House Masters are now called Faculty Deans
‘Some said the title had connotations with slavery’
After a unanimous decision, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences have decided to change the names of the House Masters to Faculty Deans.
Michael Smith, the Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, said “this title reflects our House leaders’ high standing in the joint academic and administrative hierarchy of the College.”
In an email to the college, he said:
Dear FAS community of faculty, staff, and students,
Building a residential living environment reflective of the diversity of our student body and grounded in the principle of an inclusive community has been forefront in the minds and actions of our House leaders for the past two decades. As a most recent step in this ongoing work, the leaders of our residential Houses asked last fall that I consider changing their collective and distinctive title of House Masters. They found themselves unanimous in their belief that this was an opportune time for a title change. Discussion of such a change has surfaced with some regularity since the College had become co-educational, but never before had the House leaders been so united in their belief that such a change is important to our efforts to create an intellectually, socially, and personally transformative experience for our students.
I have heard and read many strong opinions about the decision to no longer use the terms House Master and House Masters. Some have called it a “mistake” believing that we didn’t understand the root of the word ‘master,’ or that we lacked a proper appreciation for the history of the title at Harvard and the European institutions from which Harvard leaders took inspiration, or that we were acting too quickly and without thought to student demands. None of these could be farther from the truth.
Titles can and should change when such a change serves our mission.
I want to emphasize that a decision to change does not necessarily mean that what came before was wrong. I have not been shown any direct connection between the term House Master and the institution of slavery. The academic context of the term has always been clear. Many alumni will remember House leaders as the Master of their beloved House, and they should have no qualms in doing so. The term House Master is and will remain a part of the College’s long and proud history.
Yet titles send a message, and when the House leaders came to me last fall asking for a change of title, I asked them, “What title would best serve our mission today and into the future?” I asked them to consider their role today, and they told me that the role today demands them “to be hands-on managers, community builders, pastoral advisors, and the key integrating linchpins in delivering the College’s mission to catalyze and nurture the intellectual, social, and personal growth of students.” I asked them to consider how the new title would be used. They told me that students today do not typically, nor are they asked to, refer to their House leader as Master <insert last name>.
So where did we end up after a long, thoughtful, and wide-ranging debate about various new titles? While we were delighted to learn of the rich history of different titles used here at Harvard and at many of our peer institutions around the world, the title that seemed most appropriate for this time and place was the most familiar: Dean. For example, the co-leaders of Lowell House will each be officially designated Faculty Dean of Lowell House of Harvard College. This title reflects our House leaders’ high standing in the joint academic and administrative hierarchy of the College and is easily understood by prospective students and their families, who might not (yet!) be deeply familiar with Harvard College’s residential system.
I want to conclude by saying that this title change isn’t an end to our community’s discussions of how to make Harvard and its culture more inclusive and welcoming to any student, faculty, or staff member with the talent and drive to be here, but just one action we have decided to take based on the ongoing dialogue and important discussions that will keep Harvard and its College strong now and into the future. Our strength comes from all our students, faculty, and staff.
Sincerely yours,
Michael D. Smith
Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences