Harvard University

Did you know?

We welcome our neighbors and visitors from afar to stop by the Harvard University Events & Information Center, located in the Holyoke Center Arcade at 1350 Massachusetts Avenue in the heart of Harvard Square in Cambridge.

The Arcade has entrances on both Massachusetts Avenue and Mt. Auburn Street in Harvard Square. The Center's staff can answer questions and provide maps and illustrated booklets of the University for a minimal charge.

Walking tours

Free student-led historical walking tours of the Harvard campus will help you find fascinating exhibitions and programs, and show you a rich sampling of American history and architecture from the Colonial period to the present.

Call about the tour schedule: 617-495-1573. Reservations are required for tours of 20 or more people: Call or e-mail icenter@camail.harvard.edu. Wheelchairs are available with a week or more of advance notice.

Resources for Journalists

Overview

This page includes information for members of the news media who would like information about Harvard University and its affiliates. It includes resources frequently requested by journalists, as well as information about navigating Harvard’s decentralized communications offices. Please feel free to contact a media relations office for assistance.

Communications Offices at Harvard University

Most of Harvard University’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools have their own media relations office. The Harvard News Office, aka the Office of News and Public Affairs, often handles news about university-wide issues and inquiries regarding general information about the university. Journalists should contact the communications office for the appropriate school or department for the best service.

Biographical Information

Many Web pages on Harvard’s network have biographical information about Harvard faculty and staff members. You can locate many of these pages by using a search engine for Harvard’s network. (To search for a phrase, we recommend using quotes, for example: “John Harvard.” Middle initials can change the search results.) Many departments and schools have biographical information for their faculty linked from their Web sites. The Harvard News Office and many news offices on campus keep some biographical material, also. Contact a communications office for assistance. HarvardScience also includes biographical information about Harvard’s faculty and staff.

General Telephone Numbers for Harvard University

One of the Harvard Homepage FAQs lists general telephone numbers for the university, including numbers for the university operators, the schools, and other notable places and services.

The university’s operators can give you the phone numbers for or connect your call to Harvard departments, offices, students, and employees. They may only be available during normal working hours: Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

General University Numbers
General University telephone listings 617-495-1000
Individual faculty & staff listings 617-495-5000
Individual student listings 617-493-1000
Activities and Events Line 617-495-1718
News and Weather Bulletins 617-496-NEWS (6397)
(used in emergencies)
Numbers for Specific Schools, Departments, and Offices
Arnold Arboretum 617-524-1718
Art Museums 617-495-9400
Athletic Department 617-495-4848
Events and Information Center 617-495-1573
Graduate School of Design 617-495-4731
Graduate School of Education 617-495-0740
Harvard Alumni Association 617-495-5731
Harvard Business School 617-495-6000
Harvard Divinity School 617-495-5761
Harvard Extension School 617-495-4024
Harvard Law School 617-495-3100
Harvard Medical Area, Longwood Campus
(Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, and Harvard School of Dental Medicine)		 617-432-1000
John F. Kennedy School of Government 617-495-1100
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study 617-495-8601
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics 617-495-7461
Harvard University Police Department 617-495-1215 (business),
617-495-1212 (emergencies)
University Development Office 617-495-1636
University Health Services 617-495-5711

Contacting Someone

Many campus communications offices prefer that journalists contact them before talking to someone at Harvard. The campus directories may have contact information for faculty, staff, and students. Harvard affiliates can request that their contact information be withheld from the public directories.

Experts

To find an expert on Harvard’s faculty or staff to interview, contact the appropriate news office or browse through the experts lists several communications offices have placed online:

Filming and Photographing on Campus

The media relations offices request that people interested in taking photographs or filming the campus for commercial or news purposes seek permission from them first.

Harvard University’s History

Sources for information about Harvard’s history, including Web-based resources, are available via the campus’ archives. This resource contains a wealth of information and records about the university.

Information About Students

Federal laws may prohibit someone at the university from releasing certain information about a student, including even acknowledging whether s/he is currently enrolled. The campus directories provide some information about current students. The registrar’s offices may also be able to provide some information about a student. (Note: there is no central registrar’s office for the entire university.) You can also contact a communications office for assistance.

ISDN Booth for Radio Interviews

The Harvard News Office has a sound-proof ISDN booth Harvard faculty, staff, and students can use for radio interviews. Someone affiliated with the organization wishing to do the interview or the appropriate Harvard public information officer should contact the news office via telephone at 617-495-1585 or by e-mail for more information.

News Releases

Harvard’s press offices produce their own news releases. Many releases are available over the Web. Visit the Web site for the appropriate news office for more information about their press releases.

Photos

Harvard Photographic Services, the photo department of the Harvard News Office, provides photos to the media, Harvard affiliates, and the general public. Information about ordering photos is on the photo services webpage.

President Drew Faust

The Web site for the Office of the President has biographical information about the president, speeches and statements, photos, and other useful material.

Speeches

There is no central department or office on campus that collects speeches from every guest speaking on campus. The sponsoring department, office, or group might have information about getting a copy of a speech. The Harvard News Office collects some speeches from major events, like Commencement. Some recent Commencement speeches are available through the Commencement Web site. The Harvard University Archives may have the text of other speeches.

Statistics

Much numerical data about Harvard is available on the Web. Links to and information about excellent sources of statistics and numbers related to the university are in this Frequently Asked Question on the Harvard Homepage. Find information about Harvard’s students, faculty, and staff; the endowment and the institution’s finances; tuition and fees; acreage; and more.

Verifying Degrees

The University Alumni Records Office can verify most degrees, including honorary degrees, and university attendance: 617-495-2371. The registrar’s offices may also be able to confirm degrees and university attendance. There is no central registrar’s office for the entire university. Student privacy laws also pertain to some alumni records. Because students and alumni can request that information related to their university attendance not be released, it may not be possible for someone at the university to verify attendance, divulge information about a degree, or share other information about someone who may have attended Harvard University.

More Information

The Harvard Homepage Staff has the answers to many frequently asked questions: who the officers and deans are, a list of Harvard abbreviations and acronyms, accreditation information, a link to the charter, and sources about Harvard’s history.

Please feel free to contact a media relations office for assistance, also.