The University Daily, Est. 1873 | Volume CXLV No. 50 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | thursday, April 5, 2018
The Harvard Crimson HLS must expand its low income potection program to help graduates in the public sector. Editorial PAGE 6
California natives bring new mentality to Harvard Baseball. Sports PAGE 7
Gov. Prof. Facing Faculty T9 Filing
GSD List Alleges Improper Behavior By Alexandra A. Chaidez
By Angela N. Fu and Jamie D. Halper
Crimson Staff Writer
Crimson Staff Writers
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences has filed a Title IX complaint against Government Professor Jorge I. Dominguez, according to an email FAS Dean Michael D. Smith sent Tuesday to 15 women who are accusing the professor of sexual harassment. Smith’s email came as a private response to a letter the 15 women sent last Thursday. In their letter, the women—comprising former Harvard undergraduates, graduate students, professors, and staff—call on the University to implement several steps they claim are necessary to ensure a “full and fair” review of the allegations against Dominguez. In their letter, the women outlined several criticisms of the Title IX office, which deals with the federal policy—Title IX—that prohibits sex or gender-based discrimination including sexual harassment. Smith wrote in his reply email that he could not comment on women’s criticisms because there is an ongoing complaint against the professor. “Since the FAS has submitted a formal Title IX complaint involving Jorge Dominguez, it is improper for me to opine on the specific issues laid out in your letter while this complaint is open,” Smith wrote in the email, which was obtained by The Crimson. In February and March, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that at least 18 women were accusing Dominguez, the former vice provost for International Affairs, of repeated instances of sexual misconduct across the past three decades. Soon after the allegations became public, Smith announced that FAS would review the allegations against Dominguez and that Dominguez was being placed on paid “administrative leave.” A day later Dominguez declared he would retire from his teaching position at the end of the school year and would step down from all administrative positions immediately. Though several women have been in touch with the Title IX office about Dominguez, Smith’s email forms the first confirmation from administrators that there is an official complaint against the professor. Formal Title IX complaints in FAS are investigated according to the school’s sexual and gender-based harassment policies and procedures. Once a formal complaint
Harvard Graduate School of Design affiliates are circulating a month-old spreadsheet—publicly available online—that contains anonymous accounts of sexual misconduct and racist acts allegedly perpetrated by more than a dozen GSD students, faculty, and administrators including the current dean. The spreadsheet, titled “Shitty Architecture Men,” does not only list GSD affiliates. As of Monday, the sheet named more than 100 men affiliated with institutions of higher education like Yale University as well as men who work for prominent architecture firms. Up until recently, anyone with Internet access and the link to the document could add in a man’s name, that
See GSD Page 5
elena M. ramos—Crimson Designer
Some HKS Students Concerned by Policies
At HSPH, ‘Insults’ Spark Class Flagging
By Alexandra a. Chaidez
By Luke w. Vrotsos
Crimson Staff Writer
Crimson Staff Writer
Harvard Kennedy School students said they are concerned and confused by the school’s approach to sexual assault prevention and response at a panel Tuesday, arguing HKS needs to clarify its methods for handling sexual misconduct. The panel, hosted by the Kennedy School’s Gender Policy Union, centered around student activism meant to address sexual misconduct at Harvard. The event featured speakers Amelia Y. Goldberg ’19— a member of anti-sexual assault advocacy organization Our Harvard Can Do Better— and MaryRose Mazzola, a 2015 graduate of the Kennedy School and a former co-coordinator of the Harvard graduate school-wide coalition Harvard Students Demand Respect. Goldberg and Mazzola detailed the
Administrators flagged seven classes at the Harvard School of Public Health for review this year after each class drew three or more student reports of in-class “verbal or nonverbal slights/ insults” on online course evaluations. In total, 85 students responded “yes” to a question asking whether they had experienced in-class microaggressions, according to data provided by Nancy Turnbull, senior associate dean for professional education at the School of Public Health. In 43 out of 138 courses evaluated during the most recent two academic terms, at least one student reported hearing insults. Turnbull wrote in an email that there is “a very small number of courses in which students identify this as an issue.” The seven courses with three or
See HKS Page 5
See Insults Page 3
See dominguez Page 3
Total classes
Classes with at Classes with at least one report least three reports
elena M. ramos—Crimson Designer
Students Give Update on New Pre-Orientation Program By Paula M. Barberi Crimson Staff Writer
This August, incoming Harvard freshmen will have a new pre-orientation program option—the First-Year Retreat and Experience, or FYRE, a twoyear funded pilot program developed particularly for under-resourced students. FYRE co-chair James A. Bedford ’20 revealed the new program’s name at a town hall last month. The program’s steering committee, comprising six members, and its director, Sadé Abraham, gathered to introduce themselves, provide program updates, and hear feedback from students and faculty present. Katie W. Steele, director of College initiatives and student development, and Roland S. Davis, the associate dean of diversity and inclusion, both attended the meeting. Andrew Perez ’20 and Bedford said FYRE will be limited to 100 students, though the two expect the number of applications to surpass this cap. Abraham will work closely with the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid to determine who will “benefit the most” from the program, she said. While some town hall attendees
First-Year Retreat and Experience (FYRE), Harvard’s new flagship pre-orientation program, will run from August 23 to August 26. Justin F. González —Crimson photographer
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Today’s Forecast
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said they assume the program will serve many first-generation college students, the name of the program deliberately leaves out the words “first generation” in an effort to broaden outreach and avoid stereotypes, according to Bedford. “We wanted to ensure that this program wasn’t stigmatizing in a way that this program was called the ‘first generation’ or ‘low-income group’ on campus—or in any way that students felt outed or couldn’t have pride in that pre-orientation program,” Bedford said. “We definitely want to evoke a sense of excitement and ensure that we embody the continued commitment to students on this campus.” The program co-chairs also said they are aware some incoming students who qualify as under-resourced will not also fall under the first-generation label. “You don’t need to be low-income to feel insecure and uncomfortable coming to Harvard because you haven’t had those resources,” Bedford said. Last spring semester, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana rejected a similar proposal for a “First Year
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See FYRE Page 3
Now