Following are a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help you understand changes to your student access after graduation. We know that new graduates often have a need to access Harvard Chan School resources and have developed this memo to help new graduates negotiate the transitional period immediately following graduation.
These FAQs have been drafted in consultation with the Office of Alumni Relations, the Office of Career and Professional Development, and the Offices for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Information Technology, and Operations to address some of the issues that arise each spring for our new graduates.
Why is my HUID disabled so soon after graduation?
Harvard University policy mandates that all HUIDs be deactivated the day a student graduates, whether November, March or May. Deactivated HUIDs should be turned in at the ID Office.
I still have some work to do and need access to Harvard Chan school buildings. What should I do?
Alumni are welcome to visit the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health campus. Contact the Office for Alumni Relations in advance of the day you plan to come and we can help arrange a visitor pass for you. You must have a previously arranged visitor pass in order to access campus. Visitors will need a valid photo ID.
If you require sustained access to the Harvard Chan School buildings after graduation to complete work or for other legitimate business or academic reasons, please see your department or program administrator, who can sponsor you for a temporary ID—for one week or 30, 60, or 90 days—that will allow you access to the portions of the campus that are necessary for completing your work. The decision to sponsor a temporary ID is at the sole discretion of the department or program and may be rescinded at any time (revised July 10, 2013).
I’m still doing some research. Can I use the Countway Library or other Harvard libraries after graduation?
Student access to Harvard libraries is removed immediately after graduation. However, all Harvard alumni now have access to a wide variety of electronic resources. While this catalog is not comprehensive, it does provide access to many of the most popular journals and other resources through the Harvard libraries. Additionally, alumni can apply for borrowing privileges at Countway and Widener Libraries for a fee, and we recently began providing alumni access to one of the largest publishers of online journals. Your alumni representatives serving on the Harvard Chan School Alumni Council are continuing to seek new ways for Harvard Chan School alumni to access Harvard’s vast scholarly resources. Visit our Career Tools page to see the scholarly resources that are currently available to our alumni and how to access them.
What about Canvas? Can I still access my course materials after graduation?
Access to courses on Canvas is available for up to two years after graduation. Some collaborative features of courses will be in a “read only” state after the course has concluded (e.g., discussion boards, assignment submissions). Features that rely on student library access privileges will not be available. Please also note that faculty may opt to remove their courses and/or select content ahead of the two-year time period. We recommend copying materials locally to your computer to ensure continued access to content of interest from your courses.
If a course was recorded, videos will be available for up to two years after the course was offered. Faculty may opt to remove course videos ahead of the two-year time period. Videos are not available for download.
If you have questions or problems accessing materials, please contact the Harvard Chan IT Helpdesk at helpdesk@hsph.harvard.edu.
I’m still looking for a job. Can I use the Office of Career and Professional Development after graduation?
Yes. A variety of services are available throughout your career, and you are always welcome to contact us for assistance. As alumni, you will also have lifelong access to the CareerConnect job listings, and we are increasingly posting mid- to senior-level positions to help you as you progress through your career. Please visit the Career and Professional Development website for more details.
Does my Harvard email expire?
The Harvard University policy for Microsoft Office 365 accounts (designated by student@hsph.harvard.edu) states that student accounts expire 365 days after a student’s graduation. The Department of Information Technology can provide guidance on how to create a personal archive of your mail as well as copy other O365 files to local drives.
Starting in the late summer of 2023, degree-holding alumni from the Classes of 2021 and 2022 will be given access to set up an @alumni.harvard.edu email forwarding address, followed by the Class of 2023. Thereafter, alumni with existing email forwarding addresses will be migrated to the new technology. Starting in 2024 we will open up the service to all eligible alumni. For more information on Harvard forwarding emails, visit Forwarding FAQ.
An email forwarding address (e.g., name@alumni.harvard.edu) will automatically forward mail to a designated email address. An email forwarding address is an alias, not an email account, and does not have an email inbox. Best practice is to use a personal email for any records on file as emails sent to a forwarding email may be viewed as spam.
Does my access to other Harvard Chan and Harvard systems expire?
Access to most systems ends upon graduation or shortly thereafter. Policies are determined by the technology unit that manages each service on a service-by-service basis.
Most notably, access to your Harvard Chan network drives (P:/, S:/, G:/ drives), as well as virtual student computing (VDI), expires on June 30 for all graduation dates (November, March, and May). The Department of Information Technology can provide guidance on copying personal files to your local computer or other devices.
The Department of Information Technology also maintains a detailed list at https://hsph.me/student-offboarding with additional information for recent graduates.
Does my HarvardKey credential expire?
Current Harvard University policy states that your HavardKey credential does not expire. The HarvardKey is used for some alumni activities, including accessing the University’s alumni website (alumni.harvard.edu).
How can I connect with other Harvard Chan School alumni specifically?
A unique benefit of attending the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is that you are part of a great School within a great University! Our alumni are members of both the Harvard Chan School Alumni Association and the University-wide Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) described below. Please note that joining the Harvard Chan School Alumni Online Community requires a separate registration process from that for the HAA registration. The Harvard Chan School Alumni Online Community features a secure, password-protected, Harvard Chan School–specific alumni directory, an alumni mentoring network, information on how to submit class notes, listings of regional groups, current news about Harvard Chan School faculty and alumni, and career and volunteer opportunities around the globe. Whenever your home or business information changes, be sure to update your online community profile. You can also request to join the Harvard Chan Alumni LinkedIn Network and Facebook groups.
I heard I can join the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA). What's that about?
As an additional resource, all Harvard alumni are eligible to register with the Harvard Alumni Association at a password-protected site (alumni.harvard.edu) offering a variety of services, including a University-wide alumni directory, distance-learning programs, and career/networking opportunities.
To register:
- Go to the HAA website.
- Click the Community Login or Register button on the top right-hand side of the page, and follow the information requests.
- Use your existing HarvardKey to log in.
- If you have any problems registering, please email the HAA help desk or call 800-823-2478 or 617-496-0559 (M-F, 9 am – 5 pm ET) or visit the HAA help page for more options.
If you have questions about any of these FAQs, please feel free to email the Office for Alumni Relations or call +1 (617) 432-8429.
