Virtual Information Session for Prospective LGBTQ Students and Allies

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Hello.

Hi everyone, uhm if you can hear me if you don't mind just messaging in the chat box and letting me know that would be great.

Hi everyone, so it seems like everyone can hear us if you're having a little trouble. You may want to just reload your browser and log back in. But we're going to go ahead and get started up so today. Um we've got some some staff, including myself and then some. Lovely current students with us and we're going to talk about today. Here's our agenda, so this session is designed to give a voice.

Add to the student experience at HGC tonight, focusing on the LGBTQ plus community. So this is an opportunity to explore community, regardless of where you are in the application process and tonight we're going to talk about. We're going to introduce ourselves and then we're going to talk about the demographics of our student body a little bit who makes up the HTC community. I'm going to go over specific coursework that focuses on LGBTQ issues in the community.

Um my colleague, Tracy is going to talk about student life and support for students in the LGBTQ Community at HGC and Harvard wide and we're going to have a Q&A with our fabulous current students, joining us this evening.

So with that I'm going to have everyone introduce themselves. I'm Leah Belcher. I'm an assistant director of admissions at HDSE.

I'm Tracy Jones on the directive diversity inclusion and belonging here HDSE.

I'm Leon Bishop I'm a current student in the technology innovation in education program at HD. Black current students in the PhD program and a 2019 alumni of the pirate program. Hi there, my name is Dustin. I'm currently at EDM student in the higher end cohort really have to be on this panel.

Great.

Um.

So next I wanna go over a little bit about who makes up our student body, so cool burning amongst this is some demographics of our last incoming class 26% male 74% female. 25% of our students are international and then 33%, self identified as students of color.

Below you'll see in those briefcases little bit about the years of work experience of our class. So it ranges from zero to 30 folks coming straight out of their bachelors degree. An then folks who have a lot of work experience and bring that to the table. We've broken it down a little bit by the program so for our Masters programs as an average of about 4 years for the EDLD program. That's an average of about 10 years, so a little bit more experience there.

And then for a PhD students that's about 5 years.

The other thing I want to highlight is that our student body is 96%. Full time and what that really means is that we have a really engaged community. While we're here, so students have taken the time out of their careers to really focus on their dub development.

Um and that creates a really engaged in lively community.

So diving a little bit deeper into that student body.

15% of the the incoming students for this class self identified as LGBTQ plus 11% did not answer that question. It's not something we require folks to answer in terms of gender identity 71% identified as women, 23% men and then 1% genderqueer or non binary and also a little note that 5% did not answer that question so that's why the mass not adding up quite right there.

Um.

Now I want to talk a little bit about uhm what you'd be learning at HDSC, UM in terms of LGBTQ plus community.

So here's a list of course, is summer at HDFC, an I've listed some at other schools. The reason I've done that is because while you were here you're able to cross register.

At other Harvard schools, so that means that these classes are also open to you.

Um one of the things are one of the classes I do want to highlight is the uh the first one under HTC establishing living spaces for learning that stop by Gretchen Brian might measles and there are 2 versions of this class um one listed is focused more on bullying and discrimination in the school system another is focused on nurturing gender and sexual identity.

In schools in the latter goes more into learning about how to support LGBTQ youth in schools, a little further than bullying purfling perhaps focus a lot more on the literature on how they can support and thrives. These students in schools, so at any of our current students. If you guys had any experience in these classes. You want to talk about it, yeah, so I took questions establishing loving learning spaces for learning last spring and I will say is by far probably.

One of my favorite classes at HGC from engaging with the literature and the research as well as the practical side of it. You have to think about how this can translate into your role as a teacher or higher administrator it also.

In turn gave Maine it really established my resource question for my PhD Top of that it was. I'm a creative environment of mainly HTC students that I had never met in my 2 years here prior here, but also from students from across all the Harvard graduate schools, but also is a great opportunity to connect with faculty as well. So it's a really, really amazing experience. Great thank you. Are there any other courses that you guys may have taken that I don't have listed?

Wonderful so moving on, I want to turn it over to my colleague, Tracy to talk a little bit about.

