But the initiatives have a larger function than just serving undergraduates' needs.

The Environment initiative also focuses on a large-scale research project on China and the environment, directly looking at the issue of developing countries and their role in economic growth while maintaining environmental consciousness.

"[Originators of the program] believe that the best way to approach this particular issue is in an interdisciplinary way and across the schools," Wald says.

The Schooling and Children initiative is also primarily research-directed, but is offering a new course this year--Social Analysis 56, "Children and Their Social Worlds"--which will be taught in the spring by faculty from the different schools.

The Harvard Project on Schooling and Children, directed by Katherine K. Merseth, focuses on five areas--children's studies, innovative schools, the ecology of schooling, evaluation of school reform and children's health.

The Health Policy initiative has primarily manifested itself in a Ph.D. program with two Harvard schools. It is the first inter-school Ph.D. program and, according to Wald, has gained the reputation of being the best program of its kind in the country.

Ethics and the Professions has developed into a fellowship program designed to "teach the teacher." It has also spawned a number of similar programs in other schools.

Currently, the Mind/ Brain/ Behavior initiative has 37 "official" faculty members from eight schools, Children and Schooling has 12 members from five schools, Health Policy has 24 from six schools, Ethics and the Profession has seven members from five schools and Environment has about 35 members from seven schools.

But Wald says that these are not the only interfaculty topics being researched at Harvard.

"We have a number of other things, including human rights, non-profit institutions, negotiation and mediation, and international affairs," she says.

Capital Campaign

The University is trying to raise money for each of these initiatives through the $2.1 billion capital campaign.

Officials say they would like to raise $15 million for each initiative, for a total of $75 million.

This money would go to the central administration rather than to the initiatives directly, but Wald says although the money is allotted to the central administration and the president, the vast majority of funds will be spent by the Faculties in the initiatives.

But despite the promise shown by the initiatives, the University has had a difficult time raising money for them.

Ethics and the Professions, for example, has raised only $100,000 of its $15 million goal more than halfway into the campaign