Dear Harvard College Students,

We are writing with the news that the Harvard Foundation and EDI will be unified into one new office within the Dean of Students Office (DSO). Following the DSO's announcement in September, a faculty, student and staff working group assessed the current work we are doing in this space and the opportunities for us to strengthen the services. As a result of these discussions, we will unify these two strong and significant components of the College. To oversee the integration of EDI and the Harvard Foundation, DSO will begin a search for an Associate Dean for Inclusion and Belonging in the coming weeks. The Associate Dean will be charged with ensuring that our programs and services are responsive to the changing demographics and needs of the Harvard College student body. Students and other key stakeholders will be involved in the interview process for the Associate Dean.

The Harvard Foundation and EDI share the critical goal of promoting and enhancing the principals of inclusion and belonging at the College. The Harvard Foundation was established in 1981 to “improve relations among racial and ethnic groups within the University and to enhance the quality of our common life.” The Foundation offers valued annual programmatic activities that bring us together as a community. EDI, which includes the Office of BGLTQ Student Life, The Office of Diversity Education and Support, Title IX, and the Harvard College Women’s Center, provides specialized training, consultation, support, and programming on issues related to identity, inclusion, and belonging. EDI also educates and engages the Harvard community about the multiplicity of sexual and gender identities. By bringing the work of both organizations into one office, we will be able to create an office that has full responsibility to  strengthen our commitment to inclusion and belonging on campus. This new organization will bring significant student voice to programs and initiatives through strengthened support for student intern and peer educator programs, with the goal of fulfilling the important role of helping all Harvard College students live and learn in a dynamic and diverse campus environment.

We look forward to working with all of you to make Harvard College a truly inclusive campus.

Sincerely,

Rakesh Khurana
Danoff Dean of Harvard College 

Katie O'Dair
Dean of Students