“I don’t think it’s necessary for me to know her personally for her to perform at her best,” Fabian A. Poliak ’11 says.
For many students, reading Hammonds’ e-mail correspondence is their main source of contact with the dean.
“Every time I see an e-mail from Dean Hammonds in the middle of the semester, it’s like, ‘Uh-oh, somebody died again,’” says Courtney L. Blair ’10. “Not that it’s her fault, but she shouldn’t be afraid to have more of a presence. When you get an e-mail from the Dean of the College, it reminds you that you’re part of this larger body of undergraduates.”
WHAT THE STUDENTS WANT
Hammonds says that her interactions with students have played a role in some of her decisions this year and the development of her long-term goals.
For example, one of Hammonds’ self-identified priorities is to address the issue of limited social space on campus.
“By the end of my deanship I hope that the administration will have found a way to solve the problem of more space for student organizations,” she says.
Hammonds specifically cites her interaction with students as the driving force behind her support for this issue.
“I was having dinner with some students [who said], ‘Dean, we need a no-work zone...we don’t have enough of them,’” she says. “After listening to this for a year and a half, I’m convinced that it’s an important thing for student life.”
Though she says it is unlikely that Harvard will acquire a new property for a dedicated student center, Hammonds hopes to spend time next year evaluating ways to reconfigure existing space.
Hammonds has also spent time this year planning for next year’s J-Term—the month-long break between the fall and spring semesters that debuted this year.
After discussions with student leaders and other administrative offices, the administration announced in April that the College will allow all students to return to campus a week before the spring semester begins.
While the change did not satisfy all of students’ J-Term requests, Undergraduate Council President Johnny F. Bowman ’11 says he believes the College’s decision is a direct result of the input they received from student leaders.
A COLLEGE COMMUNITY
In addition to cultivating a relationship with students, Hammonds has also worked to build the College administration into a cohesive community.
Read more in News
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