Student Life and Activities

The Office of Student Life enhances the student experience by promoting meaningful community engagement, fostering student involvement, and cultivating a vibrant and inclusive community where students can thrive. OSL cultivates diverse co-curricular opportunities that ignite students’ curiosity and enrich their learning experience with an emphasis on collaboration, advocacy, and support.

More information about how students can engage with OSL to host events and form organizations is available on the OSL my.HDS intranet page (HarvardKey login required).

HDS Student Council

The purpose of the Harvard Divinity Student Council is to provide students a voice in the administrative and policymaking procedures of the School; serve as a resource to the faculty and administration for discussion and consultation on matters that concern students; and create opportunities for community engagement and social connection.

The HDS Student Council shall be comprised of no fewer than eight and no more than twelve, currently enrolled, full-time, degree-seeking Harvard Divinity School students in good academic standing. The director of student life and/or their designee is an ex officio member.

Membership is intended to offer representation to all class years and degree programs.

Members shall be elected each year in March (returning students) and September (first-year students) for a term of one academic year; September through mid-May.

Harvard Divinity Bulletin Board Posting Policy

HDS Community members can post fliers on the public posting boards in Swartz, Rockefeller, and Divinity Halls. Postings must be related to an HDS or Harvard-wide event, program, or initiative and must contain the name of a hosting organization and contact information. Postings without this information are subject to removal.

Campus Use Rules

Harvard Divinity School follows the Harvard University Campus Use Rules as adopted by the Harvard Corporation. The purpose of the rules is to set forth expectations about the use of campus spaces, including space reservations, event safety, and restrictions. The Campus Use Rules are available online from the Office of the Executive Vice President.

HDS student events are organized through the HDS Office of Student Life, which has additional space rules and procedures for recognized student organizations detailed in the Event Coordination & Student Organization Handbook.

Divinity School Student Organizations

Harvard Divinity School recognizes and encourages the formation of student organizations. The intent is to create a breadth of student organizations that represent the full diversity of student needs and interests. All student organizations must register with the Office Student Life on an annual basis. Recognized organizations are eligible for financial support from the student activity fee and may hold events in HDS facilities, in accordance with current HDS event policies and procedures, detailed in the Event Coordination & Student Organization Handbook.

Student Events: Screening Procedures

U.S. Restricted Party Screening Guidance for Student Groups Organizing, Sponsoring, or Hosting Programs/Events Online and Abroad

Student groups at Harvard provide valuable educational and social opportunities for students and give them the opportunity to form connections around common academic, cultural, political, and social interests. Student groups also contribute to the overall intellectual and social life of the University and enrich the opportunities and experience of Harvard students, faculty, and staff, by offering programming and events that are consistent with the University’s teaching and research mission. These may include programs or events hosted abroad or online that include international participants. This guidance is designed to help ensure that student groups and their leaders engage in international programming in a manner consistent with their legal responsibilities.

U.S. federal law – including regulations administered by agencies such as the Departments of Treasury, Commerce, and State – restricts or prohibits U.S.-based individuals and entities from providing services, including University and student-organized programs and events, to certain foreign individuals and entities that are formally designated on U.S. sanctions or export controls restricted party lists (“Restricted Parties”). All U.S-based individuals and entities, including Harvard students and student groups, are also prohibited from engaging in many financial transactions (such as accepting fees or payments, accepting gifts in support of the organization, providing compensation or stipends, or reimbursing costs) with Restricted Parties.

Individuals who violate U.S. sanctions and export controls laws may be subject to federal civil and criminal penalties.

To facilitate compliance with U.S. sanctions and export controls laws, Harvard has adopted University-wide guidance governing screening of Restricted Parties for educational programs. This includes any programs, conferences, seminars, workshops, webinars, or similar events that Harvard is directly involved in facilitating, sponsoring, or organizing. The guidance covers events that take place online (partially or fully) or abroad that Harvard hosts, sponsors (meaning that Harvard provides resources, support or official backing for the program), or organizes, independently or with others as a co-host, co-sponsor, or co-organizer.

As part of its compliance responsibilities, each Harvard student group must comply with Harvard’s University-wide guidance on Restricted Party and export control screening for events that are online or that take place outside the United States where the student group is itself a host, sponsor, or organizer (or co-host, co-sponsor, or co-organizer) – particularly for events that involve international payments to or from student organizations. In addition, Harvard student groups must coordinate with their School’s development office before accepting gifts from donors to ensure appropriate screenings have been conducted.

If you have questions about compliance with U.S. sanctions and export control laws, or require assistance with screening, contact your Dean of Students office, who will work with your School Export Control Administrator (ECA).

For more information, reference the University’s Educational Program Screening resources, including the Bulletin on Educational Programs and Screening, the FAQs, and Infographic on Screening for Educational Programs.