HGSE Welcomes Incoming Master

The Harvard Graduate School of Education welcomed 541 master’s students to campus last week to kick off the 2007–2008 school year.

Dean Kathleen McCartney greeted the students and welcomed them to their new “intellectual home.”

“You come to us as a diverse group with diverse talents. By this I mean that you represent a range of backgrounds with a range of experiences. Some of you are coming straight from your undergraduate studies, as I did. Others of you bring a wealth of experience from a variety of settings: schools, government agencies, foundations, community groups, and advocacy organizations,” McCartney said. “The work we do in education is informed by the differences among us — differences in cultural backgrounds, in political affiliations, and in educational beliefs. Diversity is a part of what defines us as a community here at the Harvard Graduate School of Education – and we are proud of this.”

Acknowledging the jitters that come with the first day of school, Director of Admissions Barbara Selmo dismissed students’ doubts about belonging at HGSE. “The Ed School doesn’t make admission mistakes. You are all supposed to be here,” she reassured the group.

Out of the 541 master’s students and 43 doctoral students, the 2007–2008 class — the average age of which is 28 — is 75 percent female and 25 percent male. The class is comprised of diverse and interesting students representing 36 countries and 46 states. Twelve percent are international students and 25 percent students of color.

Orientation week provided an opportunity for students to familiarize themselves with the HGSE campus, Harvard Square, courses, and faculty members. Not surprisingly, many new students found themselves pausing to catch their breath amidst the whirlwind of information and activities.

“It’s exciting and nerve-wracking,” said Mari Limas, who comes from Los Angeles to study higher education at the Ed School. Among the orientation activities to date, Limas said she enjoyed class shopping, a chance for students to scope out different courses and professors before registering for the semester.

“It’s a bit fast-paced,” said Toni Garcia, a Chicago native also in the Higher Education Program. “But, I imagine this is just how the year will be.”

While part of orientation week is giving students a chance to meet their colleagues, especially in their respective cohorts, by midweek it seemed the Higher Education group had already developed friendships. It may be because Kris Liu, a member of the Higher Education cohort, decided to start a group on the social networking website Facebook this summer, which gave the students a chance to communicate before they arrived on Appian Way.

While many of the students come from different places and have different backgrounds, McCartney reassured that all the students had one thing in common. “You understand,” she said. “You understand that education is complicated, critical, and costly. You understand that education is for those who are undaunted by poverty, by easy access to drugs, and by a youth culture that denigrates learning. You understand that instructional improvement is the key to school success.

“Education is not for the faint-heartened,” McCartney continued. “Education is for people like you who have found a calling to make the world a better place for learners.”