10 Years of Making Harvard Home

10 Years of Making Harvard Home huhousing.harvard.edu

Letter from the director

Over ten years ago I was invited to tour a new Harvard University Housing apartment building on Cowperthwaite Street in Cambridge.

Little did I know that the tour would change the trajectory of my career at Harvard and have a profound impact on my life.

In that meeting, I first learned that Harvard University Housing was looking to launch a pilot program focused on building connections between graduate students living on campus. As we walked the new spaces, including a beautiful Faculty Director apartment, the conversation quickly turned from countertops and air handlers to the importance of community and interdisciplinary opportunities amongst Harvard University Housing residents. I was instantly excited about the possibilities and a few months later I had a new job and new sense of purpose.

Since 2008, the Graduate Commons Program has grown ten-fold from an experiment in two Harvard University Housing properties to a thriving living-learning community for all the Harvard graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, staff, faculty and their families who live with us. During that time, I have sat at dinner tables with great authors and scholars and listened to lectures on astronomy, health care, leadership, the death penalty, and so much more. I have worked with students at all stages of their academic career and had the privilege of developing close relationships with Harvard faculty, students, and staff from across the University’s twelve graduate and professional schools.

Personally, I am so grateful to the residents, the Program Managers, and the Faculty Directors for the parts they have played in growing this program. I also want to thank the myriad campus offices and community resources, including my Harvard Housing colleagues, who have provided support and programming opportunities for us over the years. Their generous contributions of time and creativity have allowed us to serve our community and the University in more ways than ever imagined. It has been the joy of my career to be a part of Graduate Commons’ story.

Ten years from its inception you’ll find that the Graduate Commons Program is so much more than our initial goal of making connections; we are a team of faculty, staff, and students truly ‘Making Harvard Home’.

With gratitude,

10 Years of Making Harvard Home 2

Lisa Valela Director, Graduate Commons Program

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10 Years of Making Harvard Home

The Need for Graduate Housing “This is a wonderful program that does so much to build community and make this place feel like home.” ~ Harvard University Housing resident

On-campus housing has long been influential in allowing students to achieve their goals, and following a 2001 survey completed in conjunction with Demographic Perspectives, LLC, Harvard administrators learned that, indeed, housing is often one of the motivating factors in graduate students’ overall satisfaction. With this new data, campus administrators’ beliefs were confirmed: By adding more physical housing and intentional programming, we could significantly improve student success and satisfaction.

54% of those students surveyed rated “cost and availability of housing” as either “somewhat important” to “very important”; while a whopping 80% of respondents indicated that housing had an “important” to “very important” impact on their academic and social goals.

Inspired by this data and feedback from the surrounding Boston and Cambridge communities, Harvard University Housing moved forward to garner support for the Graduate Student Housing Initiative (GSHI). This initiative was designed to increase the percentage of Harvard’s graduate student population living on campus through new construction and property renewal.

10 Years of Making Harvard Home

___ Photo Credit: Northstar Project and

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Real Estate Services

Faculty and Institutional Buy-in During the planning process for GSHI, the concept of a “Graduate Commons” emerged from team discussions around common spaces and faculty director involvement. The “Commons” concept tied together the graduate student need for privacy with intentional community building programs. The idea soon gained momentum and support from across the Graduate and Professional School Administrative Deans.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ former Academic Dean, Peter T. Ellison, led the charge in tandem with former GSAS Administrative Dean Margot N. Gill. Their combined efforts helped build bridges across the University and eventually paved the way for the Graduate Commons’ pilot funding in 2008.

