Graduate school can be challenging. If you’re a new student, there are periods of joy, achievement, and connection ahead of you. Also loneliness and stress. If you’re a returning student, you may well be in the middle of one of these ups or downs.
The staff of the Student Center at Harvard Griffin GSAS is here to help you celebrate the good times and make the rough patches a little smoother. We support students by providing opportunities to meet people outside their cohort, take a break from classwork or research, play a game, or even take a nap. We help you “find your center”—both on campus and personally—through resources and programs that create balance between academics and life beyond the classroom, library, and lab.
As we start a new academic year, here are six things every student should know about their Center!
- The Student Center is located in Lehman Hall.
The Student Center is a community that spans all of Harvard’s campuses with programming and events that extend to the Boston and New England areas. That said, the Center’s physical space is Lehman Hall, a 25,000-square-foot building in the heart of Harvard Yard—and the only place on campus dedicated to Harvard Griffin GSAS students. Here you can grab a cup of coffee, tea, or a snack at the student-run Café Gato Rojo (B1), find help and support for personal challenges at the Office of Student Services (B2), get lunch or dinner at The Commons (103), or curl up with some reading in the Fireside Room (101). Explore Lehman Hall online to learn more about the building.
- The Squad is here for you.
The Student Center is run by four staff members—the Center Squad—who help students navigate space, connect with groups, take on leadership roles, and even play a little. (It really is okay to have fun in graduate school. We even recommend it!) Our goal is to help students from all fields, identities, and backgrounds find community and connection outside of their departments. We invite you to connect with us at our offices on the third floor of Lehman Hall, through email, or by meeting with us online. Also, check out the anonymous feedback form on our Engage site. We would love to hear from you!
- Student Center fellows create programming. Lots and lots of programming.
The Student Center fellows are 25 Harvard Griffin GSAS students who organize programs in ten different areas—from the arts to wellness. Events include dance lessons, sports, theatre, movie screenings, writing workshops, happy hours, skiing, and hiking to name only a handful. And look out for events and resources during heritage, celebratory, and awareness months beginning with Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. Learn more about the fellows on the Student Center’s Engage page.
- The Center is the seat of student government.
The Center Squad advises the Harvard Griffin GSAS Student Council (GSC), which supports the community by distributing over $150,000 in funding for student groups and grants that enable individuals to attend conferences, conduct summer research, and host events. The GSC encourages students to connect with them via Engage, Slack, or email.
- The Student Center welcomes families.
In partnership with the Harvard Griffin GSAS Student Parents Group and the Harvard Student Parents Caregivers Network, the Student Center organizes several family programs throughout the year that engage parents, spouses, partners, children, and relatives. Lehman Hall is open to Harvard affiliates and their guests, and many of the Student Center fellows events welcome families as well.
- Engage is the Center’s online home.
As you may have gathered from the mentions above, the Harvard Griffin GSAS Engage website is the School's student activities portal and the place to learn more about groups, events, and offices that provide student programming. Engage features a central event calendar where you can curate your extracurricular experience by “joining” groups and offices. You can also follow the Student Center on Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter (#FindYourCenter). Stay tuned for campaigns, giveaways, event updates, photos, and fun content.
In the months ahead, we’ll write more about programs and resources that enable you to connect with the Center Squad, meet student leaders, and find groups and activities to join. Have a great start to the academic year and see you at the Center!
Banner photo by Tony Rinaldo
