HMS Dean Talks Campus Rules, Financial Struggles at State of the School Address

Harvard Medical School Dean George Q. Daley ’82 discussed forthcoming campus use rules, faltering financials, and post-affirmative action admissions in his annual State of the School address on Tuesday.

The speech — Daley’s sixth since assuming the deanship in 2017 — comes amid a year of tension on Harvard’s campus over the Israel-Hamas war and questions of free speech.

During his speech, Daley said that in the coming weeks, HMS will announce supplemental campus use rules “that speak to specific use of our shared campus spaces.” These will add to the rules announced by the University on July 30, prohibiting overnight camping, chalking, and unapproved signage on Harvard’s campus.

Daley also discussed the impact of the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling striking down race-conscious admissions, noting that the percentage of HMS applicants from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine decreased to 17 percent in the 2024 cycle — down from between 20 percent and 25 percent from 2020 to 2023.

Last week, Harvard College released admissions data revealing that the proportion of Black students in the Class of 2028 dropped from 18 to 14 percent in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision.

“This much is indisputable: we need to do more to recruit the most talented URIM students to HMS,” Daley said.

He added that HMS is pursuing greater philanthropic support to expand its financial aid program, following donations at other medical schools like Johns Hopkins University that will allow the majority of students to attend tuition-free.

“The number one deterrent for students seeking to come here is the high cost of our education,” Daley added. “Our aspiration is simple: no student admitted to Harvard Medical School should ever have to decide which medical school to attend based on cost.”

Daley added that after two years of balanced books, HMS may be in danger of returning to an operational budget deficit.

“Our financial team — led by Chief Financial Officer Julie Joncas — has warned us that without significant changes in our spending and without finding new sources of revenue, we will once again be returning to deficits,” Daley said.

“It’s become apparent that we may be facing up to a $37 million unrestricted cash budget shortfall this coming fiscal year,” he added. “Turns out that we’ve been facing a perfect storm of negative financial headwinds.”

Daley pointed to poor endowment returns, high construction costs, and National Institutes of Health funding that has not kept pace with inflationary pressures.

He emphasized a need to diversify revenue sources to make up for the deficit, particularly through pursuing more donors and advocating for increased federal funding.

Daley also emphasized the need for free and safe discourse among HMS affiliates.

“As tensions grew across the University last spring, the unfolding events precipitated conflict, pitting some students and faculty within our community against each other,” Daley said.

“We missed opportunities to listen and to learn from each other, and indeed, I and other Harvard deans, in attempting to address the concerns of all members of our community, missed opportunities to listen intently before reacting,” he added.

Last semester, HMS affiliates staged multiple pro-Palestine protests, and several pro-Palestine student groups accused the HMS administration of censoring the annual class music video.

In particular, Daley highlighted that content on civil discourse was added to the school’s Introduction to the Profession course, which is taken by all first-year medical and dental students. He added that the Harvard Ombuds Office will deliver additional community workshops.

Daley concluded his address by praising his audience for their “remarkable work.”

“Because of you, the state of Harvard Medical School is strong,” he added.

—Staff writer Veronica H. Paulus can be reached at veronica.paulus@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @VeronicaHPaulus.

—Staff writer Akshaya Ravi can be reached at akshaya.ravi@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @akshayaravi22.