Opportunities outside of out of course, work, yeah, so I think it's important for us to talk about Co curricular programming 'cause. It also helps to enhance the student experience. We have out of the office of student affairs. The Deans Diversity Innovation Fund. So if you're thinking of bringing in a speaker or do you want to do a symposium or actually have someone come in and facilitated workshop we provide funding for you to do that, and we offer that funding 3 times a semester so.

You might get in the fall semester and just be overwhelmed with school work. But by the end of the fall semester. You have an idea. You want to implement it so that opportunity is available to all students.

We also realized that diversity is important an as we grow as a school in our population becomes more diverse. There are things that we need to change in terms of practices as well as how we create a welcoming community. That's inclusive so we have the Dean's Advisory Committee on equity and diversity. That's faculty, staff and students so as a student you can apply to be on this committee to talk about some of the practices. We can change some of the things that we can implement in terms of course work.

Um as well as community programming and that goes directly to the Dean.

And then I also facilitate a program called the equity and inclusion. Fellows program and its people who really want to dive deep into diversity not just in their course work, but actually in practice, so the Equity Fellows. Facilitate workshops here at the Ed School but across Harvard and it gives them practice to work with different demographics. So a workshop at the law school would be very different from a workshop at the at the medical school.

And it helps you to develop your skills and facilitation also conflict resolution and a lot of our diversity. Fellows have gone on to work in the field so I highly encourage you to learn more about it.

So I sit within the office of Student Affairs and I say we are whatever question you have. We have the answer for it. And if we don't have the answer. You know will direct you to the right person. We provide student support 101. If it has if a student has an issue that needs to go beyond our student support. We can refer you to counseling and mental health services financial resources anything that a student need support in we say you should come here.

The minute you get on campus for orientation that comes out of our office. If you need an accommodation while you're a student access and disability services in the office. We plan all communitywide events. We support international students.

We have student organization clubs that turnover every year so if you have an idea for a student org. We're here to help support that we provide housing resources and information and we can provide you that information as soon as you're admitted and then of course, diversity and inclusion that sits within the office of Student Affairs, an commencement which I think it's one of the greatest things that we do here at Harvard. It has a tradition to it, and once you're here.

When you graduate you'll realize that what I'm saying is true.

So we talked about um the office of Student Affairs, an we pretty much are the arm of student life at the end school. We have query read once again says student LED organization so leadership positions are available for students. You can just be a member, and show up whereas done a lot in terms of programming each year. It changes sometimes we bring in speakers. Sometimes it's just social it depends upon the student body. But a lot of students want to get off of Appian Way and see what's happening at other schools, so the Graduate School of.

Arts and Sciences as you can see has where students in allies. The Trans Task Force, an LGBTQ at Jesus. the Harvard Law School has a really big program at Lambda, an they put on a lot of events there. Alumni also supported in terms of funding. And there are 2 blocks away. So I encourage people always go to their events and then University? Why we have the Harvard gender and sexuality caucus and they put on a conference every year.

Our resources are of course, the office of student affairs mental health services has group uhm meetings as well as one or one and then the college has an office dedicated to VGLTQ life. It's for college students. But graduate students are welcome. They also encourage graduate students to come to be support for the Undergrads.

Boston is a great city, but sometimes it can feel unwelcome ING so there are organizations that you can join in social groups, the welcoming committee. I think is like the best one. I don't know much about visit LGBTQ at Massachusetts. But the welcoming community takes over bars. Sometimes I just think the parties are amazing. So I would encourage you to come. You want to add to that. Yes, I this isn't it again. I have a few years ago when I first moved in Boston was actually a part of the welcoming committee.

So anybody who take your questions are looking committee. It's a really amazing way just to get integrated into the larger Boston community and sort of get off of campus.

So we do have additional supports it comes with your you have to take our medical insurance so this comes with your insurance is the counseling and mental health services. You get individual 101. We have the Center for Wellness. We have acupuncture, we have massages. We have yoga, academic Resource Center provides you support on writing.

Scaffolding also um they have group sessions and one on one sessions. I highly recommend that specially as soon as you get on campus and then our Harvard International Office to support international students.

