard College and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by providing foundational skills and strategies that empower students to reach their full academic potential. Drawing on research in the behavioral and learning sciences and working in collaboration with faculty and staff, the ARC offers students the tools they need to optimize their intellectual engagement during their time at Harvard and beyond. 

All College and Harvard Griffin GSAS students are welcome and can access the full range of ARC support throughout their time at Harvard. No referral is needed. Students can choose to engage with the ARC in person and virtually. They can find information on all ARC resouces through the website and can register for most services using the ARC Scheduler. Students, faculty, and staff can get in touch with ARC staff by sending an email to academicresourcecenter@harvard.edu. 

The ARC offers four main services: academic coaching; accountability groups; workshops; and peer tutoring, as well as the English language conversation program.  

Academic Coaching 

Students can meet one-on-one with an academic coach to work on optimizing their learning experience. Academic coaches introduce students to techniques for managing time, reading strategically, studying effectively, and more. They also help students prioritize their goals for the semester, identify effective work habits and ideal learning environments, and plan for when they are returning from leave or recovering from an injury or illness. ARC coaches support students from all disciplines and will direct students to other appropriate resources on campus as needed.   

Accountability Groups and Accountability Hours 

The ARC is committed to helping students connect with a key resource at Harvard – their fellow students. ARC coaches facilitate accountability sessions where students come to the ARC (in person or virtually) to work towards a specific goal in the company of other students. At the start of an accountability session, students set a goal and share that goal with the group. These sessions help students because they create opportunities for weekly structure, social connection, and peer motivation.  

Workshops 

ARC academic coaches also facilitate various workshops throughout the semester. These workshops center around building and strengthening the skills necessary to succeed academically. Workshop topics include time management, strategic reading and note-taking, semester planning, problem set strategies, and more. 

Peer Tutoring 

The ARC oversees the Peer Tutoring program, connecting Harvard students with a network of trained peers who can support their learning in a variety of courses. Peer Tutors can provide an extra layer of academic support for students by reviewing critical concepts and materials from class, clarifying points of confusion, and developing study strategies for upcoming exams. 

English Language Conversation Program 

ARC-trained conversation partners provide support for students who are non-native English speakers, offering assistance in developing speaking and listening skills, understanding local idioms, learning more about the US and Harvard cultures, or practicing for oral presentations. Primarily for graduate students. 

For more information about the ARC or any of our services, please contact us by email and visit our website. 

Joya Sengupta, Executive Director of Education Support Services

https://ess.fas.harvard.edu

Education Support Services (ESS) provides world-class audiovisual and instructional support, training and consulting services to faculty, staff, students in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). The team supports the school’s mission by delivering premium technology offerings that advance the teaching & learning environment. 

ESS provides multimedia support to classes and events occurring in FAS buildings. Supported technologies include: computer and video projection within FAS classrooms, sound reinforcement systems, audio and video recording/editing, and web simulcasting and videoconferencing. Services include assisting FAS, Continuing Education, and Summer School classes with classroom media equipment, lecture capture, special event support, and assistive listening systems. 
Please contact ESS at ess@fas.harvard.edu to arrange for services.  

Services are available without charge for work performed in support of Faculty of Arts & Sciences courses and course-related activities that are restricted to members of one course. For other activities, charges are based on the amount of labor and equipment used to perform the task. Photographs of classrooms and information on classroom features can be found at  https://essroombook.fas.harvard.edu/

Education Support Services is comprised of several groups.  

• The Assistive Technology Center provides alternative materials and assistance to students requiring accessible education.  

• Event & Media Production supports events including conferences, performances, symposia, and ceremonies. This group includes the Media Production Center’s Hauser and Plympton Studios. 

• The Teaching & Learning Support group provides multimedia resources for graduate and undergraduate course instruction within the FAS, ranging from AV support in FAS learning spaces to lecture capture services for simultaneous enrollment courses. 

• Design & Engineering supports technical infrastructure, including repairs to AV systems, consultation and design and installation of new AV technologies in FAS spaces.   

• The Language Center supports language instruction, providing consultative support, technologically mediated teaching spaces, professional development programs, events centered on language pedagogy, and informal speaking practice opportunities. 

• Piano Technical Services cares for the 200+ FAS pianos. 

Education Support Services (ESS) Teaching & Learning Support is organized into four operational zones.  This model replaces the previous building-centric support model. 

Oxford West: 
Science Center Room B02 (wheelchair accessible) 
617-495-9460 
https://ess.fas.harvard.edu 

Monday – Thursday 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (during the academic year) 
Provides classroom technology support for FAS locations

Oxford East: 
Northwest Labs Room B111 
617-495-5775 

Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM-10:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (during the academic year) 
Supports classes and events in the Northwest Building and adjacent buildings

Sever Hall Office: 
Sever Hall Room 301 
617-495-9470 

Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM-10:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (during the academic year) 
Supports classes and events in Sever Hall and adjacent buildings. 

CGIS Office: 
CGIS South Building Room S053 
617-495-9807 

Monday – Thursday 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (during the academic year) 
Supports classes and events in CGIS and adjacent buildings. 

Assistive Technology Center 1414 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 227 (wheelchair accessible) 
617-496-8800 

Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM 
Email: atc@fas.harvard.edu  
https://atc.fas.harvard.edu 

The Assistive Technology Center (ATC) serves students with disabilities requiring technical solutions to access course materials. The ATC also demonstrates assistive technologies for members of the Harvard community. Students must be registered with the Disability Access Office (DAO) or their graduate school's local disability coordinator before receiving services. (See Students Requiring Accessible Education.) For more information, please see the DAO website. 
 
Media Production Center 
Rosovsky Hall (rear), 59 Plympton St. 
617-495-9440 

Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM 
Email: ims_mpc@fas.harvard.edu 
https://mpc.fas.harvard.edu/  

The Media Production Center (MPC) produces custom audio and video materials for teaching, outreach, and research. Our studio is equipped to record interviews, voiceovers, musical performances (Steinway grand piano on-site), on-line learning modules, and promotional videos. We also provide video post-production services such as editing, titling, and color correction; location audio/musical event recording and reinforcement; audio editing, mixing, and mastering; format transfers, digitizing, and web file creation. We are happy to provide assistance and guidance to solve your audio and video media problems. 

Services are available without charge for work performed in support of Faculty of Arts & Sciences courses and course-related activities that are restricted to members of one course. For non-course activities, charges are based on the amount of labor and equipment used to perform the task. 
 
Rita E. and Gustave M. Hauser Digital Teaching & Learning Studio 
Widener Library, Room G90 (Concourse Level; wheelchair accessible) 
617-495-3979  

Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM  
Email: hauserdigitalstudio@harvard.edu 
https://hauserdigitalstudio.harvard.edu/ 

The Hauser Studio, centrally located in Widener Library, is a state-of-the-art video capture studio that provides services for courses and related activities throughout the University. The studio is equipped to provide broadcast, HarvardX, and cinema style multi-camera production. It serves as a high-tech production facility and as a training ground for faculty throughout the University who want to experiment with new approaches to further integrate digital technology into their teaching. 

Language Center 
Science Center B-06 (wheelchair accessible; assistive listening available) 
617-495-9448  

Monday – Thursday 9:00am – 9:00pm, Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm 
Email:language@fas.harvard.edu 
https://language.fas.harvard.edu

The Language Center offers consulting support, technology, and learning spaces to students and faculty in FAS world language courses and to other FAS courses using materials in languages other than English or focusing on international cultures.  The Language Center is comprised of three technology-equipped active learning classrooms for small groups, and a multipurpose area for informal language learning and events. 

There are two screening rooms for small-group foreign-language instruction and one technology-equipped classroom for course section meetings. 

Piano Technical Services  
Vanserg Hall, Piano Shop (wheelchair accessible) 
617-495-2981 
Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM 
Email: lincoln@fas.harvard.edu
https://pts.fas.harvard.edu 

Piano Technical Services (PTS) services and maintains the collection of approximately 200 pianos in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for teaching, learning, practice, performances, events, etc. Our primary responsibility is to the Music Department where approximately one-quarter of the keyboard collection resides. We also service Sanders Theatre and the OFA, Houses and residence halls, and other departments at the University where keyboard instruments are located. Core activities include tuning, regulating, repairs, restorations, event support, moving, renting, evaluations, advising and consulting. PTS does not purchase instruments, or reserve or schedule practice rooms or concert venues. 

Information Technology 

Faculty members can find some of the tools and resources they’ll need to get started with teaching, research, and working at Harvard at huit.harvard.edu/faculty. These include:   

• The Basics: HarvardKey, campus Wi-Fi, and Harvard’s emergency messaging system  

• Technology for teaching: including Canvas and; my.harvard

• Technology for research: including high-performance computing, library resources, and consulting  

• Tools for collaboration and daily use: including Microsoft and Google tools, Zoom, phone, and printing  

Services and support for technology in the FAS are provided by Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT), in partnership with Education Support Services, FAS Research Computing, the Institute for Quantitative Social Science, and the Harvard Library. Learn more about IT in the FAS. 

IT help is available through the following channels:  

• Call: 617-495-7777  

• Chat: huit.harvard.edu/chat  

• Submit a ticket or find online help articles: huit.harvard.edu/ithelp  

• Email: ithelp@harvard.edu 

Harvard Library  

We are the libraries and archives of Harvard University.  

At Harvard Library, we are champions of curiosity. We aim to be global leaders in expanding world knowledge and intellectual exploration. We engage with our communities in the creation and sharing of new knowledge, connecting them with the vast collections that we curate and steward through collaborations around the world.   

At its core, our mission for nearly four centuries has been to advance the learning, research, and pursuit of truth that are at the heart of Harvard.    

We have over 800 staff engaging with scholars and students across more than 25 libraries and around the world. With over 20 million physical and digital items, our vast collections are renowned for their global reach and depth, with resources spanning the development of all disciplines and more than 460 languages.  

Our rare and special collections are amongst the most remarkable in the world, ranging from medieval manuscripts to sound recordings of modern poets and from early maps to digital images. We collect collaboratively with peer institutions and facilitate international open access, seeking to build a diverse, open corpus of knowledge with scholars and citizens everywhere.  

Established in 1638, we are the oldest library system in the United States and the world’s largest academic library. 

library.harvard.edu 

Explore Libraries 

Harvard Library is a multi-library system with more than 25 locations across campus and beyond. library.harvard.edu/libraries 

Special Collections and Archives 

Harvard Library is home to all kinds of historical documents and objects. Discover primary sources including letters, photographs, books, scores, and digital materials, many of which have been digitized.  

How to Use Harvard’s Special Collections and Archives  

Digital Collections 

Harvard Digital Collections provides free, public access to more than 6 million objects digitized from our collections - from ancient art to modern manuscripts and audio-visual materials.  

Use CURIOSity Digital Collections for curated views of Harvard's digital collections. 

Teaching Support 

Teaching a class? Let our expert staff help you get the most out of the library for your courses. We can help you find materials, create course guides, and provide library instruction and library visits for your class. 

https://library.harvard.edu/services-tools/teach-library 

Popular Library Services and Tools: 

Ask a Librarian - Get immediate help during our live chat hours or submit a question. 

Check Harvard Library Bookmark - Before you subscribe to a journal or buy an article, check to see if you have access through Harvard Library. 

Lean Library browser extension - Use this browser extension to seamlessly access Harvard Library resources from anywhere on the web. 

HOLLIS, library catalog - HOLLIS is Harvard Library's catalog. Search HOLLIS for books, articles, media and more.  

New York Times - Claim your free New York Times digital account and search their archives. 

Scan & Deliver - Request library materials—from book chapters and periodicals to special collections and ephemera—and we will digitize and send them to your inbox. 

54 Dunster Street 
Phone: 617-495-2595 
careerservices.fas.harvard.edu 

The Mignone Center for Career Success (MCS) supports the students of Harvard College, the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), and degree candidates in the Harvard Extension School (HES) in exploring, experiencing, and achieving their career aspirations wherever they may lead. MCS services and support continue to be available to graduates for up to five years after degree completion. The office offers a broad array of advising, instructional programs, and resources across every career and professional development pathway with a focus on internships, research opportunities, summer jobs, term-time and summer international education, postgraduate employment, and graduate and professional study. Additionally, MCS offers pre-med, pre-health, and pre-law advising and support services as well as funding support to Harvard College students interested in summer study abroad and international internship experiences. 

The first floor of MCS is accessible to individuals with mobility impairments via the 52 Dunster Street entrance. 

Wheelchair accessible

1414 Massachusetts Avenue, 3rd floor
Phone: 617-496-2722
Fax: 617-496-2563
Email: oie@fas.harvard.edu
www.oie.fas.harvard.edu

Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (URAF)

77 Dunster Street (corner of Dunster and South Streets)
Phone: 617-495-5095
Email: undergradresearch@fas.harvard.edu
Website: http://uraf.harvard.edu

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (URAF) serves as the hub for institution-wide policies, practices and funding related to undergraduate research; the development and implementation of College-based programs such as the Harvard Summer Undergraduate Research Village and the Program for Research in Science and Engineering (PRISE); and the management of postgraduate fellowships and prestigious national competitions (such as Rhodes, Marshall, and Fulbright). In addition, in conjunction with Admissions and Financial Aid, OCS, OIE, the FAS Office of Science Education, and other collaborative academic and affiliated research enterprises, URAF provides advising, resource materials, and seminars about the full range of research opportunities, research funding, and fellowships locally (university-wide), domestically, and internationally.

Barker Center 019
Phone: 617-495-1655
Email: writingcenter@fas.harvard.edu
https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/

The Writing Center offers free one-on-one writing help to all undergraduate students. Instructors may recommend the Writing Center to students who need help with argument, structure, and clarity in academic writing. An English Grammar and Language tutor is also available to assist students with grammar and syntax. The Writing Center website also features handouts about academic writing and a link to the Harvard Guide to Using Sources, an online publication that explains how to use sources effectively and how to avoid plagiarism.

Wheelchair accessible.