HLS Student Government

We have heard some concerns lately about international students finding it more difficult to secure funding for their HLS education, so we looked into it a bit to see what we could find out.

First and foremost, if you have any financial aid concerns, Student Financial Services should be your first stop.  They are ready and willing to work with everyone to come up with answers that work as best as possible for each person’s unique situation.  Additionally, as prospective interim acting Dean Jackson said during his town hall meeting, Harvard University is currently working with JP Morgan to ensure international students have access to loans similar to that which they had before the current financial crisis.

All that being said, here is a little bit of information for those of you that are interested in understand how and why the international students have been uniquely affected by the crisis.  The issue is arrising because HLS had a unique program in partnership with a private bank that allowed international students to borrow from a US bank.  Unfortunately, in this economy, the program was cancelled by the private bank last semester.  Since that time, Harvard has been working to secure a new banking arrangement.  This program is still being worked on, but at this time (and according to yesterday’s town hall, this may be changing), international students have two options, one, to secure funding from one of their home country banks, or two, borrow from a US bank with a a US co-applicant.  Again, let us reiterate, students facing these concerns should work with SFS, who is happy to help you work through your concerns.  This post is not meant to serve in an advisatory capacity, only an informative one.

One more note, according to a Harvard Crimson article, there may be some other funding coming in to help international students.  See here: http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?r…

As always, any thoughts are welcome.

Brian

One of the more common complaints we’ve heard this year is that news@law was coming out too late to notify people of some of the early morning events.  Because of the way the system is structured, it is very difficult to get the news@law email out any earlier, so we’ve been communicating with the Dean of Students office regularly and working with them to come up with other solutions.

As you probably noticed, starting this week, news@law now includes the current day’s events as well as the next day’s.  We think this is a solution that should be able to satisfy everyone and hope you will agree.  Please let us know your thoughts.

Brian

We just wanted to make sure everyone saw this posting from the HLS Administrative Updates.  It is an endeavor the Student Government fully supports.

Brian

“If you’d like to do something about your overflowing Pound mailbox, place a sticker, available in the mailroom or from your GGL Rep, next to your name:

Mailboxes marked with GREEN dots receive no materials

Mailboxes marked with RED dots receive only materials from Harvard sources

Junk mail, the majority of if unopened, costs American taxpayers over three hundred million dollars a year in disposal fees, and also wastes time and resources to produce and process. Thanks for doing your part to reduce junk mail!

This initiative is brought to you by the HLS Graduate Green Living Program, a partnership between HLS and the Office for Sustainability. For more information please contact  cara_ferrentino at harvard.edu, HLS Sustainability Coordinator. Thank you!”

The Committee on Sports and Entertainment Law (CSEL) is in the process of setting up a Journal on Sports and Entertainment Law at Harvard, and they are looking for help demonstrating the student support for the creation of this journal.  If you would like to support the creation of the journal, please sign this petition:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/jsel/petition.html

If you are interested in being involved with the journal, please email Ashwin Krishnan (amkrishnan@law.harvard.edu).

Brian

The Student Government and Miriam Glaser organized thank-you cards for departing Dean of Admissions Toby Stock. HLS Students filled three poster-boards with comments for the brick-lover, who’s leaving HLS for Washington, DC. Thanks to all who participated, and good luck Toby!

David

Today we emailed our mid-year report to all HLS students (if you didn’t get one, let us know). The report outlines what we did this semester and what we plan to do next semester. But, ultimately, your Student Government exists to serve you. So let us know how you think we’re doing and what we could do better!

David

Yesterday students received an email from the Registrar’s Office that, among other things, announced that Spring Disbursement checks would be mailed out after 12/19 and would not be available for pick up at the SFS office earlier.  As many of you know, this is a change from last year, where we could pick them up at the office up to a certain point and then they would be mailed.

Many of you have contacted us to express concerns with new policy and how you will get your check before you leave town for the holidays.  I have no more info yet, but just wanted to let you know, we are looking in to either an explanation for the change, or if there is any flexibility in the new system, and the administration has already begun replying to our requests to look into it.

