To the Harvard Chan community,
I place tremendous importance on building a culture of belonging at Harvard Chan School. That requires welcoming people with a wide breadth of backgrounds and perspectives; supporting open, rigorous, and respectful debate, as well as the right to protest; and enabling effective collaboration, even across deep divides, in pursuit of our shared mission.
These are bedrock values for any academic institution — and they are essential to protect and promote free expression.
To nurture these skills, I am pleased to announce a series of workshops and discussions this spring. Students, staff, and academic appointees will all have opportunities to engage on topics including active listening, intellectual vitality in the classroom, and dialogue across differences. More details will be forthcoming soon.
We also want to give you space to reflect on the difficult events of recent months and to share your thoughts on the road ahead.
Over the next few weeks, I will hold listening sessions for students, staff, and academic appointees with co-facilitators Lilu Barbosa, chief of diversity, inclusion, and belonging; Kate Calvin, executive dean for administration; Jane Kim, dean for academic affairs; and Maritza Hernandez, associate dean for student services.
Lilu, Kate, Maritza, Jane, and Erin Driver-Linn, dean for education, will also hold office hours, both in-person and online. I hope you will join us at one or more sessions.
These are difficult times; we face many challenges both within academia and in the world at large. But they present an unprecedented opportunity to build a stronger community. I have seen first-hand the enormous talent, strength, and commitment of everyone at Harvard Chan School. I’m so glad to be working alongside all of you as we tackle tough issues together.
Best,
Andrea
Andrea Baccarelli, MD, PhD
Dean of the Faculty
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