“This truly was a team effort and we could not have done it without the support and contributions of our colleagues in the University Planning Office, Office of the General Counsel, Office of Government and Community Affairs, Budget Office, and Office of Treasury Management and others. We also owe our gratitude to faculty members from several Schools, notably Professor [Peter] Ellison of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, who provided us with feedback and leadership, and the community groups and administration of the city of Cambridge. For their work and their commitment to the project, I thank them sincerely. ” ~ James W. Gray, former Director of Harvard Real Estate Services, 2003-2011

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10 Years of Making Harvard Home

The Administrative Team pushed for the addition of live-in Faculty Directors, not unlike the Harvard College Faculty Dean position. These Faculty Directors would act as the intellectual head of the community, welcoming residents and guests into their homes each month to live and learn together. Motivated by their interest and previous experiences in student life, two candidates joined the Graduate Commons team in the summer of 2008: Harvard Divinity School and Faculty of Arts and Sciences Professor Davíd Carrasco and Harvard Kennedy School Professor Jennifer Lerner. They arrived on campus with their families and began hosting events in August of 2008.

Inaugural GCP Faculty Directors: Professors Davíd Carrasco and María Luisa Parra & Professor Jennifer Lerner and Brian Gill.

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Funding “The key to a successful GCP is to supply good intellectual events that have a social benefit to our residents.” ~ Inaugural Faculty Director, HKS Professor Jennifer Lerner

Dean Peter T. Ellison’s leadership allowed for a generous contribution from President Drew G. Faust’s Discretionary Fund in 2008. Originally intended to support a three-year pilot in the 5 Cowperthwaite and 10 Akron properties, the program team carefully managed the programming spend each year, allowing for an additional fourth year of support. Proof of concept data in “Five Areas of Strong Influence” (Figure 1) was shared with the President’s Office at the completion of the fourth programming year (2011-12).

These findings helped secure the financial future of the Graduate Commons Program and provided funding for a third, much larger and more complex property to be added to the mix. This time, Graduate Commons brought Peabody Terrace, a 480-unit complex, traditionally serving a large international population, into the fold. With them came a new category of programming focused on family life at Harvard and a newly renovated children’s playroom.

___ Cheers on the Charles Graduation Celebration with Faculty Directors Guhan Subramanian and Helen Clement.

Photo Credit: Bob Keene/ Keene Vision Photography.

10 Years of Making Harvard Home

GCP Pilot Phase: Five Areas of Strong Influence 72% Strengthened the bond I feel with Harvard

73% 70% 68%

New perspective on global workforce

71% 61% 76%

Helped me feel settled

58% 39% 60%

Helped me make friends

38% 30%

Attracted to opportunity to develop relationships with academically diverse people

52% 36%

0%

20%

Year 1

40%

Year 2

60%

Year 3

Figure 1 GCP Phase I Areas of Strong Influence; Demographic Perspectives, LLC.

80%

10 Years of Making Harvard Home

42%

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Setting the Course

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Our Team

Community Advisors

Professional Staff

One of the main components of Graduate Commons’ success has been the wonderful team of Harvard Affiliates that meet the needs of a diverse residential population and further the One Harvard vision first established

by President Faust’s office back in 2008.

Community Advisors (CAs) are an integral part of the GCP team.

This opportunity is open to any individual living in an HUH property and may include students, faculty, staff members, postdoctoral fellows, partners, spouses, and family members; making our staff a true representation of the resident population. Their primary responsibility is to develop dynamic programming opportunities that meet the mission of the Graduate Commons Program, but their creativity and genuine interest in building a community are the building blocks for everything we do. This group welcomes new residents and makes connections among our returners. They also look for ways to engage beyond the Harvard walls, taking residents into the surrounding Cambridge and Boston area to explore their new home.

Working behind the scenes at almost every Graduate Commons event is a GCP Program Manager.

These student affairs professionals act as the point person for their community and as a trusted resource for our Harvard affiliate population. They are responsible for the day to day operations of their area, which include supporting a Faculty Director couple, developing programming, and leading a Community Advisor team.

GCP Program Managers open doors and welcome residents each year, providing valuable insight into both the Harvard and Cambridge worlds. They oversee every aspect of GCP programming and common space, handling resident or facilities issues as they arise. Their work allows us to provide the best possible living and community experience for the residents of Harvard Housing.

