Dean Khurana

When Rakesh Khurana becomes Dean of Harvard College on July 1, Harvard will have a permanent leader for the first time in a year. Professor Khurana’s experience with students both in a residential setting,as a House Master, and in an academic one, as a professor, make him an ideal fit for a position that oversees student education and student life. Professor Khurana has many challenges ahead, but he is an excellent choice to lead Harvard College.

The only downside of Professor Khurana’s appointment is that it means parting with Interim Dean of Harvard College Donald H. Pfister. Since taking over in July, Dean Pfister has proven to be a friendly and warm presence. Dean Pfister stepped into his role at an extremely sensitive time. After the controversial end to former Dean of the College Evelynn M. Hammonds’ term, students felt disconnected and distrustful of the administration. Dean Pfister set out to fix that. His efforts, from his amusing emails to his expanded office hours to his greater visibility in house dining halls, went a long way to improving students’ perception of the College administration. Dean Pfister’s tenure was a success, and he deserves our wholehearted thanks.

Still, it is time for a permanent leader who can make long-term decisions. With the capital campaign and house renewal in full swing, Professor Khurana will have the opportunity to leave his mark on Harvard College. At the same time, the University will face ongoing financial pressure and skepticism about the value of a liberal arts education. Now is the right time to reevaluate the answers to basic questions: What should the role of a House be? What kind of environment should Harvard foster? What sort of education should Harvard provide? Professor Khurana will need to be a defender of Harvard’s values, an advocate for students, and a leader with a long-term vision.

In the immediate future, Professor Khurana will have to deal with the ongoing fallout from the Gov 1310 cheating and email search scandals. While the disciplinary process from that course is over, the larger implications of the scandal still loom large. Further discussions about academic integrity and developing an honor code are on the horizon, but Professor Khurana should also work to improve the relationship between students and administrators. He should continue Dean Pfister’s outreach efforts, be visible all around campus, and be as accessible as possible. As the master of Cabot House, Professor Khurana has been friendly, approachable, and committed to students. In his new role, he should see himself as a master of the entire College.

Even for the best candidate, however, the position comes with challenges. As Dean of the College, Professor Khurana will have little control over the budget, which is controlled by Dean of the Faculty Michael D. Smith. He will also have to work under a microscope. As the Gov 1310 scandal showed, Harvard attracts tremendous media attention. Other colleges will look to his decisions, and people far away from Cambridge will scrutinize his actions. His success will depend on his relationships with faculty, other administrators, and students.

Professor Khurana has slightly over five months before he moves into University Hall. We hope he takes this time to prepare an ambitious agenda, eat in dining halls, go to athletic events, and spend time with students and faculty. On July 1, Dean Khurana will have a lot of work to do and high expectations to meet. We believe he will.