Stay tuned,

Brian

UPDATE – We heard from Ken Lafler with a lot of great info and clarification about this issue.  First and foremost, there was a misunderstanding from the original email.  Checks are being mailed out so that people will RECEIVE them by 12/19, at the latest – and in many cases up to a few days earlier.  SFS is limited by the University system for cutting disbursement checks as to how early they can get them out, and they do work very hard to expedite the process on their end so that we can get them before the break.  On an individual basis, if you have legitimate concerns about getting your disbursement check in the mail by 12/19 the SFS office would be happy to talk with you to resolve the concern.

A few of you have contacted us expressing concern that at or around midnight, many of the lights in the tunnels are turned off, and during this lovely season of exam preparation, there are often people using the tunnels at that late hour.

The Facilities department has notified us that they will instruct security not to turn off the lights in the tunnels during exams.

(Bring on the “bad-for-environment” complaints.  I’m ready for ‘em.)

Brian

If you would like to order an HLS Section (I-VII) fleece, see they flyer linked below.  The fleeces do not have a class year on them so they can be ordered by any class level that still feels any section solidarity but didn’t get the chance to order one of these fleeces yet.  Orders are run through the HBS Student Association and must be placed online anytime next week.

hls-section-fleece-flyer

Brian

The Harvard Graduate Council is sponsoring a speed-dating event this Monday, December 8th, at 6:30 PM. Registration starts on Wednesday, 12/3. Here is the website: http://harvardspeeddating.com/.

David

The Student Government just emailed all 1Ls and LLMs a document called “What I Wish I’d Known Before I Took My First HLS Exams: Advice from 2Ls and 3Ls who’ve been there already.” This document is full of helpful study advice from 2Ls and 3Ls, as well as a series of links to poetntially helpful sites about studying for law school exams.

If you did not get the Student Government’s email, let us know (studentgov@law.harvard.edu) and we’ll send you a copy.

David

News@law:

Many people have noted that News@law has been coming out quite late.  Later, in fact, than some of the morning event that are listed in it.  The Communications office is aware that this is not ideal and is working on ensuring that it comes out earlier.

Office supplies in the vending machines:

They’re supposed to be there.  If not in all of them, then in enough so that you shouldn’t have a problem finding them.  They should include pens and highlighters at a minimum.  Have you seen these items in the vending machines you go to?  What other items would you like to see?

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: the office supplies are only in the snack vending machine in the tunnel to Lewis, and there are only pens and highlighters.  Do you think they should be anywhere else or contain any other supplies?

Tea, hot chocolate, soy milk…

All of these things are supposed to be at the free coffee stations in the mornings.  We are still working with Restaurant Associates to increase the consistency.  Are you finding them consitently?

What else should we be doing for you?

Brian

The Student Government and the WLA are hosting a panel about exam preparation and study for all 1Ls on Wednesday, December 3rd, at 12:00 PM. Lunch will be served.

If there are particular questions you’d like addressed, let us know at studentgov@law.harvard.edu or just respond to this post.

We’ll also have copies of the “What You Wish You’d Known” pamphlet we’re currently putting together.

David

We are opening an ongoing discussion with the new food service provider at the Hark, Restaurant Associates.  An important part of that discussion will come from your input.  Drop us a comment or an email and tell us what you think about the Hark and the Hark Cafe.  Like the food?  Don’t like the food?  Want something different?  Love a new element that RA has brought in?  Let us know!

Brian

As grades become (at least a little) less important, interaction with professors will become more important. Today in the HLS Record, I wrote about my belief that there are many opportunities to work with HLS professors (http://media.www.hlrecord.org/media/storage/paper609/news/2008/11/06/Opinion/Letter.Opportunities.To.Work.With.Famous.Professors.Plentiful-3528545.shtml). The trick, in my view, is making sure to go to office hours to cultivate those opportunities. Do you agree? Or is there a problem on campus with the availability / accessibility of HLS professors?

Let us know what you think (studentgov@law.harvard.edu).

David