Harvard Medical School Sends Delegates to Faculty Senate Planning Body

Professors at Harvard Medical School sent delegates to a University-wide faculty senate planning body in early January, making HMS the eighth of Harvard’s nine faculties to join the effort to design a faculty senate.

The plan to select delegates was approved by the Medical School’s Council of Preclinical Chairs, which includes the heads of the HMS’ 11 preclinical departments.

Two HMS professors — Stephen C. Blacklow ’83, who helms the CPC, and S. Robert Datta, professor of neurobiology at HMS — presented the proposal to the HMS Faculty Council on Jan. 8.

Blacklow and Datta invited members of the Faculty Council, an elected body including representatives from both HMS’ clinical departments and affiliated hospitals, to volunteer as delegates.

The vast majority of HMS’ more than 12,000 faculty members hold clinical appointments at affiliated hospitals. Fewer than 200 hold tenured or tenure-track positions in the preclinical departments.

Blacklow wrote that HMS will send seven total delegates to the planning body: four from the Harvard Medical School Quadrangle, two from HMS-affiliated hospitals, and one from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

The selection of seven delegates is an increase from HMS’ proposed representation under the original April design for the planning body, which accounted for 37 delegates — including just four from HMS and HSDM.

Two schools — Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School — have yet to select delegates. So far, Harvard Business School has not backed the planning body.

Datta said that desire for involvement in decisions with University-wide effects, such as Harvard’s rapid expansion into Allston, drove support for the proposal among the preclinical chairs.

“There’s a wide range of issues that one can imagine faculty at the Medical School would be interested in, ranging from the disposition of Allston to issues related to academic freedom,” he said.

In a statement, Blacklow wrote that he thought it made sense for HMS faculty to participate in the planning process alongside representatives of Harvard’s other faculties.

“I do see a rationale for having HMS properly represented in any deliberations that may lead to changes in how faculty participate in university governance,” Blacklow wrote.

—Staff writer Sohum M. Sukhatankar can be reached at sohum.sukhatankar@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @ssukhatankar06.

—Staff writer Neena D. Tarafdar can be reached at neena.tarafdar@thecrimson.com.