THE DEAN’S ANNUAL REPORT 2012 HARVARD FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCE ANNUAL REPORT 2012 LETTER FROM THE DEAN P 1 1 Letter LETTER FROM THE DEAN MICHAEL D. SMITH DEAN OF THE FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES ACADEMIC YEAR 2011–2012 LETTER FROM THE DEAN P 2 1 Letter “This was an exemplary year in which we, as a faculty, carefully shepherded our resources, while making important strategic investments that support both our historic broad excellence and our role as an institution that advances knowledge.” Dear colleagues and friends, It is my pleasure to report on the activities and financial results of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences during fiscal year 2012 (July 2011 through June 2012). This was a year of milestones. As a community, we celebrated Harvard’s 375th anniversary with a uniquely Harvard birthday party in Tercentenary Theatre in October, followed by a year of conversations and events exploring the meanings and possibilities of Harvard’s past, present and future. It was a year of monumental change for our library system, in which, under the leadership of Provost Garber, a new integrated Harvard Library organization took its first steps. We marked the fifth anniversary of our industry-leading undergraduate financial aid program by expanding affordability for announced the start of the system-wide fiscal discipline over the preceding three those families most in need. Excellence renewal of our undergraduate Houses, an years, which required difficult choices in teaching took center stage with a institution at the heart of the Harvard by many across all departments and new series profiling great teachers, the College experience. And, we welcomed units of the FAS. I continue to be deeply launch of a search for the first faculty a new dean of the Graduate School of grateful for the partnership of our faculty director of the Bok Center for Teaching Arts and Sciences, whose extraordinary and administrative leaders, without and Learning, our many collaborations accomplishments as a scholar and which this result could not have been with the Harvard Initiative for Learning teacher underline Harvard’s commitment delivered. Though we should be proud and Teaching, and the launch of edX, to nurturing an environment in which of having reached this hard-won result, an online learning partnership between teaching and research are intrinsically I would caution against the notion that Harvard and MIT, in which the FAS plays a interconnected. the time for financial discipline is over, leading role. Together with the Graduate especially as other universities report School of Education, we established a As Dean Leslie Kirwan reports in the lower than expected endowment returns. doctoral degree in education, further financial letter of this report, this year we Furthermore, sponsored research, which expanding our interfaculty partnerships in were able to achieve our goal of bringing saw gains that were a bright spot during ways that will serve our students and the the operating budget into structural the financial recovery, may decrease as wider world. After five years of planning, balance. This important achievement was federal funding for research declines, as and the launch of two test projects, we made possible by the faculty’s ongoing many anticipate. LETTER FROM THE DEAN P 3 1 Letter This noted, I would say that 2011-2012 Rob Lue, faculty director of HarvardX, As always, I am amazed by the seemingly was an exemplary year in which we, who have provided tireless support and limitless energy and ideas of our as a faculty, carefully shepherded our thoughtful guidance as we launched edX extraordinary students. resources, while making important and undertook the development of our strategic investments that support both HarvardX vision. The members of the I am proud of what we have been able our historic broad excellence and our Dean’s Faculty Resources Committee to accomplish and look forward to all role as an institution that advances have provided invaluable feedback on the advances sure to come in the new knowledge. our financial strategy that has made us academic year. stronger. The FAS Standing Committee While these advancements were made and the other members of the FAS faculty possible through the hard work of many, who have advised the Library Board Sincerely yours, there are a number of individuals whose on the evolving vision for the Harvard service deserves special recognition. I am Library system have made important deeply grateful to William Fitzsimmons, contributions that will shape the future of Michael D. Smith dean of admissions, Marlyn McGrath, this resource that is so close to the heart Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences director of admissions, and Sally of our teaching and research mission. Donahue, director of financial aid, for Finally, I am particularly indebted to the their commitment to the ideals of our Academic Planning Group for their candor programs as well as for their practical and collegiality and for the leadership