Opening Exercises, Class of 2011

President Drew Gilpin Faust welcomed first-year students at the College in a ceremony at Sanders Theatre on Sunday, September 9...

President Drew Gilpin Faust welcomed first-year students at the College in a ceremony at Sanders Theatre on Sunday, September 9...

President Drew Gilpin Faust welcomed first-year students at the College in a ceremony at Sanders Theatre on Sunday, September 9. Audio of the remarks by Michael D. Smith, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and by President Faust, is excerpted below; a transcript of Faust’s speech is posted at www.president.harvard.edu. Audio of the entire program, including music by the Holden Choirs and the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College, is also posted here.

Most popular

In 2004, a frenzy spread across Harvard Yard in days. Four billion users later, we are only just catching up.

All That’s Unseen charts the Harvard graduate’s uneasy journey from Appalachia to Cambridge and back.  

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Explore More From Current Issue

A smiling elderly man in glasses sits comfortably in a striped armchair.

Plus, veteran higher education leader Thomas Ehrlich reflects on university curricula for his 70th reunion

Three young women posed side by side against red background.

The 2026-2027 Ledecky and Summer Undergraduate Fellows

A busy classroom filled with students working at computers, colorful decor, and a bright atmosphere.

In 2004, a frenzy spread across Harvard Yard in days. Four billion users later, we are only just catching up.