10 Years of Making Harvard Home

___ Charles River Cruise Welcome Event Photo Credit: Dominic Tschoepe

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Faculty Directors GCP Faculty Directors act as the intellectual head of their community, welcoming residents and guests into their homes each month, to live and learn together. Our inaugural Directors, pictured here, helped shape the Program’s pillars and programming. They shared eight years of their families’ lives to help build the Program and mentor our residents. The Program is forever grateful for the efforts of Professors Davíd Carrasco and María Luisa Parra, and Professor Jennnifer Lerner and Dr. Brian Gill.

Through their leadership, the Program stayed grounded in its academic and learning mission.

Today, the Graduate Commons Program is served by four Faculty Director Couples, spread across three geographic areas. Each couple, along with their families, typically stay in the community for a period of years, sharing their work and personal lives with the Harvard Housing population. Their commitment to interdisciplinary interaction, learning outside the classroom, and community building continues to develop, bringing new and innovative programing to our residents each year. ___ Faculty Directors Jim and Doreen Hogle; Photo credit: Bob Keene; Keene Vision Photography.

10 Years of Making Harvard Home

___ Faculty Directors Nancy Hill and Rendall Howell, along with their son, Theo. Photo credit: Mary

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Kate James/MK James Photography.

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Faculty Directors Guhan Subramanian and

Faculty Directors Chris and Nancy Winship;

Helen Clement; Photo Credit: Bob Keene;

Photo Credit: Harvard University

Keene Vision Photography.

As a professor at HLS and HBS, and as faculty chair for the JD/ MBA program, I believe that cross-fertilization among fields and inter-disciplinary education will be critical to the next wave of advances in our society. As Faculty Directors, Helen and I get to witness that interaction every day. ~ Guhan Subramanian & Helen Clement

We have really enjoyed our seven years serving as Faculty Directors of the Graduate Commons Program at Peabody Terrace. Being Faculty Directors has given us the opportunity to meet a remarkably diverse and international group of residents, including graduate students, postdocs, junior faculty and their families. We’ve had a wonderful time getting to know residents academically, professionally and socially, and to share ideas and customs with them. The experience has also provided us with a chance to work alongside an extremely dedicated group of resident staff, including programming directors and community advisors, to create a sense of community in a building complex that could otherwise be very isolating. The experience has truly enriched our lives. ~ Jim & Doreen Hogle

Current Faculty Directors (2018-19) Professor Jim Hogle (HMS) & Doreen Hogle Professor Chris Winship (FAS) & Nancy Winship Professor Nancy Hill (HGSE) & Rendall Howell Professor Guhan Subramanian (HBS/HLS) & Helen Clement

10 Years of Making Harvard Home

In our ten years as students at Harvard, Helen and I came to love the excitement and energy of the Harvard campus. Then we got married, had two wonderful children, and moved to the suburbs to give them a backyard and neighborhood kids to grow up with. Now that they are older (ages 15 and 12), we feel we can re-immerse our selves in the 24/7 environment at Harvard. As the Faculty Directors of the Western Area for the past two years, we have really loved interacting with, mentoring, and learning from the diverse and incredibly talented community of Harvard students and scholars.

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Building Community “I love the events where we all come together and do something creative like painting or cooking.” ~ Harvard University Housing resident

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Graduate Commons’ interactions assist in increasing the social capital of our residents across schools and disciplines; a difficult task in a famously de-centralized learning environment. By providing a social environment where friends and neighbors can unwind after a long day in the library or lab, events like our monthly Faculty Open Houses or Family Events help build community across generations and strengthen the connection to the University.

Graduate Commons works to build community at our themed Welcome Events and other signature celebrations throughout the year. Introducing neighbors at the start of the year helps lay the foundation for the year and increases interactions at larger event like the Head of the Charles Brunches or Family Holiday Parties.

Bridging Divides across Cultures and Disciplines Recognizing the importance of inclusion and belonging on Harvard’s campus, Graduate Commons works to bridge divides across cultures and academic disciplines. This pillar was created to help residents share their background and work among neighbors to spark dialogue and encourage conversation.

