The Administrative Board, also known as the Ad Board, oversees student academic regulations and social conduct standards.
Formed in 1890, it is one of Harvard College’s oldest committees and follows long-standing procedures to further our educational mission. The Administrative Board’s main goal is supporting student growth, both as individuals and academic community members. The Board follows the rules in the Student Handbook and makes every effort to give each student a fair process relative to their peers.
Responsibilities
- Evaluate student requests (called petitions) for exceptions to academic policies, like changing class after the add/drop deadline
- Review academic records to confirm that students are fulfilling degree requirements and doing well in their classes
- Handle disciplinary issues like rule violations and breaches of community standards.
- Work with partners across Harvard College to improve the undergraduate experience
Membership
The Administrative Board is composed of two committees:
- Disciplinary Committee, chaired by the Dean of Harvard College; and
- Petitions Committee, chaired by the Assistant Dean and Secretary of the Administrative Board
FAS faculty members and administrators create the voting membership of the Board. In addition, both the Disciplinary Committee and the Petitions Committee may regularly invite a number of non-voting guests to its meetings to serve as advisors on student welfare or who maintain student records, including:
- Resident Deans
- Representatives from Harvard University Health Services (HUHS)
- Disability Access Office (DAO)
- Title IX Program Officer
- Athletics
- Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE)
- Registrar
The Assistant Dean of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct handles the duties of Secretary of the Administrative Board and coordinates the work of the Administrative Board committees with the Associate Dean of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct.