Dear Harvard College Students,
 
Now that the academic year has ended, I write to acknowledge your hard work and persistence as you continued your studies remotely this spring. Harvard coursework is challenging under normal circumstances, and you should be especially proud of the work you completed in spite of the disruptions of these past few months.

Since we were last together on campus, we’ve seen the incredible reach of the coronavirus pandemic, and the large and small ways it has impacted our lives and changed the world around us. Some of you have cared for or lost loved ones, gotten sick yourselves, or saw your financial circumstances change suddenly and drastically. All of you have made sacrifices, from abandoned experiments and missed performances to lost rituals and celebrations like Housing Day and spring formals. I am inspired by the resilience and determination you have displayed in the face of extraordinary adversity. 

Of all that we have given up these past few months, it is the everyday interactions with all of you that I have missed the most. No amount of e-mail, Zoom, or Instagram can substitute for the serendipitous encounters after class, in the Yard, or in the dining hall. These moments of connection are part of what makes our community special and why we are all eager to be back together as soon as possible. In the meantime, I want to thank those of you who shared your thoughts about the challenges of the semester and the importance of our community. Your feedback is being considered in the fall planning process currently underway. 

For today, I want to again congratulate you on reaching the end of a truly unprecedented year and to wish you well as you turn the page to summer. 
 
Warmly,
 
Rakesh Khurana
Danoff Dean of Harvard College