Introducing the Office for Community and Belonging

To the Harvard Chan community:

Ever since I arrived as dean, I have been eager to strengthen our capacity for learning from one another.

We are fortunate to work and learn in an incredibly diverse community, representing a rich tapestry of views, identities, and lived experiences. Yet too often, I hear that people are afraid to step outside their bubbles. I understand this reluctance; it’s not easy to talk about controversial issues. But I believe we must gain the confidence to do so.

An open, respectful, and academically rigorous exchange of ideas, firmly grounded in science and scholarship, is the hallmark of academic excellence. It’s also critical for progress in public health.

Today, I’m pleased to announce that we are taking an important step to elevate this work and turn our values into lived commitments by launching the Office for Community and Belonging (OCB). This represents both a new name and a new mission for our former Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

Under the leadership of Chief Community and Belonging Officer Bryan Thomas, Jr., OCB will focus on building a pluralistic culture, supporting productive and rigorous engagement across differences, and ensuring fair treatment for all members of our community. In the coming months, Bryan will work with colleagues across the School to stand up new committees and initiatives to advance these goals.

Bryan is also a member of and will coordinate closely with our new Working Group on Constructive Engagement, which includes faculty, staff, students, trainees, and research scientists, representing every academic department and multiple administrative units.

Over the summer, the Working Group will consider several important questions. These include how the School, its leadership, and its classroom instructors communicate values and expectations around open inquiry; whether our words and actions suppress or facilitate viewpoint diversity; and how well we teach skills for effective engagement across differences. The group will then make recommendations to strengthen our commitment to open inquiry while reinforcing scientific rigor and academic excellence.

I recently attended the Working Group’s first meeting and was quite impressed by their thoughtful approach. I look forward to receiving their initial recommendations this fall.

I am also thrilled to be working with Bryan as he launches our new Office for Community and Belonging. This is essential work, and a critical component of my vision for the future of Harvard Chan School.

As always, I invite you to share your ideas and questions.

Best,

Andrea

Andrea Baccarelli, MD, PhD
Dean of the Faculty