Resources for New Graduates
GSD graduates become part of the worldwide Harvard community of alumni, and have access to a range of resources from Harvard and the GSD.
Alumni Directory
Alumni are encouraged to register in the Harvard Alumni Directory to maintain their connections with classmates and professional contacts in the global network of alumni from all of Harvard’s schools.
Library
The Harvard Library alumni access page provides information on accessing all Harvard libraries, including the GSD’s Frances Loeb Library. There are many electronic library resources which alumni can access. The page also includes information on in-person access, including the option to apply for a Library Borrowing Card.
Health Insurance
Your Harvard University Student Health Program (HUSHP) coverage, including the Student Health Fee and Student Health Insurance Plan, cannot be extended after your last day of eligible coverage. It may take several weeks to complete the enrollment process for new coverage, so you will want to begin preparing for other coverage as soon as possible and make the choice that best meets your needs.
Your eligibility at Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) ends on your last day of Student Health Fee coverage.
Please see the HUSHP page for those leaving Harvard for more information, including specific dates your coverage expires based on your graduation date, and information on securing alternative coverage with a different provider.
Harvard Email
Your Microsoft 365 Account, which includes Outlook email, OneDrive file sharing, and Teams, will enter a grace period of one year, 365 days, from your last day as an active student. For May graduates, this is generally Commencement Day. November and March graduates, please note that your last day as an active student will be your last day as an actively enrolled student, generally the end of your final exam period (rather than the date your diploma is officially issued). If you are uncertain what date applies to you, please consult with the Registrar.
After your 365 day grace period, your accounts held while you were an active student will be permanently deactivated and deleted. We will not be able to reactivate or recover any data from these accounts once they are decommissioned. Please use this grace period to transition from these platforms and update any contacts with your preferred contact information. We recommend setting an Away Message indicating that the GSD email address will be retired and supplying your new contact.
The Harvard Alumni Association offers an email forwarding service, allowing you to create an alumni email address that will be forwarded to your personal email account.
Systems & Software
Access to systems and applications that require VPN and HarvardKey verification, such as Adobe Creative Cloud and Zoom, end as soon as your active student status at Harvard has ended (see above section on Harvard Email for more information on the end of active student status).
If you need to transfer any assets or files from a Harvard Adobe account, please note that Adobe’s ‘Student Migration Tool’ is not compatible with Harvard Adobe accounts. Instead, you can refer to Adobe’s manual asset transfer guides. You should make these transfers before the end of your active student status.
Limited Canvas access will continue through HarvardKey, but graduates will only be able to view courses they were enrolled in as a student. You may want to ensure you have materials you may need from Canvas or my.Harvard in advance of graduating.
This guide on preparing to leave Harvard is helpful in checking which online systems you will have access to as an alum and when access ends for those that do not continue for alumni. The page also has some helpful tips for how to manage your Harvard accounts to best facilitate your transition from student to alum.
To learn more, see the GSD Alumni Resources page, and the Harvard Alumni Association website.