Dean of Students Initiatives & Special Projects

Special Projects & Initiatives

Dean of Students Office

Special projects and initiatives housed in the Dean of Students office are projects born from generous gifts made to improve campus life, and driven by the office's mission to cultivate engagement, belonging, and respect through intentional student partnership.

Students gathered around a table reviewing information at a climate action camp.

Mattering Initiative
About

Mattering consists of two fundamental experiences: feeling valued by self and others, and adding value to self and others.

Three students pose in winter gear with skis in hand on a snowy Vermont day.

#CrimsonVotes
About

Harvard College is committed to fostering a robust culture of voting and civic engagement among new and young voters at a time when trust in our democracy seems to be at an all-time low.

Three students in Annenberg dining hall in election night gear during the 2024 presidential elections watch party.

Student Survey Advisory Group
About

The Dean of Students Survey Advisory Group advises Dean of Students Tom Dunne on how best to design and implement surveys to encourage student participation.

Ethan, on the student survey advisory group, shares his thoughts during a meeting.

Phone-Free Fridays

Special Project & Initiatives

In an effort to encourage students to connect more intentionally in real time, the College is launching Phone-Free Fridays. Undergraduate students are invited to:

  1. Come to University Hall center suite on Friday between the hours of 10AM and 12PM.
  2. Grab a Yonder pouch.
  3. Lock their devices in the provided Yonder pouches, and take the pouches with them to spend their day untethered from their phones.
  4. After, students can then make their way to Oggi located in the Smith Campus Center to have a meal sponsored by the College between the hours of 5:30-7:30PM.
  5. At the end of the meal, staff at Oggi will unlock and collect the Yonder pouches from students.
  6. BONUS: Snap a picture sharing a meal with your Yonder pouches and get featured on the Harvard College Instagram.
University Hall in the summer from the front view with the American flag above.

Office Hours with Dean Dunne

Students are invited to sign up for Dean Dunne's office hours. These meetings are designed to facilitate direct engagement between students and the Dean of Students, and model the kind of community we want to build at Harvard: one in which students, faculty, and staff are all active participants in shaping our shared environment.

To request an office hours appointment, please fill out the form linked below.

Fill out the office hours interest form
Dean of Students, Tom Dunne, talks with two students outside of his residence at 53 Dunster Street.