Harvard College Ad Board Disciplinary Cases Nearly Doubled in 2022-23

The Harvard College Administrative Board reviewed 30 disciplinary cases for non-academic behavior during the 2022-23 academic year — nearly double the number of cases than the previous year — according to a report released last month.

The 2022-23 school year marks the first increase in the number of disciplinary cases in at least five years. The Ad Board reviewed just 17 disciplinary cases during the 2021-2022 school year, following a seven-year downward trend from 40 cases in the 2020-21 academic year and 67 in 2019-20.

Just one student was required to withdraw from the College for disciplinary offenses — down from six in the 2021-22 academic year and marking a five-year low.

According to a separate Ad Board report, 22 students were required to withdraw from the College for academic reasons — not including academic dishonesty — marking a significant decrease from 43 in 2021-22.

The requirement to withdraw is the most severe sanction imposed by the Ad Board following a recommendation for permanent expulsion from the College. Students asked to withdraw typically are required to hold a full-time, paid, non-academic job for the period of withdrawal — usually for two to four semesters.

The Ad Board, the administrative body responsible for the application and enforcement of the College’s policies, is chaired by Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana.

About 30 College administrators and faculty sit on the Board, which is composed of two committees — the Disciplinary Committee and the Petitions Committee. The Board is additionally responsible for approving student petitions, enforcing academic standards, and disciplining students.

Fourteen students were placed on disciplinary probation — more than double the number from the 2021-22 academic year. Students who are placed on probation are monitored by the Ad Board for their conduct and may be asked to withdraw upon subsequent violations.

Another 14 students were admonished by the Ad Board during the 2022-23 academic year, up from zero students in 2021-22. Admonishments are warnings that fall short of disciplinary probation, but can result in more severe disciplinary actions in the future.

Harvard College spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo wrote in a statement that the College “is committed to the transparent reporting of data and ensuring a wide range of information is available to the community.”

Palumbo declined to comment on changes in the data from year to year.

The 2022-23 academic year was the first in which no students received House warnings — warning letters documented in a student’s file. The Ad Board discontinued House warnings after the 2021-22 academic year and instead began issuing dean’s warnings, which do not constitute formal disciplinary actions.

The Board approved 237 petitions for leaves of absence during the year, a slight decrease from 270 the previous year. It marked a significant decrease from 1850 in 2020-21 — amid the Covid-19 pandemic — when a record number of students opted to take a leave or gap year.

The Ad Board’s annual data reflects the statistics on disciplinary actions taken against students for “social behavior,” which includes sexual misconduct and drug and alcohol offenses. The Ad Board data does not include cases of students sanctioned or forced to withdraw for academic dishonesty, which have been adjudicated by the Honor Council since 2015.

—Staff writer Michelle N. Amponsah can be reached at michelle.amponsah@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @mnamponsah.

—Staff writer Joyce E. Kim can be reached at joyce.kim@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @joycekim324.