Harvard College Ad Board Disciplinary Actions Dropped to Seven-Year Low in 2021-22

The Harvard College Administrative Board reviewed just 17 disciplinary cases for social behavior during the 2021-22 school year — a seven-year low — according to a report released by the school earlier this year.

Though the total number of cases dropped significantly, from 40 the year before and 67 in 2019-20, six students were required to withdraw, an unusually high proportion compared to past reports.

Students who are forced to withdraw — the most severe sanction short of dismissal — are required to work a full-time, paid, non-academic job for more than six months before petitioning to return to the College, according to the Ad Board’s website. This withdrawal normally lasts for one to two academic years.

Chaired by Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana and composed of approximately 30 College administrators and faculty, the Ad Board is responsible for the application and enforcement of Harvard College policies. The body’s responsibilities also include approving student petitions, enforcing academic standards, and disciplining students.

The Ad Board releases annual statistics on disciplinary actions taken against students for “social behavior,” including sexual misconduct and drug and alcohol offenses. These cases are distinct from those regarding academic dishonesty, which have been adjudicated by the Harvard Honor Council since 2015.

The Ad Board has not yet publicly released statistics on student petitions or academic standards for the 2021-22 academic year, and a spokesperson for the College did not comment on when that data would be released.

This year, a high proportion of cases — 35 percent — resulted in the requirement to withdraw, compared to 5 percent in 2020-21 and 13 percent in 2019-20, though the total number of students required to withdraw was comparable to past years.

Six students were placed on disciplinary probation, down from 13 in the 2020-21 academic year. Students who are placed on probation may be asked to withdraw upon subsequent violations.

The Ad Board issued no admonishments and only four house warnings in the 2021-22 year. Admonishments are warnings that do not rise to the level of probation, while house warnings are warning letters documented in a student’s file.

The waning numbers continue a downward trend that kicked off during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the total number of cases nearly halved between the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years.

—Staff writer J. Sellers Hill can be reached at sellers.hill@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @SellersHill.

—Staff writer Nia L. Orakwue can be reached at nia.orakwue@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @nia_orakwue.