Dear Harvard College Parents and Families,

I am looking forward to welcoming you and your student to Harvard College in the coming days, either in person or remotely. Hundreds of deeply committed faculty members, administrators, and College staff have worked hard to ensure our community is ready to meet the challenges of the year ahead.

As we begin a year in under circumstances that are unique, to say the least, I have taken some time this summer to reflect on where we have been and where we are heading. Over the past few months we have seen the exposed and amplified cracks in our systems and society. So much of our country has been significantly affected by the pandemic, the related economic toll, and the awakening to the depths of systematic racial injustices. These facets have shaken the very core of who we are, challenging us individually and as a community in profound ways. Our mission to educate citizen and citizen-leaders matters more than ever.
 
Despite what we continue to face, I am filled with hope for the coming year. First-year students have been communicating with their advisers, shopping for classes, and meeting new friends from around the world. Many students have shared with me how excited and nervous they are as they transition into this new phase of their lives. We know this unique moment will present opportunities for our students to develop the essential capacities of resilience and recovery from unplanned setbacks. As they begin their Harvard journey, we will do everything we can to encourage them to embrace this growth and to meet the challenges of the moment, and I am certain they will rise to the occasion.

As a parent of college students myself, I know that these years can be both rewarding and nerve-wracking even without the additional concerns of Covid-19. To help ease this burden, we are offering some important resources to support you as parents and family members, including a Parent and Family Programs Office and website which contains information we hope you will find helpful as you plan for the upcoming year. We will also be communicating through frequent updates on local conditions given the current circumstances of the pandemic, to keep you engaged in what’s happening in our community this academic year.

As you and your student enter this new chapter, I want to remind you of the federal laws that Harvard College must follow with regard to sharing student health and academic information. Harvard College students (including those living off-campus) have access to Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) for any medical and mental health care they may need while studying at Harvard. Under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), written authorization from a student is necessary to release medical record information to parents and guardians, though we encourage students to include parents in discussions about major medical issues.

Additionally, I want to remind you that under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) students have control over the release of their academic information. In compliance with this law, Harvard College treats your student’s information confidentially and provides them with control over the release of that information per FERPA law. Therefore, to learn about your student’s progress through Harvard College or to gain access to a student record, you will need to speak with your student directly.
 
Whether our students are on campus or learning remotely this fall, they are part of our Harvard community, and we have reminded them that the standards of conduct in our Harvard Community apply to all students. Students coming to campus have also been asked to help Harvard’s campus safely reopen with a commitment to the Residential Community Compact and the shared responsibilities it outlines. Harvard has invested significant resources in developing a comprehensive testing and isolation protocol for on-campus students and staff. Our in-residence students will be determining what is possible in a residential community during this pandemic. We know there will be mistakes and unanticipated issues, but as a responsible learning institution we must all hold ourselves accountable and adapt to the reality of the pandemic. 
 
We have also urged all of our students to pay attention to the public health guidelines where they are living and take care to practice personal responsibility such as wearing face coverings, maintaining appropriate physical distance, and avoiding gatherings where the virus may spread.  
 
We look forward to working in partnership with you to help your student during what will be a unique academic year as they begin this new path towards becoming the responsible citizens and citizen-leaders the world needs now more than ever. 
 
Warmly, 
 
Rakesh Khurana
Danoff Dean of Harvard College