And then our careers development center that starts on line, UM in the summer. You can start working with career services to help you start to craft your career journey and I really encourage students to engage with our career services office.

Great so.

With that I kind of want to just open it up for UM kewene, um from our current students. I've got some questions. They're pretty general so whichever ones you guys feel comfortable answering would be wonderful so first just to start you know where are you guys from and what were you doing before you got to HTC I'm sure I can start so I am originally from a small town about an hour east of Orlando.

It's number in Florida and I went to my uh. I got my undergraduate degree at the University of Central Florida in Orlando and then I moved up to DC for 5 years and I worked in politics and nonprofits. Ann I really enjoyed working there. And yes, that was what I was doing before I came here.

Thank you.

Hey this isn't it again? So I'm originally from Kansas from Kansas City. KS and I got my undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas Halo. There till I was 22 and then after I graduated I moved up to Boston and prior to starting the higher it program. I was working in the office of diversity and inclusion at the school public health doing diversity and inclusion program and policy work and actually continued that during my time in the higher program.

Up until I started the PhD program full time.

Hi there this is Dustin I'm originally from flushing Queens, NY and I grew up on Long Island before coming to HTC I was an undergraduate student at Cornell University. So I came straight from undergrad an ever since. Watt, undergrad. I serviced a lot of questions about higher end so the decision to come to HTC was an easy one.

Great thank you so.

What made you guys decide to go and pursue a graduate degree and then what ultimately made you decide on your program or issue see specifically.

I'm sure I can start uhm so I UM had pretty much um done everything that I could uh in GC without needing a graduate degree so I started to think about it and I was trying to decide what direction. I wanted to go in, so I was researching a ton of schools and I had started my own civic education startup and education is always been super important to me. So when I started reading about the technology innovation in education program here.

It just seemed like the perfect fit and um it. It really has been a you know all the classes that I've been taking so far in this first semester. I've been a perfectly aligned with what I wanted to do and yeah, so I just decided that this was the time and Harvard was a place.

So I can go ahead I'm so as an undergraduate student a lot of my courses in my upper classmen years were focus around education around higher education outside of the classroom I was getting really involved in shared governance and had an opportunity to serve on Cornell supportive trustees in those formative experiences really informed where I want to see my professional career going we're going off when I was saying when I looked into career paths or jobs in higher education I realized that there is a gap in terms of the Masters degree and.

When I was looking at programs. I didn't only want to focus in the S student affairs, setting, but I wanted to find a program that had a theoretical an associate historical context. So those 2 factors urged me to apply to HTC and when I looked at the program. It really fit what I was looking for in terms of an overall look at higher education from historical lens from a practice lens and that's what brought me to this program.

Yeah, Hey. This is an and prior to starting the Masters degree. I've been working in administration for awhile in varying capacities. But I sort of landed in my passion was with diversity and inclusion and I similarly sort of felt like a ceiling, but also I think it kind of ceiling with my skills and I thought that there must be a way that I could become a better administrator and I know that there are things that I can do to.

Just enhancing productivity enhanced my understanding the conceptual knowledge, there, I needed. I felt the need to be trained as a better hire administrator really prompted me to start the hired program.

And then when I was doing the Masters Program, I kept on.

Sort of hitting this block with with the research and research of populations that I cared about AT and examined questions. The way that that that I thought would be helpful and after about a year of a bit of resistance. I'm going into the PhD. I finally realized that in order to sort of contribute to the field for the kind of research that I realized was not out there, I would need to pursue a PhD and without kicking excitement so.

I began exploring various PhD programs and ultimately decided to come to HTC not so not out of convenience. But it really was a place where I feel like I was going to get the most rigorous methodological as well as theoretical training.

And also they are just quite frankly it's a ton of resources that HTC and larger Harvard Graduate School has that other schools just can't support and then and they don't and so I equally dislike. I wasn't going to be able to.

Get the kind of support elsewhere that I knew that I needed to succeed in a very rigorous long PhD program.

Thank you guys so you've opened on canvas for a little while now. Um can you speak about uhm you know as a member of the LGBTQ community? How was your experience been on campus so far? Are you able to bring your authentic self to the class and outside of the classroom what that what does that mean like?

