Over the last year, I have been taking courses at Harvard University under their Extension School program. I have to admit, it has been nothing but interesting, engaging and fulfilling. In fact, I have enjoyed the experience so much that I have applied to the program to work toward an ALB.
When I first enrolled in courses, I had made mention of the fact to an old friend and colleague John Luongo. Interestingly enough, he had given me the idea to take courses to begin with, as he had been working on going to school locally in California. When I delivered my news to him, he responded with a very pleasant coincidence. He had decided to switch and continue his next degree at Harvard Extension school as well.
One thing I found was that when he was explaining his decision, I did note a bit of what almost seemed to be him justifying why Harvard Extension was a good choice. Perhaps it was me reading into what he was saying, perhaps not. But I had been aware that there has been an ongoing controversy about the validity of the Harvard Extension School program.
We are merely weeks away from entering a new year and the calendars showing the year 2010. That year is significant as it marks the 100th anniversary of Harvard University’s Extension School program. If you scour the internet it is not hard to find many articles that either extol the virtues of the program, or seek to demean it due to it not being a degree from “Harvard”. With a little digging you will find articles ranging from people who are caught “impersonating” a Harvard student, to people misrepresenting themselves on their resumes, to people who just downright treat people who have attended Harvard extension as ivy league “wanna-be”s.
The funny thing I find though, is that much of this controversy is generated by people who are not even associated to Harvard. I have the luxury of being close enough to the campus where I can freely attend all my classes on campus. I am not relegated to merely experiencing my education on-line through distance learning due to being in some far away state. As such, my experience is not merely limited to just having access to the courses. I interact face to face with my professors, fellow students and enjoy a myriad of what the Harvard campus has to offer.
Perhaps it would be good to clarify a few things. First, Harvard University has 13 colleges under it’s umbrella. Harvard Law, Harvard Business School, Harvard Medical School are just 3 of them. Of course there is the infamous Harvard College. But then there is Harvard Extension. It befuddles me to think why on earth there would be such a debate as to whether Harvard Extension is really “Harvard.” The university itself clearly advertises and states that it is indeed a bonafide and valuable part of the Harvard brand. So why the controversy?
Some point to the fact that it is driven by the parents of students of Harvard College who have the privilege of paying the high price that comes with being a student that matriculated into the program through its rigorous admissions criteria. Some say it is because Harvard Extension has an open enrollment policy and as such is reflected in the quality of the students. For whatever reason though, the controversy exists.
The program itself is excellent. It is also not as easy as people may think. To be considered part of the degree program, you do indeed need to show you are capable of doing the work at a high enough level where you have proven you deserve to be there. So perhaps it is a nice courtesy to let anyone try under open enrollment, but you have to be successful at a Harvard level to go beyond just taking a few classes.
But what of the positives other than just those that the extension student receives? Does the University as a whole receive any benefit? The answer in my opinion is clearly a “YES”. One of the cornerstones of an education at Harvard is its promise of experiencing a diverse group of students and faculty. That is not unique to Harvard, but it is something they hold in high regard. The existence of Harvard Extension school bring a degree of diversity to the mix that is intrinsically valuable to the entire campus community, and is a dynamic that should be cherished by all those who walk through that square.
The Harvard Extension program brings people from all walks of life and gathers them into an environment where they can learn from each other, not in isolation, but as a group and community all striving to better themselves. If you look at the roster of students who are part of this college within Harvard University, you will find successful politicians, business people, investors and executives all learning side by side with young students who can do much worse than to be exposed to the experiences of people working in many different industries from all walks of life.
Perhaps moving into this new century of Harvard Extension’s existence, we can all grow to set aside this meaningless controversy and focus on the primary reason we are all at Harvard University…
To be part of a talented group of people – culturally, economically and socially diverse – all seeking to work together to further our knowledge and bring value to each other and our global society.