Events such as Lunar New Year or Nowruz have become resident favorites, and help us to understand the commonalities that tie us all together. Resident TED-style talks and networking sessions allow for interesting conversation in a low-risk, non-academic environment. Living and learning with the Graduate Commons Program ensures all residents find their place in the Harvard community.

Service to Self and Others

Learning outside the Classroom

During the busy academic year, making time for ourselves and our neighbors is an important component of our community. Graduate Commons offers myriad wellness programming for our residents including meditation classes, sleep training, intentional eating and healthy cooking opportunities.

We are consistently looking for new opportunities to serve our neighbors. Recent projects include annual participation in Charles River Clean-Up events and the City of Cambridge’s MLK Day of Service, as well as internal food and clothing drives to support our neighbors and community members.

Over the years, our academic programming has evolved from monthly lectures driven by Faculty to include resident led discussions on today’s hot topics. Examples include book club sessions on happiness or ‘Thinks and Drinks’ on Race in America. These informal sessions provide a space for sharing opinions and asking questions outside the classroom.

“GCP works hard to make Harvard home for all of us. I highly recommend HUH and GCP to all friends coming to Harvard in the next academic year.” ~ Harvard University Housing resident

10 Years of Making Harvard Home

Additionally, the Harvard University Housing Sustainability Plan aligns Harvard’s decentralized campus around one vision and sets clear University-wide goals and priorities in the areas of emissions and energy, campus operations, nature and ecosystems, health and well-being, and culture and learning. Graduate Commons partners with the Office for Sustainability frequently through our programming model.

Our more traditional academic programming continues to be led by our Faculty Director team and includes The Meet the Scholar lecture series. The lecture series began in the fall of 2008 and has become one of our most popular programs to date. Throughout the year, residents have the opportunity to attend an intimate dinner and lecture with leading scholars.

Guests are chosen by the Faculty Directors to share life and work experiences, as well as their past research and current projects.

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Meet the Scholar Lecture Series Residents have welcomed distinguished scholars from across the University community, and beyond. Utilizing our Faculty Directors’ professional and personal networks varies the lecture series in both thought and practice, allowing residents to explore topics beyond their normal day to day pursuits.

Harvard Faculty and Boston-area professionals who have contributed to the program include:

Professor David Carrasco, Neil L. Rudenstine Professor of the Study of Latin America, with a joint appointment with the Department of Anthropology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (HDS/FAS); Inaugural Graduate Commons Faculty Director

Professor Jose Cuellar, Professor Emeritus of Latina/Latino Studies (San Francisco State University)

Elaine Kamarck, Lecturer in Public Policy (HKS)

Ambassador Swanee Hunt, Eleanor Roosevelt Lecturer in Public Policy (HKS)

Dr. Linda Bilmes, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Senior Lecturer in Public Policy (HKS)

Professor Michael Jackson, Distinguished Visiting Professor of World Religions (HDS)

Dean Allan Brandt, Amalie Moses Kass Professor of the History of Medicine and Professor of the History of Science (FAS)

Walt Michael, Musician

Brian Gill, Ph.D./JD, Senior Fellow at Mathematica Policy Research; Inaugural Graduate Commons Faculty Director Professor Max Bazerman, Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration (HBS) Susan Ware, Ph.D., Senior Advisor to the Schlesinger Library and Independent Scholar Dr. Nicholas Christakis, M.D., Ph.D., MPH Dr. Jennifer Lerner, Professor of Public Policy and Decision Science at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Founder of the Harvard Decision Science Laboratory; Inaugural Graduate Commons Faculty Director Dr. Daniel McKanan, Ralph Waldo Emerson Unitarian Universalist Association Senior Lecturer in Divinity (HDS) Dr. Karen King, Hollis Professor of Divinity (HDS) Dr. Roland G. Fryer, Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University and faculty director of the Education Innovation Laboratory (FAS) Dr. Anthony Aveni, Russell Colgate Distinguished University Professor of Astronomy and Anthropology and Native American Studies, Emeritus (Colgate University) Professor Annette Gordon-Reed, Charles Warren Professor of American Legal HistoryProfessor of History, Faculty of Arts & Sciences; shown at left.

