Almost Like Being There

Starting March 8, alumni will have unprecedented on-line access to intellectual life throughout the University. A new, experimental venture called Harvard at Home offers capsule versions of lectures, courses, and events. The program is, in part, a response to alumni requests to "take part in what's going on intellectually at Harvard today," says Frank Steen, director of Harvard arts and sciences computer services. "This is a sincere attempt to provide educational experiences for the alumni."

The vignettes (ranging from five minutes to an hour or more) will feature audio and/or video clips, including campus speeches and interviews with faculty members. The first handful of "tastings," as some are calling them, include a "multimedia compendium" of the Homer weekend led by Jones professor of Classical Greek literature Gregory Nagy; several lectures given at the Science Center; and a discussion of state-of-the-art library science. The plan is to add several vignettes each month, funded by a grant from the provost's office--creating, in effect, a smorgasbord of Harvard's academic delights.

Harvard at Home is accessible through www.haa.harvard.edu, where one registers for the password-protected alumni website Post.Harvard. Once registered, a menu item on that site links the user to Harvard at Home.