Hundreds trade experiences, ideas at session to encourage a more inclusive Harvard
Over the course of the Afternoon of Engagement on April 5, participants shared more than 1,500 experiences, aspirations, and ideas with each other and with the President’s Task Force on Inclusion and Belonging, all in the service of supporting academic and professional flourishing for all members of the Harvard community. Participants stressed the need for better orientation and on-boarding for new staff and students, increased transparency to break down barriers that can separate insiders from outsiders in Harvard workplaces and departments, and stronger connections between staff and faculty. There were also calls for Harvard to value multiple dimensions of excellence and provide open spaces and opportunities for people to share stories and thereby increase mutual understanding. Those and many other suggestions were brainstormed by about 750 students, faculty, and staff who took part in an Afternoon of Engagement on Inclusion and Belonging at Sanders Theatre and simulcast at the Martin Center. The event...