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Skip to content HARVARD.EDU Intellectual Vitality at Harvard College * Menu Toggle extended navigation FOSTERING A COMMUNITY OF LEARNING Through intellectual vitality, the Harvard College community seeks to establish a culture in which all members speak, listen, and ask questions of each other – and ourselves – with curiosity and respect. This is critical to achieve the mission of Harvard College and what we as a community believe in. Background Video of South asian countries and their people WHAT IS INTELLECTUAL VITALITY? Developed by a committee of students in the spring of 2023, the concept of “intellectual vitality” names what we strive for in our academic, residential, and social spaces: respectful dialogue, open and rigorous inquiry, and careful and thoughtful listening. Intellectual vitality highlights the desire to learn from one another, through asking questions and trying to understand through active listening, with the pursuit of knowledge and the exchanging of ideas as the only agenda. To achieve this, we must reflect on our own goals in seeking to know more and understand that ideas are exchanged with the best intentions in mind. Harvard College Intellectual Vitality Statement During spring 2023 a group of students convened to discuss campus climate and the critical need to develop principles around respectful dialogue and understanding not only among the student body but for the entire College community. From those conversations, the following statement was created: “Members of the Harvard College community affirm the value of intellectual vitality – meaning, a spirit of open and rigorous inquiry. To this end, we believe that our community is best served through the charitable exchange of ideas, where we take as given one another’s best intentions and treat each other as partners in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. In doing so, we recognize the importance of giving and receiving criticism of ideas without extending these critiques to people themselves. Further, an engagement with and sincere consideration of competing views lies at the heart of education more broadly. To maintain a spirit of intellectual vitality, we must cultivate in ourselves an attitude of humility, respect, and curiosity toward each other. Through the spirit of intellectual vitality, we are able to strengthen our perspectives and reconsider foundational assumptions about the world, society, and our place in it – while this may prove discomforting, the capacity to test core ideas is a precondition of growing in wisdom and understanding. All members of the Harvard College community therefore commit ourselves to uphold intellectual vitality in our respective capacities. We agree to foster this spirit of rigor, charity, and open exploration in classrooms, student organizations, and social interactions. ” UPHOLDING A SHARED COMMITMENT TO INTELLECTUAL GROWTH To maintain a spirit of intellectual vitality, we must cultivate in ourselves an attitude of humility, respect, and genuine curiosity toward each other and to learn from one another. In doing so, we recognize the importance of giving and receiving criticism of ideas without extending these critiques to people themselves. Through the spirit of intellectual vitality, we can strengthen our perspectives and reconsider foundational assumptions about the world, society, and our place in it. While this may prove discomforting, testing core ideas is necessary to grow in wisdom and understanding, as an engagement with and sincere consideration of competing views lies at the heart of education more broadly. All members of the Harvard College community, therefore, commit ourselves to uphold intellectual vitality in our respective capacities. We agree to foster this spirit of rigor, charity, and open exploration in classrooms, student organizations, and social interactions. Goals and Approach For our undergraduate students to have a truly transformational experience, we must embed the concept of civic dialogue into all aspects of their College journey—from pre-matriculation and pre-orientation programs, to academic work in the classrooms and labs, to House life and social organizations—and teach the necessary skills for respectful interchange throughout their time here. For this to occur, intellectual vitality will be embedded in the following areas: 1) social and residential life through key partnerships with Admissions for Visitas programming, the Dean of Students Office for orientation and House-based programming, including training , and the Advising Programs Office to prepare Peer Advising Fellows with PAFs; 2) student leadership development with the Dean of Students Office for specific training for student organization leaders; and 3) faculty and classroom engagement through partnership with General Education, Expository Writing, the Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Safra Center for Ethics. The initial outline for this venture will consist of two five-year segments: the first five years will be a building phase in which we pilot and assess a variety of programs, and the second five years will be a continued monitoring and integration phase where the most efficacious and impactful programs continue to become part of our core operations. We believe that this multifaceted, multi-year approach will ensure continued engagement and enthusiasm for embedding intellectual vitality in all aspects of the College. Additionally, we expect to appoint a faculty advisory board to work with leadership, and to implement these program activities with the explicit intention that they become integrated with our core work. JANUARY 18-19, 2024 HARVARD COLLEGE AND PEN AMERICA INTELLECTUAL VITALITY AND FREE EXPRESSION STUDENT SUMMIT In partnership with the Dean of Students Office and PEN America, undergraduate students from Harvard College and Boston-area schools are invited to this day and a half long workshop on intellectual vitality and free expression Learn more about the student summit JANUARY 24, 2024 HARVARD COLLEGE STAFF AND PEN AMERICA CONFERENCE ON INTELLECTUAL VITALITY AND FREE EXPRESSION Through several workshops, Harvard College staff are encouraged to attend this day-long event on intellectual vitality and free expression, facilitated by PEN America. INTERESTED IN PROPOSING PROGRAMMING RELATED INTELLECTUAL VITALITY? Harvard College has funding available for programming related to intellectual vitality. If you are interested in proposing an event, activity, workshop, or something else, submit the proposal form. TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL PROPOSALS: Proposals must have clear goals and outcomes clearly outlined Programs may be stand-alone or a series Proposals must have a clear and concise budget attached If you have questions about your program, please contact Camila Nardozzi to schedule a conversation. Proposal Form Camila Nardozzi Director, Intellectual Vitality Initiatives cnardozzi@fas.harvard.edu Intellectual Vitality Initiatives Harvard College Cambridge, MA 02138 Intellectualvitality@fas.harvard.edu Copyright © 2024 The President and Fellows of Harvard College | Accessibility | Digital Accessibility | Report Copyright Infringement Log In close menu close search Search Search Site