Policies, Handbooks & Forms

The FAS Information for Faculty Offering Instruction in Arts and Sciences is a reference for FAS educational policies, including instructors’ responsibilities, matters related to course administration, and problems often encountered by students, and a detailed academic calendar).

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Handbook  is a guide to regulations, rules, and procedures that apply to GSAS students.

The Harvard College Student Handbook is a reference to academic requirements, the residential system, and extracurricular and cocurricular activities for Harvard undergraduate students.

Please use the Budget Request Form to request funds for course development (e.g., research assistants, equipment, etc.) and/or course expenses (e.g., field trips, guest speakers, materials and supplies, etc.). Please be sure to ask for approval before incurring any expenses, as it may not be possible to receive reimbursement after the expense has been incurred without prior approval. The Gen Ed Office is not able to provide reimbursement for photocopies, office supplies, or refreshments. Teaching staff are welcome to use the photocopiers in the Gen Ed Office (See Lecture & Section Handouts).

Prior to a domestic field trip, please collect a signed Field Trip Waiver Form from each participant for your records.

Reimbursement requests must be submitted to the Gen Ed Office preferably within 30 days but no later than 45 days from the date the expense was incurred.  Only approved course-related expenses will be reimbursed. Please contact gened@fas.harvard.edu if you have any questions.

For reimbursement requests, please complete and submit the following:

• Itemized Original Receipt (and credit card receipt if applicable) OR Missing Receipt Affidavit (MRA is required if the original itemized receipt is missing. MRAs should be used as exceptions; they should not be used in lieu of original receipts on a regular basis)

• Reimbursement Form

Please choose the appropriate reimbursement form:

• Employee Reimbursement Form
  To be used by:
  • Faculty members
  • Teaching Assistants (i.e., non-Harvard student)
  • Exempt bi-weekly staff members
• Non-Employee Reimbursement Form
  To be used by:
  • Harvard Students, regardless of any employment
  • Non-Harvard Affiliates

All guest speakers must be sent in e-mail or as a hard copy this text:

By accepting this invitation to speak, you understand that in providing these services, your status will be that of an independent contractor, free from Harvard's direction and control. You understand that you are not an agent or employee of Harvard and are not expected or authorized to enter into binding commitments on Harvard's part.

No signature or other acknowledgement from the speaker is necessary. Your message to the speaker should also include confirmation of the date and time of the event, along with the agreement about honoraria and/or travel expenses.  See a sample letter for a guest speaker. If the event is to be recorded, the speaker must sign this Speaker Consent for Recordings. Please send the signed waiver to the Gen Ed Office for future reference.

Please use this Student Consent and License Form to obtain consent and license from students for the right to use, distribute, and make available their work.

Course heads are welcome to use this template as they craft a letter of support for a TA appointment. Learn more about TA appointments.