In order to ensure participation in J-term, the pedagogy working group has contemplated requiring students to participate.

Undergraduates could be given complete liberty to avoid J-term entirely, required to enroll in a J-term activity all four years, or somewhere in between.

“If we require it of everyone most likely it will not be innovative; if we require it of no one there’s the concern that people would find too many other things to do,” Allen says. “We’re going to say these are the extremes and it seems more logical to do something in the middle.”

Mendelsohn says that giving students complete flexibility with their J-terms could lead to a wasted month.

“I worry a bit about it being left a bit too open,” Mendelsohn says. “Mid-way through the year you can have some fatigue—if you leave things too open, I’m not sure students will take full advantage of the opportunities available.”

Allen adds that he does not personally support making a J-term mandatory.

“If J-term were to happen, then it should be something that’s innovative, something that’s really special, that provides for greater flexibility in student schedules [and] that offers people the flexibility of either doing it or not doing it,” he says.

CREATING A TERM

If a J-term is to be created—let alone required—faculty members will need to develop and teach new types of classes.  

Jones Professor of American Studies Lizabeth Cohen, who is co-chair of the pedagogy working group, says that professors will be encouraged to participate by having a J-term course counted as a normal class towards their teaching requirements.

“Rest assured that we are fully aware that such a January model would only work if faculty and students alike received full credit for participating,” Cohen says.

But not all Harvard professors are sold on the idea.

Keenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield ’53 says he expects a strong faculty opposition to J-term when the curricular review report is presented to the Faculty in May.

“If it’s a choice between having more teaching and less teaching, I can guess which way the Faculty will go—and students will follow,” he says.

Mansfield adds that, despite the numerous possibilities available for J-term, January classes and other activities are unlikely to be educationally valuable.