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HARVARD.EDU

Intellectual Vitality at Harvard College
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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



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