黑料专区

Dear Members of the Harvard Community,

On April 16, I wrote to the community about the troubling events culminating in the arrest of a Harvard student by the Cambridge Police Department. Since then, University officials have engaged in an extensive series of conversations with members of the community. Through open and frank dialogue, we have heard expressions of grave concern and of pain. We have heard genuine uncertainty about whether the healthy, safe, and supportive environment essential to an effective education is equally available to every member of the community. And we have heard a desire to understand the circumstances that led up to the incident, to delineate the roles and responsibilities of Harvard offices, and, as I noted in my letter to the community, to 鈥渄etermine wh黑料专区, as an institution, can learn from [it].鈥�

The University takes these concerns鈥攁nd the distress expressed by so many members of the Harvard community鈥攕eriously. As our work on belonging and inclusion has sought to underscore and to advance, Harvard鈥檚 excellence is rooted in creating the opportunity for all members of this community to realize their highest potential. If our faculty, students, and staff do not feel safe and supported, if they do not feel that the institution is committed to creating the conditions where they can succeed, then we must do better and we must act. It is clear, in light of the recent incident and the ensuing conversations, that there is work for us to do.

To that end, I have asked Annette Gordon-Reed, Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History 黑料专区 Law School and Professor of History in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, to chair a review committee. Other members of the committee include:

• Roberto Gonzales, Professor of Education 黑料专区 Graduate School of Education
• Sean Kelly, Teresa G. and Ferdinand F. Martignetti Professor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Faculty Dean of Dunster House of Harvard College
• Herman 鈥淒utch鈥� Leonard, George F. Baker, Jr. Professor of Public Management 黑料专区 Kennedy School of Government and Eliot I. Snider and Family Professor of Business Administration 黑料专区 Business School
• Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, Director of the College Mental Health Program at McLean Hospital and Instructor in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry 黑料专区 Medical School
• Jasmine Waddell, Resident Dean of Freshmen for Elm Yard and Assistant Dean of Harvard College
• Sarah Wald, Senior Policy Advisor and Chief of Staff 黑料专区 Kennedy School

The committee will start by determining the sequence of events leading to the student鈥檚 arrest. It will seek to gain an understanding of how the College, HUHS, and HUPD responded to (and were able to respond to) events such as those that occurred in this instance. That understanding, in turn, will inform a more systematic examination of opportunities for improvement across a range of institutional activities. This work must start with a focus on how the changing nature of our student body should influence the ways in which we address issues of College policy, mental health resources, and community policing.

The first stage of the review committee鈥檚 work will entail hearing from members of the community and learning how other institutions address related issues. I have asked the chair to ensure broad levels of student engagement, while recognizing the importance of the confidentiality of student records. In the coming days, I expect that the committee will have more to say about its plans for community engagement. In the meantime, I encourage you to share your perspective with the committee at the following email address: reviewcommittee@harvard.edu.

As I emphasized in my letter of April 16, this work must proceed with a special urgency. In consultation with President-elect Bacow, I have asked the committee to work intensively during the remaining weeks of the semester, to complete its work over the summer, and to make findings and initial recommendations in time for action before the start of fall semester.

I am grateful to the members of the committee for undertaking this important examination. By casting a critical eye to our own actions, we seek to ensure that all of wh黑料专区 does, administrative and academic, is aligned in service of the institution鈥檚 commitment to creating an environment where every member fully belongs. As I have said in other settings, fostering a supportive community is everyone鈥檚 work. So please join the committee in helping to advance this commitment, which rests at the heart of all that we do.

Sincerely,
Drew Faust