Harvard Extension School Students Rally for Degree Name Change

[crimsonhairless]

I recently graduated from HES this past month and I have literally never once used the guidelines they have on the website, even when applying to stuff on campus. Most people I’ve encountered at Harvard don’t care about the “in Extension Studies” thing and will usually just go by field of study I.e History. I do believe that the official listing guidelines should be altered, but it’s honestly not a big deal if you just say “Masters of Liberal Arts in FIELD.” Even Dean Coleman and Mrs.Spreadbury were referring to degrees in this way. The only time I felt this was a big issue was before I signed up for my degree and thought I would looked at as ‘inferior’ on campus, rest assured friends, it truly is “One Harvard” and you will not be treated as a fraud if you choose to sign up.

So if even the Dean doesn't care and is preaching "one Harvard" why the pushback or feet dragging on the name change?

To be clear, Dean Coleman is the dean of the Continuing Education division. Harvard has deans for all their other schools/divisions i.e Public Health, Divinity, Etc. AFAIK she does not have the power to unilaterally make the decision to alter the degree names, although she may be supportive of it. That decision remains up to the Board of Governors, and perhaps other parties and/or stakeholders who are less friendly to that decision. I believe with time, and the growth of the Extension School (which produces more Harvard graduates that the other schools) this will change as the power dynamic shifts.