Dear Harvard College Students,

Following up on the University’s message, I am writing to share more information about January programs and academic activities for Harvard College. The University remains open, but with the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the Boston area and nationally, we are adjusting on-campus activities for the first three weeks of January.

In response to public health guidance, the University is reducing the number of people on campus and adding measures to mitigate and prevent campus cases during this time. For the College specifically:

• If you have already been approved to be on campus over winter break, please watch your email for more information from Housing & Residential Life about pandemic-related protocols while residing on campus.
• All University course instruction during winter break will be conducted remotely. Research activities, such as senior thesis work, may continue in-person at the discretion of your faculty advisor.
• Co-curricular programs will also be conducted remotely, as possible. Programs that cannot be conducted remotely, requiring in-person participation, may continue. Details will be sent to you from the programs directly.

While it is concerning to see a rise in COVID-19 cases locally and nationally, mainly due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, it is helpful to have this happen between the fall and spring semesters. In making these careful adjustments to campus activities in January, our goal is to reduce the risk of virus transmission and return for the spring term safely.

We understand that you may want to reach out to College staff to process this information. The University has granted staff time off between December 20 and January 3 to restore their energies. If you have urgent inquires that require immediate attention, College staff will be monitoring this inbox and will make every effort to respond. If your message can wait until January 3, please hold it and then reach out.

I remain grateful for how our community has adapted and continues to adjust to these evolving circumstances; and for how we have stayed flexible. Please take care to reduce your risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19 by getting a booster vaccination, along with masking, minimizing contact, distancing, and testing. Remember to get your flu vaccine as well.

I wish you and your families a safe and restful winter break.

Semper Veritas,

Rakesh Khurana
(pronouns: he, him, his)
Danoff Dean of Harvard College Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership Development, Harvard Business School, and Department of Sociology

University Hall 119
Cambridge, MA 02138