Post date: April 23, 2002

In light of recent disturbing events at the Law School, I have consulted with various students and colleagues to consider what steps might be taken to create a better climate - an environment of genuine mutual respect and improved behavior patterns. Almost everyone agrees on the goal of promoting mutual respect and deterring racially offensive speech and conduct, even in our culture of great academic freedom and vigorous debate. The challenge is how to achieve this shared goal. Many ideas have been offered, and some are ready to be pursued. I write to announce the following:

• Representatives of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) will present their views and suggestions to the faculty at the beginning of the faculty meeting scheduled for May 8.
• I have asked Todd Rakoff, the Dean of the J.D. Program, and Suzanne Richardson, the Dean of Students, to develop and implement a responsive training program for incoming students and faculty. We hope to build on expertise we have in our superb Program on Negotiation, and to develop skills that will be useful throughout students' careers. The program might have a title such as "Negotiating Difficult Conversations in a Multi-Cultural Environment." Many details remain to be worked out, but we are confident that a useful program can be launched. If we are successful, we will have turned a challenge to our community into an opportunity for greater learning.
• I am establishing a committee to investigate and report on ways to promote respectful and constructive behavior in our diverse environment. This "Committee on Healthy Diversity" will include, in addition to Todd and Suzanne, other faculty and staff members as well as representatives of student groups such as BLSA and the Law School Council. I expect to line up the committee members in the next several weeks. The committee's charge will be fourfold: to help design and evaluate the skills development program referred to above; to oversee a research project to collect and analyze the experience and reflections of persons of color in the classroom and community of HLS, as a prelude to more informed decision making about further changes in policy and practice; to consider the best way to give students an official place to go to work with trained staff to mediate and negotiate, and/or to challenge bad behavior when it does happen; and to consider and analyze other suggestions for improvement at the School. At a minimum, the committee would analyze and debate certain suggestions that have already been made, such as that the faculty should develop a racial harassment policy and the administration should create a office of multicultural affairs, but the set of ideas for improvement is not meant to be limited or fixed in advance. The committee will be asked to make a report to the faculty in the fall.
• Following the excellent suggestion of certain faculty members (Professors Ogletree, Edley, Guinier, Mack, and Wilkins), which is enthusiastically supported by many others, several summer faculty workshops will be devoted to exploring and developing a set of institutional mechanisms that can both anticipate and defuse racially offensive incidents and help improve pedagogy regarding sensitive cleavage lines in our society. The goal of the workshops will not be to vote immediately on particular proposals, but rather to explore a range of possible solutions. Professor Howell Jackson, Associate Dean for Research and Special Programs, will be primarily responsible for arranging these events. Undoubtedly, these faculty deliberations will cover many of the same suggestions and ideas that the Committee on Healthy Diversity will consider. Consequently, I am asking Deans Rakoff and Jackson to see that the committee is kept abreast of the faculty discussions. In addition, selected student representatives will be invited to the workshops.

These initiatives begin a process which will, I hope, lead to an even better Harvard Law School. I am most grateful for the enormous concern and good will expressed by so many of you during these difficult times, and I would welcome your suggestions as our process unfolds.