Taming the Tours

On a typical autumn day, a casual glance across Harvard Yard will reveal verdant grass, colorful chairs, and mobs of tourists. Rain or shine, these tourists fill the Yard, hoping to snap a picture with a Harvard squirrel, the John Harvard statue, or even a Harvard student. While the relationship between the student population and our enthusiastic daily visitors often remains tolerant at best, recent signs placed in the Science Center indicate that boundaries for tour groups on campus may be more forcefully stated in the future.

Specifically, according to the signs, unofficial tour groups will no longer be allowed in the Science Center. This policy was instigated by reports of tourists interrupting classes and general activity in the building. Potentially due to its central location, four main entrances, and large restrooms, the Science Center has become a prime target for curious tourists eager to get a closer look at student life. These inquiring actions are not usually malicious. However, in the end, Harvard is an educational and research institution, and the quality of a Harvard education takes precedence over our accessibility to visitors. The additional signs in the Science Center seem a sensible and subtle way to reinforce this notion, and to discourage disruptive behavior.

We understand that Harvard is a historic landmark of national importance and must be open to the public in some way. Although Harvard has grappled with its status as a tourist attraction for years, in a campus surrounded by gates, the ability for visitors to drop by freely serves as reminder of Harvard’s integration in a larger world. The University has recently taken steps to accommodate visitors; for example, the presence of the multicolored chairs in the Yard during Fall. For the most part, the symbiotic relationship works well and without too much conflict: Most tourists from around the world respect the University and the rights of the students to continue on with their lives. It is when tourists begin to upset the daily proceedings of the educational institution that stricter lines must be drawn.

When tourists compromise the quality of the education—either by harassing students, entering classrooms noisily, or intrusively taking photographs—they become a problem. Tourists flock to Harvard because of its reputation for excellence. When the daily proceedings that engender such success are hindered by negligent or overeager visitors, the University has an obligation to intercede.

Admittedly, part of the problem arises when the rules for behavior are not entirely clear. In the case of the new Science Center regulations, the introduction of specific parameters outlined by the signs will help eliminate confusion. At the same time, the boundary between tour groups and a small group of visitors is still ill-defined. While additional signs in the Science Center also reiterate the University’s policy against photos inside classroom buildings, the methods of reinforcement and repercussions are also ambiguous. The Science Center need not become a site of totalitarian practices, yet additional clarity and specificity would help all involved.

In doing so, Harvard can be free to continue the twin traditions of inclusion and excellence.