Uhm yeah, so uh I feel completely at home here. Um, I've like been out since we first introduced ourselves on the discussion panels on line and everybody has been super welcoming it's been really great to also be able to connect with some of my queer classmates. It's it's been super super great here, I will say that.

There are umsom mixtures that Harvard I think it's called 1. Harvard puts together on about once a month and those have been really fun to just get outside of the HGST bubble. But yeah overall. It's been really great. I feel absolutely that I've been able to take my authentic self. An just be who I am here y'all. So let's really husband. Such a rewarding experience to be part of our community with folks who are doing diversity and inclusion work professionally.

So folks are coming to campus really motivated to have an interest in this space and it definitely impacts. The way folks show up in the classroom. You see that there's level of understanding and also a level of compassionate questioning that's happening in the classroom specifically in terms of my academic experience in undergrad. It was rare to have an experience where I was asked to share my personal lived experience in the classroom now throughout my classes. It's rare not to an in a lot of ways. I've been really astounded by the way in which we're constantly trying to find unheard voices in history so.

Um probably one of my favorite classes right now in college student development taught by Professor Reading. She makes a very intentional point of noticing? How theories that are informing the practice today are not necessarily representative of the student population today and that level of critical insight. I miss something that's definitely impacted the way that I see my coursework. I see research and also the way in which I'm navigating my experience here at HTC.

Then yeah, I kill both of them, said I definitely felt welcomed by my peers in my colleagues.

And appreciated for all the various identities that I bring to the table, but I think what has been.

Particularly exceptional an positive for me is the classroom experience in how.

And how inclusive

Professors are intentionally trying to make the curriculum as inclusive of LGBTQ voices as possible and there's not a lot of research. That's been conducted by Queer people or Velcro people. But as much as possible every professor that I've had has tried to incorporate those voices and those perspective into the various coursework. I mean, everything from like quantitative methods to college student development.

History of higher education so that's been surprising, but definitely created this environment that has felt inclusive and welcoming and warm.

Thank you guys, um.

Do you find that any resources that were helpful in acclimating up to Graduate School or being NHTSA see whether that's you know, finding community in your cohort or in a student organization or something like that, yeah, so first of all. I'm a big proponent of destigmatizing therapy and one of the first things I did when I got on campus. Here was to seek out the counseling and mental health services so.

It was, I think that was really integral and just being able to acclimate you know, I've never spent more than 48 hours in Boston before so getting into a new city starting grad school on being around all new people. That was that was really wonderful and I was able to get a pretty quick turn around too, which is really nice. And so I have felt that making it a nice community. Here has been really helpful as well, and I was able to start a club.

Does it have to do with any anything LGBTQ? But it's about virtual reality which has been really nice. I've been able to link up with people who are interested in the same stuff as me, but also I've been you know, making a lot of friends in the Queer community within my cohort and we're even trying to trying to set up a trip to Dinah Shore weekend so fingers crossed that works out and yeah, so I would say just getting out there and meeting people husband.

Really wonderful so far.

I would say the people at HSCF in the biggest resource and during orientation. There's an LGBTQ plus student mixer and just through that experience, I had a chance to meet at a few doctoral students who are current EDLD and PhD students and for folks who aren't here for just a year. They have a lot of wealth of resources and also knowledge regarding how to navigate hardware to have navigate your time HTC so I've been really fortunate to have friendly faces to talk to you and if there's something wrong, I'll always go to.

Be there, Tracy in the office of student affairs or other members of our community and everyone is just really willing to sit down and just have a chat and help you troubleshoot anything that's going on.

Yeah, and I think similarly I've obviously found a lot of social support in my peer networks, but also it could be because I was a former administrator, but Tracy is not over, exaggerating when she say that ministrator is have literally all the answers so I've never shy about just popping into these soon if there's office already one of the programs administrations office is but also I think faculty are.

Or even under sided resource here at at hugs. I think we're so often. This barrier up. But I found that faculty specially. Queer faculty have been just super willing and supportive to mentor to me to help to connect so I'm thinking about sort of adjusting having that resource in sounding board has been instrumental in my development.

Wonderful thank you guys, um.

This next what would you think would be helpful for perspective students to know about the HTC community and the student experience in general, maybe you know before you are fine. What would you wish you would have known or any advice you can give them about the community?

Um so I would have 2 pieces of advice on the first one would be just echoing something that I I heard when I was in your shoes in like August of last year and I was really, really nervous. I I thought you know who am I to even apply but when I went to one of these admissions events. One of the representatives that you know you won't know unless you apply. Just do it, you will be so glad that you did, we'd love to hear from you?

And I'm so glad that I did so I would say if you're thinking about applying you should absolutely go for it. There's nothing to lose an there's only so much to gain and then I would also just say you can absolutely be at home. Here you can be here unique self. I was really surprised when I got here because I had been up to a couple of other schools to check out their programs after I got admitted and.

I uh was just like bowled over by how friendly and kind everyone that I met was it was really shocking. I kind of arrived on campus expecting the other shoe to metaphorically drop like I you know was wondering if everybody was going to become Krabi once midterms came around or something like that. But it in terms of past and everyone is so super nice so I think they do a really great job on our commute at.

Trading out a full community care, so you will be amongst really, really great people, uhm so yes, just definitely apply thank you.

Yeah, I think that uhm.

My was unexpected.

Really great way is that we should have known a few years ago that you don't have to have it all figured out like you never are going to feel like you have the perfect resume or you have the perfect statement of purpose or you had to pick whatever you're never going to feel like that and.

I feel like that when I was applying an equally even though he was still very cautious and nervous about it and then once I got in I was Vin number Celtic on campus. I was going to sort of be found out like I don't have it all figured out. I don't have all the answers.

And it's totally OK and like nobody has it all figured out and that's.

And then that's perfectly acceptable here and that's why you are coming to Grad School 'cause. You don't have all the answers and and it's OK and.

We.

Something that is really surpassed my expectations is the amount of value. That's based on every voice in the classroom coming straight from undergrad. I was definitely intimidated entering a classroom where a lot of my peers have been working for 5. Some tents, in 15 years and it's been really powerful to have those folks really creative space of Co learning where every voice is really valued and to recognize that everyone brings experiences that can contribute to the learning community here, the support that professors give.

And manage impostor syndrome and the support that just peers are willing to give each other an assignment get tougher went assignments. Get busy those are all things that have really just surpassed any expectation that I could have had for Graduate School community.

Sweet thank you, um, so I'm going to ask that I've got one more question for these guys. But if you guys have questions. Please message them in the chat box and I'll try to get to them. If I can uhm happy to answer some questions about our admission specific but definitely want you guys to take advantage of these current students being here, so any questions. You have for them. Just chat then. But while folks are doing that and thinking about their questions. I just want to ask you guys.

Some of you mentioned you know, some favorite classes but what are your favorite classes that you take it so far. I know you guys are just in your first semester but?

And then why is your favorite cost? Yes, Sir since I already talked about college student development my other favorite course that I'm taking right now is the history of higher education with Julie Rubin and it has a reputation for being a really rigorous course.

However, I found it surprisingly applicable to what I'm hoping to study in the future. So the history of higher education really covers how we got to where we are an I think in a lot of context. I didn't have the full picture of what higher education look like or what was happening in higher Ed before the higher education that I knew today. So it's been really illuminating for me to check my biases and also inform the way in which we really need to work harder to deconstruct. Some of these systems that have been in place for years, so that's when illuminated just because it allows us to.

Bring a wealth of experiences into the classroom allows us to have comparative discussions about different experiences between community colleges and private universities. So all that has built a classroom environment, where everyone has something to offer an also a great deal to learn.

Um so I came Uh, I came into the program wanting to definitely a boost up my skills. So my favorite. Harvard course this semester is definitely innovations by design with David Dochterman. It's been a really great class and we've been able to bring an idea from just a mere thought to basically fully fully fleshed out construction.

And I've been able to boost my product design skills, then getting a lot of really good experience in programs that I've never used before but then if I can also plug in on Harvard Course, something good about studying here is that you have access to the courses at MIT. So I've been taking a course on virtual reality an MIT and so there I've been able to.

Work in small groups on on actually creating a cool product that WL just like came up with and we are coding, it into unity and I think we might be launching it on the unity platform. So it's just been really exciting and it's it's been really cool to be able to learn all of these new skills and to be able to create something on a stroll in an educational context.

Yeah, and I I mentioned before EST Le alert establishing loving and learning environment for students in that probably is hands down my favorite course for all the aforementioned reasons, but I?

Have taken a variety of different content courses methods courses theory courses across HTC and have honestly learned and enjoyed them all but I think it's surprisingly the one that I did not expect expect to enjoy it but have grown to very much. Love is quantitative research methods. I am very much not a quantitative researcher.

At all but uh.

I have never been in a math course that has been instructed as well as it in his were taught as well, or been offered as many supports to learn side. I think not fearing for coming in so I've really grew to love Mac Monitor research methods courses. Thank you so I've got a question about PhD actually if you don't mind answering so one of the questions is about. pH D Advisors and if you want to speak to who your advisor is in there.

And if anyone that you know are in your cohort is doing. LGBTQ research or I'm has a research questions surrounding the community and a faculty or are open to those.

Yes, Oh my advisor is Tony Jack up and he does not do LGBTQ Research. But my research focuses LGBTQ students within higher education and particularly my question is.

Around the Cultural Capital Heterogeneity, Utilization, among Queer students within higher education.

And.

I was concerned because there were no faculty at HTC that we're doing. LGBTQ specific research. Another that may be a hindrance to me, but what I realized is that when you're thinking about selecting or if we would want to work with for your PhD advisor and it's really important to think about the boiling down your question into the most basic terms, So what I'm really interested in is the interaction between students and academic institutions and so.

And applying sociological methods, so once we look at it from there, then you can.

You can find people who have similar boiled down interest as yours. Everything else is just sort of Fluff on Top and how you dress it up. But I will say that I was concerned that because my subjects. So to speak wasn't necessarily the same way. They were going to be presentations with finding advisor without it, stopping the case whatsoever.

I think that if anything, there's been much eagerness because they realize that it's a gap in the scholarship in the gap in.

There's sort of research realm within our school that there is.

Actually, a lot of support around it.

Thank you so very few questions here about the Boston community an an you know how inclusive it is to LGBTQ folks and then also in the K through 12 system. I'm not sure you guys can answer those since you're not from Boston, you couldn't.

But if you if you can speak to the Boston community. More broadly or anyone in your cohort has had experience working in the community.

Personally, I pretty much never even go into interesting. Cambridge yeah, so I I'm sorry. I don't really have anything to add to that.

I will say my am I an internship opportunity right now, it takes me into Boston and through that role I've been able to work with different school districts around.

Ideas of dni inclusion in professional development work and within that I've seen a huge push within Boston school districts to include that as a huge component of their professional development. I think generally there is a huge amount of scholarship in Boston. So the community itself lends itself to have more progressive ideals.

Cautions to say that no community is perfect nature, but I've definitely found communities just through my friends and also through peer networks. In the block in the Greater Boston area that brings together. Queer folks in a really affirming and supportive space.

Yeah, I mean, I live in Boston and have lived in Boston for the last 3 1/2, four years and.

I go I go best Internet no place is perfect, but I don't know a better way of saying this. But it's like you sort of really queer city like there's a lot of really like I feel like it's have a higher population than almost any other cities. I've been doing it, so much. It's just like I don't know my experience is it I think like at all.

And I have had a lot of friends, who worked in the case file system in public schools in Cambridge public schools.

They have had.

Positive experiences, yeah, thank you guys, I mean?

I just filled it out there because there is a lot of questions about it, but speaking from my own personal experience I've lived in Boston for about 6 years now and I've lived in Cambridge, Somerville, Boston and I felt welcome as someone in the gate community. In all of those places certainly Boston.

Is uhm has some things to work on in terms of diversity inclusion alot of things like most cities but I have found a great response being in the Queer community.

So that's my 2 cents, but uhm some other questions here. Uhm one person asked. I don't know. Feel free if you don't have answer don't feel comfortable asking but some folks have asked about you know how do you feel about how the institution responds to homophobia on campus or certain issues and if you've had any experience?

