Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. It is the largest of the twelve degree-granting faculties constituting Harvard University, responsible for undergraduate education in Harvard College and graduate programs in the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The faculty oversees instruction and research across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, operating from its central administrative hub in University Hall on the historic Harvard Yard. Its dean, a position held by notable scholars like Jeremy R. Knowles and currently Hopi Hoekstra, reports directly to the President of Harvard University and collaborates with the Harvard Corporation.

History

The formal establishment in 1890 under Charles William Eliot consolidated teaching for Harvard College and the nascent Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, marking a shift from the older, loosely organized "College Faculty." This reorganization was pivotal during the rise of the modern research university, influenced by models like Johns Hopkins University. Key developments include the 1946 formation of the Society of Fellows to support exceptional junior scholars and the 1999 merger with Radcliffe College, which integrated the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The faculty has been central to major university initiatives, from the General Education curriculum reforms post-World War II to recent expansions in computational science and engineering.

Organization and structure

Governance is shared between the dean, an elected Faculty Council, and various standing committees on matters like tenure and educational policy. It is administratively distinct from other Harvard faculties such as the Harvard Law School or Harvard Medical School, though it collaborates on joint degree programs. The faculty's financial and operational management supports the academic missions of both Harvard College and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, with resources distributed across departments and interdisciplinary initiatives. Key administrative units include the Office of Undergraduate Education and the Harvard Library system, which is integral to its scholarly work.

Academic departments

Instruction and research are organized into over fifty departments and committees, spanning disciplines from foundational sciences to interdisciplinary studies. Core science divisions include the Department of Physics, renowned for work associated with Nobel laureates like Percy Bridgman, and the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology. In the humanities, the Department of English and the Department of Philosophy, historically shaped by figures like W.V. Quine, are prominent. Social science units such as the Department of Economics, associated with Amartya Sen and Alvin Hansen, and the Department of Government are highly influential. Interdisciplinary committees, including the Committee on Degrees in Social Studies and the Mind Brain Behavior Interfaculty Initiative, foster cross-departmental collaboration.

Notable faculty and alumni

Its community includes a profound number of distinguished scholars, scientists, and public figures. Historic faculty members encompass poet T.S. Eliot, psychologist B.F. Skinner, biologist E.O. Wilson, and physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. Alumni of its undergraduate and graduate programs have made seminal contributions across fields, from the scientific discoveries of Tim Hunt and Craig Mello to the literary achievements of Toni Morrison and the political leadership of Theodore Roosevelt and Henry Kissinger. This legacy also includes influential thinkers in philosophy like Stanley Cavell and in economics such as Andrei Shleifer, alongside cultural icons like Natalie Portman and Matt Damon.

Research and facilities

Research activity is supported by world-class laboratories, libraries, and specialized institutes. Major facilities include the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Center for Government and International Studies, and the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. Scientific research is advanced through centers like the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and the Institute for Quantitative Social Science. The faculty benefits from unique resources such as the Harvard Forest for environmental studies and the Harvard Art Museums for object-based learning. Its scholars regularly secure grants from agencies like the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, driving innovation in fields from quantum physics to Ancient Near Eastern studies.

Category:Harvard University