Professor Charles Donahue, Paul A. Freund Professor of Law (HLS)

Edward Schumacher-Matos, Robert F. Kennedy Visiting Scholar (HKS) Professor Rose McDermott, RI’ 11; David and Mariana Fisher University Professor of International Relations at Brown University Dean William A. Graham, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor (HDS) and Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies (HDS) Professor Jonathan Walton, Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church (FAS) and Professor of Religion and Society (HDS) Dr. Jane Mansbridge, Adams Professor of Political Leadership and Democratic Values (HKS) Professor Christopher (Sandy) Jencks, Malcolm Wiener Professor of Social Policy, Emeritus (HKS) Professor Helen Haste,Visiting Professor at HGSE and principal investigator for the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Spencer Foundation-funded New Civics Early Career Scholars’ Program Professor Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology (FAS) and Rebecca Goldstein, Ph.D., independent scholar Professor Noah Feldman, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law and Director, JulisRabinowitz Program on Jewish and Israeli Law (HLS)

Professor Francesca Gino, Tandon Family Professor of Business Administration (HBS)

Author Miguel Syjuco, Radcliffe Fellow ‘14; shown at right.

Dean George Daley M.D., Ph.D., Dean of theFaculty of Medicine (HMS) Professor Lawrence Lessig, Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership (HLS) Professor James McCarthy, Alexander Agassiz Professor of Biological Oceanography (FAS) Dr. Dyann Wirth, Richard Pearson Strong Professor of Infectious Diseases (HCSPH) Professor Richard Parker, Lecturer in Public Policy and Senior Fellow of the Shorenstein Center (HKS) Professor Tom Kane, Walter H. Gale Professor of Education and Faculty Director for the Center for Education Policy Research (HGSE) Professor William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Sociology (FAS) Professor Vijay Iyer, Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts in the Department of Music (FAS)

Professor Ellen Langer, Professor of Psychology (FAS)

Professor Nancy Koehn, James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration (HBS)

John C.C. Fan, Ph.D. ’72, applied sciences; chairman, CEO, and president of Kopin Corporation

David Laibson, Robert I. Goldman Professor of Economics (FAS)

Professor Howell Jackson, James S. Reid, Jr., Professor of Law (HLS) Scholar Benton Brooks Bodamer, J.D.

Professor Dustin Tingley, Professor of Government (FAS) Professor William Kirby, Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration & T. M. Chang Professor of China Studies (FAS/HBS)

Steve Leveen, CEO of Levenger, 2015 Professor Harvey Cox, Hollis Research Professor of Divinity (HDS/FAS)

Dr. Ronald F. Ferguson, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy (HKS)

Professor Nancy Hill, Charles Bigelow Professor of Education (HGSE)

President Carolyn A. “Biddy” Martin, Ph.D., Amherst College

Professor Mary Brinton, Reischauer Institute Professor of Sociology (FAS)

Professor Belle Liang, Lynch School of Education, Boston College

Professor Arthur Kleinman, Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor of Anthropology; Professor of Medical Anthropology in Global Health and Social Medicine, Professor of Psychiatry (HMS)

Professor Paulo Lozano, M. Alemán-Velasco Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT

Professor Troy Van Voorhis, Haslam and Dewey Professor of Chemistry, MIT Professor

Professor Michael VanRooyen, Professor of Emergency Medicine (HMS and HCSPH); Director, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative

Mary L. Bonauto, J.D., Shikes Fellow in Civil Liberties and Civil Rights and Lecturer on Law (HLS)

Professor Michael Puett, Walter C. Klein Professor of Chinese History and Anthropology (FAS)

Dr. María Luisa Parra-Velasco, Senior Preceptor in Romance Languages and Literatures (FAS); Inaugural Graduate Commons Faculty Director

Professor Michael I. Norton, Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration (HBS)

Professor Matthew Desmond, Department of Sociology, Princeton University

Professor Stephen Walt, Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Affairs (HKS) Dr. Jeff Lichtman, Jeremy R. Knowles Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Santiago Ramón y Cajal Professor (FAS)

Assistant Professor Wesley Wong, Departments of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology and Pediatrics (HMS) Rick Weissbourd, Ed.D., Senior Lecturer on Education & Faculty Director, Human Development and Psychology (HGSE and HKS) Ron Suskin, Visiting Fellow 14’, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics & Director, Investigative Journalism Project (HLS)

Professor Alex Krieger, Professor in Practice of Urban Design (GSD)

Professor Ed Glaeser, Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics (FAS) Professor James J. McCarthy, Alexander Agassiz Professor of Biological Oceanography (FAS) Professor Carol S. Steiker, Henry J. Friendly Professor of Law (HLS) Professor Ahmed Ragab, Richard T. Watson Associate Professor of Science and Religion (HDS)

Tsedal Neeley, Associate Professor of Business Administration (HBS) CEO Judy Nitsch, Nitsch Engineering Visiting Professor (’17- ’18) Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, Professor of Medicine, UCLA Medical School Professor Christoph Wolff, Adams University Research Professor, Emeritus (FAS) Professor Eric Mazur, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics (SEAS) Stephanie Robinson, Esq., Lecturer on Law (HLS) Sandra Moose, PhD ’68, Economics, former Senior Managing Partner of Boston Consulting Group Dr. Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., Clinical Professor of Law (HLS) Dr. George Church, Robert Winthrop Professor of Genetics (HMS)

Collaboration with Harvard Departments and Offices “The programming has been absolutely terrific!� ~ Harvard University Housing resident

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The Graduate Commons Professional Staff has worked tirelessly over the past decade to build relationships across the University, making our programming incredibly responsive to the resident needs and continually creative. Many of these partnerships have developed into annual programming that benefit our residents across our Four Pillars, including International Student Kick-Off events with the Harvard International Office and Reading Strategies sessions with the Bureau of Study Counsel.

• All Harvard Graduate and Professional Schools • Harvard Center for Wellness • Harvard Office for Sustainability • Harvard Campus Services • Harvard International Office • Harvard Communications Office • Harvard College Bureau of Study Council • Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response • Cambridge Center for Adult Education • Cambridge Community Center • Harvard University Chaplains • Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning • Harvard Student Spouse and Partner Association • Crimson Parents

Our Future at Harvard University As we celebrate our history and heritage, Graduate Commons looks to redefine itself during the next decade of work under our new President, Lawrence S. Bacow. The Program will continue to move the One Harvard story forward and program with our four pillars at the forefront of our minds.

This objective requires GCP to take a leadership role on campus as we look to support all Harvard Housing resi­dents, including those traditionally under-served populations, particularly student parents, veterans, and LGBTQ community members within the larger Harvard graduate student community.

It will require innovative ways of connecting campus partners, colleagues and residents, using technology and social media, as well as tried and true methods of community building.

Graduate Commons’ academic initiatives will expand to provide lifelong learning, opportunities for dialogue on today’s tough topics, and partnerships to improve our residents’ professional skill base.

Our programming will deliberately incorporate the tools and foundations of the University Diversity and Inclusion framework, ensuring that all viewpoints find a home within the Harvard Housing community.

Lastly, Graduate Commons hopes to invest our greatest resource, our residents, in the surrounding communities through volunteer and civic engagement work, recommitting to our “Service to Self and Others” pillar. The University already has extensive experience and partnerships in both Boston and Cambridge to help build relationships that extend beyond the Harvard walls and last for a lifetime.

10 Years of Making Harvard Home

University and Community Partners:

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GCP by the Numbers – A snapshot in time.

As a part of Harvard University Housing, Graduate Commons offers programming to all Harvard affiliates currently living in our portfolio. This past year, our population represented:

11% 5

5%

%

Lease Holder Type Graduate Student Post-Doc

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Staff Faculty 78%

Angola

France

Lithuania

Spain

Argentina

Germany

Macau

Sri Lanka

Australia

Ghana

Malaysia

Sweden

Austria

Greece

Mexico

Switzerland

Azerbaijan

Hong Kong

Mongolia

Taiwan

Bangladesh

Hungary

Morocco

Thailand

Belgium

Iceland

Netherlands

Turkey

Brazil

India

New Zealand

United Arab Emirates

British Virgin Islands

Indonesia

Nigeria

United Kingdom

Burma/Myanmar

Iran

Norway

United States

Canada

Israel

Pakistan

Uruguay

Chile

Italy

Peru

Uzbekistan

China

Japan

Philippines

Venezuela

Colombia

Jordan

Poland

Vietnam

Costa Rica

Kenya

Romania

Zimbabwe

Croatia

Korea (North)

Russia

Czech Republic

Korea (South)

Rwanda

Denmark

Kuwait

Saudi Arabia

Egypt

Lebanon

Singapore

Finland

Liberia

South Africa

* Countries are a sampling and may not reflect the current make up of the population.

10 Years of Making Harvard Home

Residents from Around the World *

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“My family and I love all the GCP offerings – from the acadeamic to the social!” ~ Harvard University Housing resident

Each year, Graduate Commons focuses our resident survey on community engagement and the overall resident experience to help determine challenge and success areas. The results inform our programming decisions, and add to the larger conversation about community living now offered in housing complexes across the country, both on university campuses, and off.*

92% 86% 86% Helped me feel settled at Harvard University

Helped me feel like I am part of a community

Helped me to not feel alone

85% 83% 82% Helped me live a more sustainable and healthy

Helped me make friends

82% 79% Helped me meet outside my own culture

Helped me meet people outside my discipline

*Results show residents who selected Neutral through Strongly Agree.

10 Years of Making Harvard Home

Strengthened my overall bond with the University

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10 Years of Making Harvard Home

___ Dr. Stephanie Downey-Toledo, Former Community Advisor Humberto Toledo, and their three children.

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Photo credit: S. Downey-Toledo.

A Resident Perspective

by Stephanie Downey-Toledo, PhD ‘18 My family and I had the incredible pleasure of living with GCP for three years while I completed my doctorate. GCP has been so much more than events to us, GCP has truly “made Harvard home” as their motto says.

The people we have met through GCP, both neighbors and staff, have truly become family. Having the opportunity to celebrate holidays together through the many wonderful GCP festivities and making memories such as climbing trees to pick the shiniest fruit on the annual apple picking trip are just a few of the ways your neighbors, from all over the world, become your dear friends.

During our second year at Harvard, we really saw what an incredible community we had become a part of when we welcomed our third child, Hope, to our family. Hope was born into the GCP family and the community surrounded us with so much support. When life as a graduate student and parent feels like more than one can juggle, GCP always comes through with an event, with every detail planned, to create an incredible opportunity for quality family time, without any work for the resident. GCP kept us laughing, learning, and very well fed for the last three years.

“When life as a graduate student and parent feels like more than one can juggle, GCP always comes through with an event, with every detail planned, to create an incredible opportunity for quality family time, without any work for the resident.”

10 Years of Making Harvard Home

As we prepare to move next month after graduation, it is hard to imagine life without this community. GCP has made such an impact that we have been looking for our next place to live with a focus on how we could re-establish a GCP-like community. The people we have met through GCP will be friends for life so while we will leave our beloved Peabody Terrace in just a few weeks, we know we will stay connected to the people we’ve met and will return to Cambridge as well as visit our GCP friends all over the globe.

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Notes

10 Years of Making Harvard Home

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10 Years of Making Harvard Home

Notes

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huhousing.harvard.edu

10 Years of Making Harvard Home Photo credit: Kyu Sung Woo Architects