HAA Operations

Department Governance

Faculty serve on committees within the department as do graduate students and some undergraduates as deemed appropriate. The Faculty Officers hold an annual Graduate Town Hall in the fall semester and an Undergraduate Town Hall in the spring semester to apprise students of current relevant matters related to the department and to answer questions the students may have. There are two graduate student representatives and two undergraduate representatives – all of whom are voted for by their colleagues. All ladder faculty, non-ladder faculty, lecturers and student representatives are invited to the monthly department meetings. On occasion, there are meetings in which only full-time senior faculty are invited due to the confidential nature of the discussions.

Library Access

After two years of residence, students count as University alumni and can receive library privileges even when out of residence.

Widener Library defines alumni as those who have finished two terms of work at any of the constituent schools or faculties. Alumni are eligible for a Widener Stacks Access Card without fee, which will permit them to borrow six Widener Library books without payment per year (even if only paying an active file fee).

For more information on the Special Borrower Card, visit the Harvard College Library website.

Applications for either card should be made in person at the Library Privileges Office, Widener Library, Room 130 (phone: 617-495-4166).

Administrative Services

Mail Services: Faculty and staff have been assigned individual mailboxes in the HAA 3rd floor mailroom. Since we sort and distribute mail for all the faculty and staff in the Department, graduate students and visitors are asked to please limit their use of the department mailboxes to university matters and other academic related mail. Incoming U.S. Mail arrives in the afternoon and is distributed to mailboxes shortly thereafter.

Payroll and Financial: A social security card is necessary for employment. Once you have obtained the card, please bring a photocopy of the card to the HAA Department Administrator. This is necessary to put your appointment fully into the system. Application should be made as soon as possible after arrival because the process takes 4-6 weeks.

Nearest social security offices:

O'Neill Federal Bldg. Room 148 
10 Causeway St. 
Boston, MA 02222-1098

10 Fawcett St. 
Cambridge, MA 02138

Harvard ID Card: Your Harvard ID card requires a photo and is only issued once your appointment is through the system.  At that time you will need to go to the Campus Service Center (Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center, Room 807) to have your photo taken and pick up your ID. The telephone number is 617.496.7827. If you are a foreign national, your appointment cannot be fully processed until you have submitted an I9 to the administrator of the department and filed paperwork in the International Office. Once the I9 is filed it takes a minimum of 7-10 business days for the appointment to be processed fully into the system.

Affiliate Health Insurance: A copy of your Harvard ID is necessary in order to enroll in University Health insurance coverage. It takes 7-10 business days to process active coverage. 

Photocopying, Scanning, and Course Materials Management

Note: Federal copyright law prohibits the reproduction, distribution, public display or public performance of copyrighted materials without permission of the copyright owner, unless fair use or another exemption under copyright law applies.

Photocopier Machines: There are three photocopiers in the department on each floor (see the HAA floor plan).There is also a photocopier in the Fine Arts Library for students and faculty for course related copying.

Course Materials Resources: Many faculty provide PDFs of course material on their course web pages. Most course material is directly uploaded to the course website or linked to through library reserves. Reading selections can also be requested through Scan and Deliver.  It is important to begin the process early.

Other photocopying services
FlashPrint
99 Mt. Auburn Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617.492.7767