Harvey for Harvard!
The Board of Overseers, one of two governing bodies at Harvard, is a 30-member organization directly elected by alumni. Over the course of their six-year terms, overseers form Standing and Visiting Committees, through which they research and advise various academic and administrative bodies at the University. The board, in conjunction with the corporation, also approves major teaching and administrative appointments. To read more on the governance of Harvard, click here. (A more detailed description, from a 2006 article in Harvard Magazine, can be found here.)
Harvey is running on a platform of reform. For too long has he been a critic from the outside - working tirelessly for, but unable to affect, substantive change. If elected, Harvey will focus on:
- Reforming the student disciplinary tribunal, known as the administrative board
- Respecting free speech, a basic (but oft-forgotten) tenet of university education
- Maintaining the voice of students - not just of development offices - in keeping alumni informed of campus matters
Read the full statement of Harvey's candidacy.
By all accounts, Harvey's petition candidacy is an uphill battle. One can say, without exaggeration, that it is easier to be elected President of the United States than it is to be elected as a petition candidate to the Harvard Board of Overseers. Indeed, Barack Obama ran an unsuccessful campaign as a petition candidate for the Board of Overseers in 1991. Urging the University to divest their holdings in companies doing business in Apartheid South Africa, Obama joined a slate of three petition candidates that challenged the status quo in an unusually contentious Board of Overseers election. Their candidacy, though unsuccessful, sent a message that Harvard was looking for change. Now, in an environment of unprecendented economic conditions, there is yet another opportunity for change. But Harvey needs your support.
Read what others have said about Harvey's candidacy.
For the past 40 years, Harvey has written extensively on the happenings at Harvard. From his opposition to speech codes to his commentary on the Administrative Board, Harvey has articulated his desire to see positive change. He's now seeking a seat on the inside.
Read Harvey's written work on Harvard University.