INTRODUCTION
The mission of the Graduate School of Design is to advance the professions concerned with the planning and design of buildings and landscapes, together with their urban, suburban, and rural settings. The school fulfills that mission in two important ways: by preparing and advancing individuals in professional and academic careers and by extending the knowledge and skills of the design fields. The objective is to achieve the world's foremost intellectual environment for study and research in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, and urban design.
To succeed in its mission, the GSD must develop an academic community
of quality and diversity. This document describes the principles that
guide the selection and advancement of individuals who fill faculty
positions in the school and provides guidelines for the procedures involved
in the appointment process. Faculty and other reviewers engaged in this
process have the opportunity, as well as the obligation, to assist the
school in developing a faculty that will fulfill its academic and institutional
objectives.
The Handbook for Academic Appointments is one of several documents that explain policies and procedures at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design:
1. The Handbook for Academic Appointments describes the policies and procedures governing appointments to the Faculty of Design and of non-faculty academic appointments. These policies are approved by the Joint Committee on Appointments of the Governing Boards of the University.
2. The GSD Faculty Handbook gives an overview of the GSD and details of selected administrative policies of the School.
3. A publication for faculty on policies and procedures related to instruction at the GSD.
4. The Student Handbook, written by students in conjunction with staff in the Office of Student Services, contains policies governing student conduct. It also gives information on student life, resources and services.