Harvard Forward Candidates Gain Place on Overseers’ Ballot

Harvard Forward has announced that its three petition candidates [4]have collected enough signatures to qualify for the balloting for the Board of Overseers this spring—and that the nomiating signatures have been validated by the University. The deadline for submitting petitions is this Wednesday, February 3, so the University will wait until then to prepare and then release the final roster of candidates (once a few formalities are completed): the eight Harvard Alumni Association nomination committee candidates, [5] and now the Harvard Forward slate.

All 11 would-be Overseers have responded to a Harvard Magazine questionnaire [6] seeking their views about the University’s challenges and opportunities, the board’s role, their pertinent experiences and expertise, and their reasons for running now.

Last year, Harvard Forward secured signatures to nominate its initial slate of candidates, who campaigned on a platform of divestment from fossil fuels, changes in investment policy, and changes in University governance—and three were elected [7]. This year’s candidates are advancing a similar, albeit broader, platform.

With today’s announcement, the election for Overseers, previously a staid affair, is likely for the second consecutive year to stir up more alumni engagement, prompted by interest in differing views about the nature and role of Harvard governance and in the issues the Harvard Forward candidates are pressing. Balloting will take place from April 1 to May 18.