March 10, 2016

Dear Harvard College Students,

Spring (and warmer weather!) is certainly upon us. I very much enjoyed the display of House and Harvard spirit this morning at Housing Day, and I look forward to seeing you at the many events scheduled during the final weeks of the academic year. In the meantime, with spring recess drawing near, I want to update you on several issues that have been at the forefront of many of our minds.

Earlier this week, the final report of the Sexual Assault Prevention Task Force was released. As I mentioned in my email on Tuesday, the College is already working on a plan to address the report’s recommendations. I strongly encourage each of you to read the report, consider its recommendations, and think about how you can help the College in its efforts to address and the troubling problem of sexual assault on campus. As members of this community, we must work together if we are to make meaningful change in campus culture.

I know that many of you have been concerned about the possibility of mumps exposure on campus, and I want to assure you that your health and safety at Harvard is our highest priority. As you know, Dr. Paul Barreira and Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) are working in tandem with the Cambridge Public Health Department and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to track and evaluate the scope of exposure. Symptomatic students are being tested and, when appropriate, provided accommodations while they recover.

We are in constant contact with HUHS and others across the University to monitor this situation very closely. If you think you may have symptoms, I encourage you to contact HUHS at 617-495-5711 even if you have been vaccinated. Additional information can be found at huhs.harvard.edu/mumps.

If you are traveling abroad during the break, please remember to enter your itinerary in the Harvard Travel Registry. If you are remaining on campus next week, several offices across the College, including some of the Houses and the Freshmen Dean’s Office, will be hosting spring break activities. For more information and to sign up for these events, please visit the Office of Student Life for a list of scheduled activities.

Wherever you are spending your spring recess, I wish you a happy and restorative break!

Warmly,
Dean Khurana