Khurana Says He Will Focus on ‘Recentering Academics’ in Last Semester as College Dean

Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana said in a Friday interview that “recentering academics” will be one of his top priorities in his last semester in the position.

Khurana’s remarks come amid a push to make Harvard students take their coursework more seriously. In January, a Faculty of Arts and Sciences report concluded that many Harvard College students “do not prioritize their courses,” adding that “faculty view student curricular disengagement with alarm.”

Over the past year, faculty have made policy changes to discourage skipping class and neglecting course readings — and to combat grade inflation at a school where nearly 80 percent of undergraduates receive A-range grades.

But asked whether Harvard was doing enough to address grade inflation among undergraduates, Khurana did not answer directly.

“We all have an important role to play in making sure that we are providing students accurate feedback,” he said.

Khurana — who also highlighted his work on the College’s Intellectual Vitality initiative — said he plans to spend all the “political capital” he has left to push his initiatives to the finish line and pave a smooth road for his successor.

The College has doubled down on Intellectual Vitality programming in an attempt to combat self-censorship among students. The January report, citing interviews and findings from student surveys, concluded that many undergraduates hesitate to share controversial opinions in class.

On Friday, Khurana seemed to endorse one of the report’s key recommendations: adopting a non-attribution policy, like the Chatham House rules, which allows students to share the contents of class discussion but not attribute comments to individuals.

“Faculty have a role to play of creating an environment where people feel they can speak openly,” Khurana said. “Students can play a role by respecting the Chatham House rules that are being suggested.”

Hoekstra endorsed the report’s recommendations in January.

If the College does not foster an environment where students are willing to challenge prevailing views in class, Khurana said, it will become just “another credentialing mechanism.”

“The ability to speak and not feel that you would get the opprobrium of the community if you ask a sincere and authentic question, or if you present a non-conforming view, is essential to human dignity,” he said. “This is the essence of a liberal arts and sciences education.”

Khurana said his commitment to facilitating dialogue will continue past his tenure as College dean as he returns to teaching. Next year, Khurana will teach a class on organizational sociology, which he said is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m.

Although Khurana said he is playing no role in the search for his successor — which FAS Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra has indicated will conclude before the end of the semester — he said whoever succeeds him must “really love and learn from the students.”

“Go to their performances, go sit in on classes,” he said. “Life is too short, and we’re too lucky to be in a place like this not to enjoy the work we’re doing.”

Khurana said an enthusiasm for interacting with students is critical for a College dean.

“You shouldn’t do this job if you don’t love working with students,” Khurana said. “We are here to educate the citizens and citizen leaders of society.”

“We’re not here to build a parking lot,” he added.

—Staff writer Samuel A. Church can be reached at samuel.church@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @samuelachurch.

—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at cam.srivastava@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @camsrivastava.