Harvard Faculty: School Is Losing Its Competitive Focus

A Harvard faculty report has highlighted the impact of low class attendance and participation on student learning. And what it reveals is telling.

Many students skip lectures, come unprepared, or focus on devices rather than discussions, limiting their engagement.

Grade inflation allows some to earn high marks without fully participating, reducing incentives to prepare or contribute. The New York Times reported that the primary recommendation of Harvard's Classroom Social Compact Committee is to increase student engagement in class.

According to the report, the pattern identified by faculty members leaves students less able to interact with peers holding different viewpoints, reinforcing ideological bubbles. Only a third of seniors said they felt fully free to discuss controversial topics, down from 46% the year before.

Fear of social or academic repercussions, combined with a competitive focus on grades and internships, contributes to this hesitancy. As a result, classroom conversations are often dominated by a few well-prepared students, while many others miss opportunities to develop critical thinking and debate skills.

Faculty also point to broader consequences: Students who rely on multitasking and video lectures may struggle with sustained attention and reading, skills essential for academic and professional success.

Harvard's allowance for overlapping courses and the pressure to engage in numerous extracurriculars, according to the internal assessment, can worsen absenteeism.

To address these issues, professors are experimenting with attendance policies, in-class note-taking, and confidential discussion rules to foster engagement. Yet faculty acknowledge that student habits, reinforced over the years, and the polarized social climate make reversing these trends challenging.

The report concluded that skipping class and avoiding intellectual engagement undermines the purpose of a Harvard education, leaving students less prepared to confront challenging ideas both inside and outside the classroom.

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