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Administrative Board

The administrative board of the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences enforces regulations relating to graduate education and the conduct of all ordinary matters of administration and discipline.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences has delegated to the administrative board of the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS) power to enforce the regulations of the faculty relating to graduate education and for the conduct of all ordinary matters of administration and discipline. In practice, the deans handle the day-to-day administration of Harvard Griffin GSAS, relying on the board for guidance in many matters. However, the board receives reports on exceptions made to the rules, and it considers all matters of discipline.

The administrative board may initiate proposals for new, or modifications of existing, legislation affecting graduate students. Such initiatives move from the board to the Committee on Graduate Education, which has responsibility for considering all legislation affecting graduate education. The administrative board has no jurisdiction over departmental academic rules and regulations except a concern that they be fairly administered and do not conflict with the rules and regulations adopted by the faculty. The board serves as the academic department for all students in ad hoc degree programs.

The administrative board is composed of the dean of the graduate school (chair), teaching members of the faculty (from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and interfaculty programs), the registrar, the dean for student affairs, the dean for administration and finance, the dean for admissions and financial aid, the dean for academic programs, the dean of equity, diversity, inclusion & belonging, and the assistant director of student success, who acts as secretary.

Members of the Administrative Board, Academic Year 2024-2025

Emma Dench               
McLean Professor of Ancient and Modern History and of the Classics and Dean of the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Chair)

Allen Aloise                
Dean for Administration and Finance

Noel Bisson
Dean for Academic Programs

Richard Born               
Professor of Neurobiology

Catherine Brekus
Charles Warren Professor of the History of Religion in America

Michael Burke
Dean for Student Services, Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Robert Coughlin
Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid

Michael S. Flier
Oleksandr Potebnja Professor of Ukrainian Philology       

Peter Girguis
Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Sarah Glessner           
Assistant Director of Student Success (Secretary of the Ad Board)

Evelynn Hammonds     
Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of the History of Science and Professor of African and African American Studies

Jill M. Hooley
John Lindsley Professor of Psychology in Memory of William James

Arthur M. Jaffe
Landon T. Clay Professor of Mathematics and Theoretical Science

Aleksandra Kremer           
Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures

Erika McDonald
Registrar, Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Irene Peirano Garrison
Pope Professor of the Latin Language and Literature

Sheila Thomas             
Dean for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, and Special Projects Advisor

Dan Volchok         
Interim Dean of Students and Assistant Dean of Student Success

Paige Williams           
Senior Lecturer on Biostatistics

Disciplinary Statistics

The statistics below reflect the period from academic year 2019–2020 through 2023–2024

Total Cases (32)

  • Academic Dishonesty (14)
  • Social Behavior (18)
  • Academic/Administrative Procedure (0)

Take No Action (1)

  • Academic Dishonesty (1)
  • Social Behavior (0)
  • Academic/Administrative Procedure (0)

Admonition (7)

  • Academic Dishonesty (5)
  • Social Behavior (2)
  • Academic/Administrative Procedure (0)

Probation (23)

  • Academic Dishonesty (8)
  • Social Behavior (15)
  • Academic/Administrative Procedure (0)

Requirement to Withdraw (0)

  • Academic Dishonesty (0)
  • Social Behavior (0)
  • Academic/Administrative Procedure (0)

Dismissal (0)

  • Academic Dishonesty (0)
  • Social Behavior (0)
  • Academic/Administrative Procedure (0)

Expulsion (1)

  • Academic Dishonesty (0)
  • Social Behavior (1)
  • Academic/Administrative Procedure (0)
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