In the wake of Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust’s recent announcement that she will retire in the spring of 2018, many have stepped forward to praise her leadership.
She shepherded the institution through a tumultuous financial period brought about by the recession, initiated a capital campaign that has raised more than $8 billion since 2013, and has been lauded for her efforts in promoting diversity and access across the institution.
As a vast enterprise comprising 12 schools and numerous research institutions, Harvard’s work in the diversity and inclusion space over the course of Faust’s 10-year tenure is not easy to sum up neatly. Until the past fall, much of that work was being done by Harvard’s schools individually — concurrently but not necessarily in concert with similar efforts at other parts of the institution.
Harvard has been engaged in the same difficult conversations around race and privilege that many colleges and universities are grappling with across the country. During Faust’s tenure, financial aid was vastly expanded, allowing more students from diverse economic backgrounds to attend the school without the burden of excessive student debt. At the same time, the institution has faced criticism for not creating a fully inclusionary space for all students.
In an effort to synthesize ongoing initiatives at each of the 12 schools, Faust created the Presidential Task Force on Inclusion and Belonging in September. The task force is a body of administrators, faculty and other community partners, charged in part with examining the demographic realities and organizational structure of the institution.
“Like other educational institutions, Harvard has come to understand that the promise of diversity requires attention beyond our hiring and admissions decisions,” Faust wrote in a letter to the Harvard community in September. “It is no less important for us to create an environment on campus that is open and inclusive and that inspires a sense of belonging for all members of our community.”
So far, the task force has convened dozens of meetings and workshops across the university, culminating in the Afternoon of Engagement in April, an event that brought together 800 people from across the university for a conversation about belonging. “As a president I think she is very deft behind sending the right signals, but also putting muscle behind the real work of making change and pushing the agenda forward,” said Meredith Weenick, vice president for campus services and a co-chair of the presidential task force.
