Neil L. Rudenstine, President
Harvard University
Massachusetts Hall

Dear President Rudenstine:

I trust that you share the shock and concern of students over the tragic death of first-year graduate student Hailei Ge last month. As I am sure you are aware, this is not the only such tragedy in recent years. Yet, nothing has changed. While we may never know for sure what led to these events, the University community must very carefully and seriously examine itself to try to prevent it from happening again. Discussions among graduate students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and throughout the University have revealed intense frustration with some current aspects of our academic community, which must be addressed.

While suicide is fortunately rare, unhappiness, frustration, and depression are all too common among the graduate student population. Graduate school is often seen as a miserable experience -- by both students and faculty -- despite the opportunity for students to devote their energies into something they love. Students often suffer in silence, attempt to negotiate a solution, or leave the University. We often don't hear of these problems since students are either not here or do not feel safe speaking about them. The recent tragedy has opened some mouths and hopefully some ears.

On the evening of November 21st, I was invited to participate in a special seminar organized by the Harvard Chinese Students and Scholars Association on coping with personal and academic concerns at Harvard. While the Administrative representatives at the seminar discussed the support resources available and encouraged students to take advantage of them, I and many of the students were more concerned that the problems be corrected at their source. In many cases, this is the relationship of a student with his or her advisor and department. It was very clear that many students feel powerless against the unreasonable expectations, unconcern, and unprofessional behavior of some faculty members.

As graduate students, we often feel that we have no recourse, no real mechanism for dealing with problems that may arise, or even a clear elucidation of what is expected from our faculty advisors, our departments, the Graduate School, and the University. Even if a situation is resolved to the satisfaction of an individual student, there is absolutely no satisfactory mechanism for assuring that similar difficulties will not befell other students. In short, faculty seem to have almost no accountability for their actions with respect to graduate students.

Discussion surrounding this issue have brought up some very troubling actions that are happening at Harvard today, in almost every department. Students are being told that they are worthless and stupid. Students suffer verbal, sexual, and even physical abuse and harassment. Students are told that their cherished ideals and beliefs are unimportant, and that their opinions and viewpoints do not matter. Students feel they have no forum at which to speak freely, or fear repercussions if they do. Students have their intellectual property taken without recognition and cannot get their advisor to even read their dissertations or give them an hour of time. Students have their trust violated by faculty and are effectively dismissed for health reasons. Students feel stressed by excessive and overwhelming requirements and conflicting responsibilities. Students feel isolated from the Harvard community -- if they even think one exists -- and face pressure from faculty when they try to participate. Students feel that they never have any time for themselves and have to pursue their own interests behind their advisors' backs. Students feel pushed into certain academic programs which don't meet their needs or the realities of the job market and are ostracized when they express any desire to pursue a non-academic career path. Students feel that the University does not care about them but is, instead, more driven by its reputation, public perception, and the whims of its faculty. Students find the decision-making process to be entirely closed to them, and are made to feel like outsiders at their own institution.

These are not isolated incidents; they are frequent occurrences and deeply held beliefs. Not only are these unprofessional actions not dealt with by fellow faculty members, but they are often an accepted -- and even expected -- part of the academic world. It is imperative that we bring these serious issues to light and confront them head on.

Students are committed to doing their work and achieving the highest level of scholarship they can achieve. We ask the University make a commitment in return: to treat students with respect. Students need to have a real expectation that we will not be victims of mistreatment or inappropriate behavior on the part of others. And if such transgressions do occur, there will be an unbiased and real mechanism for dealing with them without fear of reprisal against the victims. Students are already responsible for their actions, with pages of rules and regulations in student handbooks. Faculty and staff must also have expectations for their behavior and be held accountable when it goes over the line. Too often, problems remain hidden with many victims suffering in silence and others choosing to leave. Tragically, a few students are so affected that they give up their dreams or even their lives.

The University must confront these issues seriously and openly, involving all members of the community. There is nothing more central to the graduate student experience than the relationship with our advisors. For this trust to suffer from egregious and highly inappropriate behavior is inexcusable. Faculty members must be held accountable for their actions and take their role as advisors as seriously as they do anything else. The role of mentor, teacher, and colleague cannot be separated from scholarship and research, and must be considered equally important.

Students ask for your leadership in making this issue a priority with the faculty and administration. We strongly encourage you to take every opportunity to raise this with faculty and demonstrate the universal commitment of the Administration and University to effective advising and appropriate treatment of students. All faculty and administrators must be aware of this latest tragedy and the seriousness of these concerns. We cannot wait for these problems to take care of themselves, but must discuss them now. We have come a long way in the fight against racial and sexual harassment, and must make the same commitment to this vital issue.

I, and any number of other students, would be happy to discuss these challenges with you, so that we may work together to find effective ways of responding to them. I look forward to hearing your suggestions and ideas.

Sincerely,

Adam P. Fagen
President, Graduate Student Council
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

P.S. For your information, I enclose a copy of a letter I sent to The Harvard Crimson related to this issue, the Crimson's account of last night's Graduate Student Council meeting, as well as a number of quotes the Graduate Student Council has received from current Harvard graduate students in response to the suicide. Hopefully, these accounts will give you at least a small sense of how serious and deeply held problem this is.

Enclosures

cc: Jeremy Knowles, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Christoph Wolff, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences