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Earlier this semester, Harvard â and many pockets of the academic world â erupted in controversy after Professor Cornel R. West â74 threatened to leave Harvard for the second time, after the University allegedly denied his request to be considered for tenure.
Ultimately, West â a Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy at the Harvard Divinity School and of African and African American Studies in the FAS â did elect to leave Harvard, departing for Union Theological Seminary in New York. West, however, is just one of many Black faculty in recent years who have decided to leave Harvard.
Indeed, Dean of the Faculty of the Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay said in a March faculty meeting that, despite the best efforts of University leaders, Black academics at Harvard face âparticular challengesâ in addition to already-rigorous teaching and research responsibilities.
As the school year nears a close, administrators in the Dean of Students Office reflected on students experiences during the past academic year amid the coronavirus pandemic in an interview with The Crimson on Tuesday.
Harvard held courses online during the 2020-2021 academic year due to the public health crisis. For the fall semester, the College only invited freshmen and a select group of upperclassmen to live in residence, while juniors, seniors, and a cohort of petitioning students were invited to campus in the spring.
Students living in residence had to comply with a spate of residential guidelines, including social distancing guidelines and Covid-19 testing three times per week.
Dean of Students Katherine G. OâDair and Associate Dean for Inclusion and Belonging Alta Mauro discussed the effectiveness of wellness days and the rise in anti-Asian attacks across the country in an interview Tuesday.
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences instituted wellness days â five days throughout the semester when Faculty of Arts and Sciences courses do not meet â to replace a traditional spring break due to the Covid-19 pandemic. These sporadic breaks have received mixed reviews from students, with some deeming them ârelaxingâ and others viewing them as âmore time to do homework.â
Though she said she believes Harvard affiliates are âmaking the mostâ out of wellness days, OâDair said she hopes this semester is the only time the College will have to forgo the typical week-long spring break to reduce travel.
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