The UC has been working to improve Harvard for undergrads since 1982. Over the years, we’ve been involved in most major changes to campus life and undergraduate education. We’ve included a few items here. For recent initiative, click here.
For years, many students expressed concerns about the Administrative Board, the Faculty committee responsible for most student discipline and academic administrative issues. In 2007, the UC began the first in-depth study of the issues surrounding the Ad Board, leading to President Matthew Sundquist’s appointment to the Faculty’s Ad Board Review Committee. This committee produced a comprehensive report recommending many changes to the Board, and in 2009 and 2010 the College and Faculty implemented several of these changes, including increasing transparency in the Ad Board process, providing greater support and more support options for students dealing with the Board, and ending an overly rigid policy that required too many students charged with first-time academic dishonesty to temporarily withdraw from the College.
In 2008 and 2009, under President Andrea Flores the UC was part of a campus-wide coalition to promote increased support for Ethnic Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. As a result of this campaign, the Faculty added a new Secondary Field in Ethnic Studies. Read the position paper from the coalition to learn more.
In 2007, under President Ryan Petersen the UC led a major campaign to reform the University academic calendar. Following a student referendum and pressure from alumni, Faculty, and staff, the University announced a new academic calendar with exams before winter break, a six-week break in January, and coordinated class dates between the College and graduate schools. This new calendar went into effect in 2009-2010. The UC is currently working to create more options on- and off-campus for students during the longer Winter Break created by this new calendar.
The College Events Board puts on large social events for the entire campus like YardFest, the Welcome Back Barbecue, and Harvard Thinks Big. The CEB started as the UC’s Campus Life Committee, and was spun off in 2006 as an independent body.
In 2005, the UC proposed keeping Lamont Library open to students 24 hours during the week. The new hours began in Fall 2005. The UC further proposed adding a student-run cafe to Lamont, which opened in 2006.