approach to ensuring our programs’ they have shown in their schools, long-term sustainability. I would also divisions, and units. like to acknowledge Lee and Deborah Gehrke, masters of Quincy House, As always, we are enduringly grateful Howard and Ann Georgi, masters of for the support of our loyal alumni and Leverett House, and Roger and Ann friends for our research and teaching Porter, masters of Dunster House, for mission in all its variety. In particular, I their continued counsel as we advance would like to thank Glenn Hutchins our plans for House Renewal. Merle and Carl Martignetti, the co-chairs of the Bicknell, assistant dean for physical FAS Campaign, and the members of the resources, and Stephen Needham, senior Dean’s Campaign Planning Council for director of project management for House their guidance as we think about the Renewal, have been tremendous partners future, and the Harvard College Fund in this complex and rewarding project. Executive Committee for their work in I am deeply grateful to Anne Margulies, making our fiscal year 2012 fundraising University chief information officer, and results so strong. LETTER FROM THE DEAN P 4 4 edX edX IN THE FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES LETTER FROM THE DEAN P 5 4 edX In May 2012, Harvard and MIT announced the creation of edX, a not-for-profit partnership in online education. EdX’s two main goals are to increase access to education to a worldwide community of learners and to catalyze innovation in teaching and learning, both online and on campus. The term “HarvardX” designates both Harvard’s content contributions on the edX platform and the evolving organization at Harvard that supports course development and pedagogical research on the edX platform. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences plays a significant role in the development of this partnership and in its ongoing leadership. FAS Dean Michael D. Smith serves as a member of the edX Board, along with Provost Alan Garber, Dean On May 2, Harvard and MIT announced the formation of edX, a transformational new partnership in online learning. At a joint press conference, Presidents Drew Faust and Susan Hockfield described their of the Graduate School of Education shared goals of expanding access to education to learners around the world and of enhancing campus- Kathleen McCartney, and Executive Vice based education with new tools, new pedagogical approaches, and new research on learning. President Katie Lapp. In June 2012, Robert Lue, director of life sciences education and professor of the practice of molecular With the guidance of the HarvardX While still at an early stage, HarvardX and cellular biology, was named the Faculty Committee, a number of principles has made significant gains over four faculty director of HarvardX. In this role, have emerged. HarvardX should short months. On October 2, Professor Professor Lue chairs the University-wide produce courses, content elements, Lue attended the FAS Faculty Meeting HarvardX Faculty Committee and directs and pedagogical tools that will benefit to describe the emerging HarvardX the support organization for and approach Harvard students and enhance on-campus approach to course development and to to HarvardX course development. Over teaching in a direct way. HarvardX welcome the input of the faculty. The the late spring and summer, he worked courses should reflect the diversity of HarvardX Faculty Committee will sponsor with the first wave of faculty developing fields represented at Harvard, and they events for faculty over the fall and spring, courses on the edX platform for launch should provide a vehicle for developing and the Conversations@FAS panel series, this fall. One of them, David Malan, is innovative approaches to teaching that to be held early in the spring, will feature a senior lecturer on computer science better utilize both technology and the edX as part of a broader discussion of the in the FAS. Both the HarvardX Faculty Internet. These broad principles will guide digital revolution in teaching. Committee and the HarvardX Research Harvard’s faculty as they help shape our Committee benefit from the participation vision for HarvardX and develop new of FAS faculty. course content. In the FAS, capacity and infrastructure are being developed to support faculty in course development and pedagogical experimentation on the edX platform. HARVARD COLLEGE P 6 6 Harvard College HARVARD COLLEGE DEAN EVELYNN HAMMONDS BARBARA GUTMANN ROSENKRANTZ PROFESSOR OF THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND OF AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES ACADEMIC YEAR 2011–2012 HARVARD COLLEGE P 7 6 Harvard College The 2011–2012 academic year found the College reinvigorated on many levels. The long-anticipated renewal of Harvard’s House system began with a groundbreaking for the Old Quincy section of Quincy House. The old Core Curriculum is gone, replaced by an exciting range of General Education courses that are innovative, often multidisciplinary, and informed by research on best pedagogical practices.