Well, there directly or indirectly, and how comfortable and confident you feel in Harvard or ATSC. Feel free to be honest and Frank's you want art declined to answer the question. I think as soon as we got to campus. There was a required course that you had to take before you.

Even enrolled for classes, it was a hold on your account and it was only lifted after you went through a course that went over the resources that were here on campus and I think that just shows institutional commitment to make students aware of these resources, including bias reporting and also the title line office. So I think those components. Just show how the institution is really being proactive in terms of allowing students to have those resources on hand. I know through orientation and through events that we had within our program. It was very clear that the intention. Aliti is to create an inclusive community.

And that all should be expected to push forward that charge so that combined with resources to help combat any issues that do arise. I think allows it to create an environment where people do feel safe to speak after do feel safe to call people in if needed.

OK.

Anne Tracy kind of going of- that uhm you talked a little bit about this in the presentation. But if folks. You know did experience homophobia on campus kind of what resources are there for them and what steps would be taken.

I mean I think the first thing is to come to the office of student affairs just to have a conversation about it because you know each incident you know is different if there is one as an individual the way in which you want support is different from everyone else so I think that would be a start if it was something that you know you need it like emotional support then of course we have counseling and mental health services if it's a conversation in the classroom happy to go in.

In facilitated conversation. Sometimes there's power dynamics with the faculty member so I can address that you know.

There are issues that come up you know, not just at the edge school. But other Harvard schools and I think we're open to sitting down with anyone and having a conversation so I wouldn't want anyone to feel like they can't speak up or they have no one to speak to because I feel like not just myself. But I feel, including ardena very receptive and open to having conversations as well as improving campus community and student life.

Great thank you.

So I do think I see any other questions here. So um, maybe finally if you guys want to talk about kind of? What are your plans for after HTC? What are you looking forward to it doesn't need to be specific? I know that I don't want to stress anyone out, but I'm kind of you know in general idea? What do you want to do after? What are you looking for?

So it's gonna be awhile yet. Hopefully just fine. But I guess you after that. I think I hope that my fault. I'm here come late slip.

Advancing the scholarship around LGBTQ, especially critical of color again sing are.

Understanding Scott Brown that population that I care so deeply about.

I'm not really sure, but I am hoping to be gainfully employed first of all but I'd also like to go into like a product design kind of role and yeah. I hope to continue working towards educational equity, either in. In what I'm doing for my employment or just continuing to work on this side.

I think my experience here is really affirmed my hopes of pursuing a doctorate and I think just in one semester. I've been able to cross off some of the long list of interest that I hadn't really start focusing in on what I'm actually. I'm willing to pursue 6 or more. You studying but after this program. I think it's either going to be pursuing a doctorate or looking for opportunities that would set me up for that? Great. Thank you guys so kind of just some last minute.

Things are reminders, um wherever you are in the process. I just want to let folks know that we do have some deadlines coming up so for the PhD program that deadline is December, 1st for the application and that through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The EDLD program that deadline is December 15th and then for Masters program, the deadline is January 5th.

So if you do have questions about the application process. Feel free to email me. I'll include my email in the chat box so you can reach me directly.

But we also have some other ways to connect um in the mean time. We do have recorded webinars are past webinars on this website here, including this one, which will record as well. We also have some upcoming events. So we have a student of color chat tomorrow evening, which I think Tracy is going to be out as well. Yes, and then we also have a Masters student chat next week.

In early December, we're going to have a application advice web and R and that will be with current students and then we're also going to have a financial aid webinar so all of those are coming up. You can look at those on our website and RSVP and again will record those if we can and post them as well so they'll be available.

And then um other ways to connect with us. We do have a student A blog where we asked Mister write about their experiences on campus in their classes, finding houses different things like that.

And we also have a virtual tour if you can't make it to campus and then here's some of our social media contact and that's our main email address. I'll share mine in the chat box right now, so folks can email me directly with questions whether it's regarding this web and RR the application process in general.

And then finally I just want to thank you guys for taking time out of your evening to be with us can ask questions and I want to thank our current students and Tracy for being here as well. Thank you so much and have a great evening.