Cabot House Masters Jay M. Harris and Cheryl L. Harris announced their intention to step down as Masters of Cabot House at the end of the academic year in an e-mail to the House earlier this evening.

In the summer of 2008, Jay Harris, also a professor of Jewish studies and chair of the General Education Committee, was named Dean of Undergraduate Education by Dean of the College Evelynn M. Hammonds. By June, the pair will have been in their posts for seven years.

“While we very much wanted to stay on through ten years as Masters, we feel that with Jay's new responsibilities in University Hall and the escalating demands of Cheryl's job we are unable to put in the time or do the job the way we think it ought to be done,” they wrote. “Cabot deserves better than we feel we can give it at this time, and so we think it is best that we step aside and allow the College to bring in some new blood.”

The news comes three days after Eliot House Masters Lino Pertile and Anna Bernsted wrote to their House that they would be stepping down after 10 years.

House Master vacancies are filled by Hammonds. In addition to Winthrop, Pforzheimer, and Eliot, Cabot will be the fourth House to receive new masters during her tenure.

--Check thecrimson.com for updates throughout the evening.