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What do you most want incoming students
to know or understand about the services you offer?
We are a very friendly office, and work
as a team! We are here to make your time as students
here smoother, safer, and personally rewarding. Graduate
school is a busy time, but we're here to remind you
that you need to take care of yourself first and foremost.
We can help throughout the year in many ways, and
will always be a place for support!
What are some of the best-kept
secrets about the services you provide?
You don't need a reason to stop in to
see us! We like to know how you're doing and it's
great to get to know each new student. And we have
a candy jar in the office, for quick energy!
How does the Office of Students Affairs—Multicultural
Affairs Office work to address issues related to diversity
on campus, in education, within the broader academic
community?
Our office is here to respond to students' needs
and concerns firstly on a personal level. Students
should feel that they are very much welcomed to come
in anytime to talk to me, or to one of our staff,
about any concern.
Secondly, we work closely with students and student
organizations to develop events and programs throughout
the year that address diversity at all levels. We
help organize retreats, conferences, and conversation
series, often working with studnet leaders in SGA
and ALANA. And we are always open to suggestions and
recommendations!
What are some of the events coordinated to
celebrate diversity within the HGSE community?
Events happen throughout the year, and vary from
year to year based on the interests of the students
in each class and continuing students. ALANA (African
American, Latino/a, Asian American, and Native American)
Association of students, the BSU (the Black Student
Union), APA (Asian Pacific Association), Communidad
Latina, HIP (Harvard Indigenous Peoples) and the Native
American Program have an excellent record of sponsoring
key events. We (OSA) also work with these organizations
to develop programs and events.
What role does the Multicultural
Advisory Council have within the HGSE community?
The Council, known as the MAC, is made
up of student representatives, and staff from the
Office of Student Affairs. It serves two purposes:
1) it informs OSA around events, issues and concerns
related to multicultural affairs; and 2) It is a place
for students from different parts of the community
to come together and share information about what
is going on within the community. This is a large
school, and students need to be able to share information
and help each other. The MAC is one place where such
discussions take place, often informing various It
is a place to develop ideas, too, in a safe atmosphere.
How can students become involved
in the Multicultural Advisory Council?
Students are usually invited to be on
the Council, generally based on their experiences
and leadership within different student organizations,
and also relevant to their interests in diversity
issues. We try to have a good mix of master's and
doctoral students, and from as many different groups
as possible—gender, ethnic, racial, religious,
cultural, GBLT, nontraditional (older) students, etc.
What is the Dean's Diversity Innovation Fund,
why was it established what are the goals of this
Fund?
The Fund, known as DIF, is budgeted through the Dean's
office and administered through our office. It was
begun to help foster meaningful discussion and appreciation
for Diversity within the campus. Recent projects funded
include the Multicultural Festival, the Anthology,
the Alumni of Color Conference, a panel on Asian-Americans
in higher education, a film series on issues of race.
Really, students develop all kinds of ideas, and their
proposals are carefully reviewed by the Committee
members, who are also students, and administrators
including myself and Nancy Nienhuis (our director),
for appropriateness to the mission of the Fund, and
relevance to HGSE.
Who can apply for funding through the Diversity
Innovation Fund? Do you have any advice for those
thinking about applying?
Any student can apply. The deadlines for the Fund
are advertised well in advance through the Monday
Morning Mailing that Student Government sends out
via e-mail to all students every Monday. Generally,
the awards are for group-sponsored (or co-sponsored)
events. The total amount in the fund is $10,000.00
and the maximum award is for $2000. However, most
awards are in the $600-$800 range. Also, if a student
is interested in serving on the committee, he or she
can apply at the beginning of the semester.
Is there anything else you would
like to tell incoming students?
It is important that students know that
any meetings that they have with us are confidential.
We can be a resource, or direct them to the best resources
within the community and the university. When I first
came to Harvard, as a grad student at the Harvard
Divinity School back in the last millennium, I really
felt that I had entered a strange place. It was such
an honor, and yet it seemed so different to what I
had expected! As someone from the Bronx, and a neighborhood
in Buenos Aires that was a lot like the Bronx, I was
entering a different landscape. While academically
well-prepared, I was not as prepared as I could have
been for the cultural transition to this environment
and the Boston/Cambridge area. The important thing
is to find your resources for the transition—and
our staff with our experiences and knowledge of this
big place—is here to help!
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