The mission of Harvard College is to educate citizens and citizen-leaders for our society. We do this through our belief in the transformative power of a liberal arts education.
Harvard College harnesses the shared responsibility of faculty, students, staff and community partners to address society’s most pressing challenges through co-curricular and academic opportunities. Civic engagement and public service programs are integral to undergraduate life and to the fulfillment of our mission. Our programs are built on principled collaborations with community partners in direct service, civic participation, and social innovation where teaching, learning, and research are inclusive, equitable, reciprocal, respectful, and sustained through service, activism, politics, and engaged scholarship. We empower our students with the knowledge, skills, and values to act with integrity and empathy to serve as active citizens and citizen-leaders throughout their lives.
The following values are meant to support our overall vision, shape organizational culture, reflect our beliefs, and guide policies, decision making, and operations.
Community Agency and Reciprocity
Harvard College strives to sustain reciprocal and authentic relationships in the communities we learn from and contribute to. We believe community voices should guide our efforts and that expertise lies within the communities we partner with to build a more ethical, equitable, and sustainable society.
Community Building and Belonging
Harvard College sustains communities of shared civic purpose across campus that foster critical learning, mentorship, and reflection for and among our students during their undergraduate experience and beyond. We strive for our students to develop a shared sense of purpose and belonging that leads them to stay civically engaged throughout their lives.
Learning
Harvard College is committed to creating an intellectually rigorous learning environment that advances knowledge, promotes understanding, and serves society. We are responsible for cultivating an environment where students are empowered by their own and others’ perspectives, ideologies, and lived experiences, and develop multidisciplinary tools to constructively challenge the world and their place in it. Through these learning experiences, we challenge students determine how they can use their skills to address problems, to test hypotheses, and to critically examine failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Leadership Development
Harvard College prepares students to serve as citizens and citizen-leaders for our society by equipping them with the knowledge and emotional intelligence to serve with integrity, compassion, and a sense of responsibility for the well-being of others. By entrusting our students with substantive responsibilities scaffolded by training, reflection, and scholarship, we develop ethical and competent leaders ready to address social challenges.
Commitment to Public Good
Harvard College is committed to mobilizing our resources and educating our students to build a more ethical, equitable, and just society. We believe that the public good is best served through thoughtful and active participation, and that our role is to empower students to use their knowledge, skills, and experiences to ensure equitable access to resources and power for all people and communities.
Equity and Inclusion
Harvard College is committed to creating a living and learning environment where we respectfully engage with people from all backgrounds, regardless of any individual’s religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, social class, sexual orientation, ability, or other factors. We believe diversity across cultures, identities, and lived experiences makes us and our institution more accountable to a future that is more equitable for everyone.