Academics
Harvard Faculty Adjust to Teaching in the Political Hot Seat
As Harvard spends another year under the glare of a political spotlight, its instructors face a new challenge: teaching students about the same topics that draw furious headlines.
Undergraduates Begin Tenth Harvard Yard Excavation
Undergraduates in a Harvard anthropology course have begun excavating Harvard Yard, the area between Harvard Hall and Holden Chapel, for the twentieth year of the Harvard Yard Archaeology Project.
Students Debate Harvard College Grading Policies at HUA Town Hall
The Harvard Undergraduate Association held a town hall meeting on Sunday to gauge student opinion on the contents of a report on the College’s grading practices released last week by the Office of Undergraduate Education.
Planning Group Releases Proposed Bylaws for a Faculty Senate at Harvard
The planning body for a University-wide faculty senate released proposed bylaws for the group on Friday, recommending a 43-member senate that would help advise Harvard’s central administration and governing boards on issues that cut across the University.
‘Soul-Crushing’: Students Slam Harvard’s Grade Inflation Report
Harvard students pushed back forcefully against a new University report condemning grade inflation, arguing that it misrepresented their academic experience and would add pressure to an already demanding campus environment.
From a ‘Crazy’ Class to a Campus Craze: Entrepreneurship Takes Off in Harvard College Curriculum
Entrepreneurship at the College has exploded. Once limited to extracurricular programs and social enterprise workshops, the College now offers half a dozen classes on startups, venture capital, and innovation.
Harvard College’s Grading System Is ‘Failing,’ Report on Grade Inflation Says
More Harvard College students than ever are passing their classes with flying colors, but the College’s evaluation system is “failing to perform the key functions of grading,” according to a report released by the Office of Undergraduate Education on Monday.
Web Outage Leaves Faculty, Students Without Access to Canvas for More Than 12 Hours
Canvas, Harvard’s main platform for classes, was nonoperational for more than 12 hours on Monday due to a widespread web outage, leaving students and professors unable to access class materials and submit assignments.
Harvard Unions Stage Poster Campaign in Protest of Black Lives Matter Sign Removal
Members of three Harvard unions plastered hundreds of Black Lives Matter posters across campus on Thursday to protest the University’s decision to remove a sign bearing the same message from two professors’ office windows this summer.
‘A Really Big Milestone’: Sophomores Celebrate at HUA Declaration Day Event
Harvard sophomores flooded the sunny steps of Widener Library on Friday to celebrate the College’s official concentration declaration deadline, posing for pictures with banners of their chosen departments and programs while enjoying piles of Joe's pizza.
Will Flintoft ’26 Elected Australian Rhodes Scholar
Will J. Flintoft ’26 was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship last month, one of nine students from Australia to receive the honor this year.
Harvard Proposes Yearlong Wage Freeze to Non-Tenure Track Faculty Union
Harvard proposed keeping non-tenure-track faculty salaries flat through June 2026 during negotiations with their union on Thursday — an early sign that the University will resist major wage increases as it weathers a funding crisis.
On Survey, Majority of FAS Faculty Say Harvard Undergrads Don’t Care Enough About Their Courses
Two-thirds of professors who responded to The Crimson’s annual survey of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences said they believe Harvard students do not prioritize their courses enough.
Can Harvard Bring Students’ Focus Back to the Classroom?
Harvard’s most vocal critics — and members of its faculty — have claimed that the University’s classes have gotten easier. Now, as Harvard moves to recenter academics in undergraduates’ lives, its students’ shifted priorities are posing a problem.
Phi Beta Kappa Selects Final 130 Seniors From Harvard Class of 2025
More than 100 students were inducted into the Harvard College chapter of PBK, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society, on Friday.
71 Harvard Undergraduates Awarded 2025 Hoopes Prize for Senior Theses
When Kay M. Rollins ’25 took a nap on Thursday, she didn’t expect to wake up to texts reading “Have you heard the news?” about her winning the Hoopes Prize.
8 Takeaways From Harvard’s Task Force Reports
The two University task force reports on bias against Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian affiliates described reports of threats, slurs, and social exclusion on Harvard's campus and put forth recommendations to address these issues and promote pluralism across the University.
Economics Professor Stefanie Stantcheva Awarded the 2025 Clark Medal
Professor of Political Economy Stefanie Stantcheva was awarded the 2025 John Bates Clark Medal by the American Economic Association, according to a Friday announcement.
A Shortcut or a Level Up? Harvard Faculty Debate Generative AI in Academia
Three Harvard faculty members debated whether generative AI would be a useful tool — or a perilous shortcut — in scholarship and teaching at a March 13 panel.
Just ‘Another Academic’: Seniors Greet Commencement Speaker Pick with Lukewarm Reactions
After Harvard announced that Stanford University biology professor Abraham Verghese would be the 2025 Commencement speaker on Thursday, seniors lauded his professional accomplishments but largely said they were hoping for a more high-profile selection.
Faculty Establish Non-Attribution Policy at Harvard College To Address Self-Censorship Concerns
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted overwhelmingly to amend the Harvard College student handbook with new language explicitly prohibiting grading based on political beliefs, instructing students to prioritize academics, and enforcing a non-attribution policy for classroom speech during a Tuesday FAS meeting.
Most Harvard Students Do Not Feel Comfortable Sharing Controversial Opinions in Class, Survey Finds
Only one third of Harvard’s last graduating class felt comfortable expressing opinions about controversial topics during their time at the College, per the University’s 2024 senior survey, a 13 percent decrease from the Class of 2023.
Harvard Students Undress to Destress in Primal Scream Run
With finals looming, students commemorated the end of reading period by running through Harvard Yard free of stress — and clothes — for Primal Scream at midnight on Wednesday.
‘It’s Been Here All Along’: The Effort to Grow Harvard’s Small Language Programs
Harvard offers instruction in dozens of languages from around the world, including small but vibrant programs in Old English, Zulu, and Tagalog. But according to students and faculty, some administrative obstacles often hinder program conception and development.
Class of 2028 Recruited Athletes Boost Average Athlete SAT Scores by 110 Points, Survey Finds
Harvard recruited athletes are closing the gap between average recruited athlete SAT scores and those of their non-athlete peers, according to The Crimson’s survey of the freshman class.