The Harvard Board of Overseers 哈佛大學校友成功推動校董等由全部校友等選出 ‘Driven by alumni—and representing our community in a profound way’

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The Harvard Board of Overseers (more formally The Honorable and Reverend the Board of Overseers) is one of Harvard University's two governing boards. Although its function is more consultative and less hands-on than the President and Fellows of Harvard College, the Board of Overseers is sometimes referred to as the "senior" governing board because its formation predates the Fellows' 1650 incorporation.

Contents

• 1Overview
• 2Functions
• 3Current Overseers
• 4Petition candidates
• 5References
• 6External links

Overview[edit]

Today, there are 30 overseers, all directly elected by alumni; at one point, the board was self-perpetuating^{[clarification needed]}. Originally the overseers included, ex officio, the public officials and Puritan clergy of Cambridge and the neighboring towns (hence the "honorable and reverend" of the title). Today, the president and the treasurer of Harvard are ex officio members of the board.

Each year, Harvard alumni elect five new overseers to serve six-year terms. Overseer candidates are nominated by the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA), and those not nominated by the HAA (petition candidates) must gather signatures from Harvard alumni to appear on the ballot.

Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. quipped famously of the election of John F. Kennedy, his son, to the board in 1957: "Now I know his religion won't keep him out of the White House. If an Irish Catholic can get elected as an Overseer at Harvard, he can get elected to anything."^[1]

Functions[edit]

According to the Harvard website, the Board of Overseers complements the work of the President and Fellows of Harvard College:^[2]

Drawing on the wide-ranging experience and expertise of its members, the Board exerts broad influence over the University’s strategic directions, provides counsel to the University leadership on priorities and plans, and has the power of consent to certain actions of the Corporation. The Board’s chief functions include superintendence of the visitation process, the principal mechanism for periodic external review of the quality and direction of the University’s schools, departments, and selected other programs and activities. The Board carries out this responsibility largely through the operation of more than fifty visiting committees, whose work is overseen by and reported to the Board.

 哈佛大學校友成功推動校董等由全部校友等選出

Today’s Headlines

March 23, 2022

‘Driven by alumni—and representing our community in a profound way’ Ahead of Harvard elections, members of committee that sets ballot outline their work and how to get involved.