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In Memoriam

Survey Seeks to Improve Student Life on Longwood

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Survey Seeks to Improve Student Life on Longwood

Photo by Jacopo Saccheri Allan Gurtan (left) and Luigi Adamo were among the members of the Biomedical Graduate Student Organization who conducted a survey of students in graduate and professional programs in the Longwood area to identify common concerns about academics and resources on campus.

Students in the Longwood Medical Area have access to a wealth of resources, available, in part, because of communication between the students and HMS administra-tion. The administration has been responsive in improving program curricula, financial resources, and services, particularly when a strong student consensus has been demonstrated. To identify common concerns regarding academics and resources currently on campus, the Biomedical Graduate Student Organization (BGSO) conducted a Web-based survey in February of students in all the major graduate and professional programs in the LMA. As far as we know, it is the first survey to be based on the collaboration of student councils representing all the major academic programs in the medical area. Participants and co-organizers included the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, HSPH, and HMS. Since the survey went to students in all of the professional and graduate programs, the responses represent an LMA-wide consensus, in contrast to the program-specific initiatives of the past.

The survey addressed two main issues: academic integration among the various LMA programs and availability of a free student athletic facility on campus. More than 900 students participated in the poll, and each school surveyed was equally represented by the responses. Participants were distributed throughout all academic years.

Toward Academic Integration
An important goal of any professional or graduate program is to instill in its students a broad perspective on their chosen fields, a perspective that should encompass an understanding of related disciplines that form the larger context of each area of specialization. Longwood provides an ideal environment to acquire such depth. The campus houses academic programs in clinical and dental medicine, biomedical research, public health, and even pharmacy; and each program has a common interest in advancing the life and health sciences. Yet a common concern among students has been the dearth of academic and social crosstalk among the different student bodies and programs, despite the concentration of these related disciplines within a small physical area.

These concerns emerged clearly from the survey results. Eighty percent of students rated integration among students of different programs a 1 or 2 on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Moreover, students expressed a general interest in increasing this integration and in the development of an interprogram student area.

Longwood Athletic Facility
Researchers from HMS have published several studies detailing the importance of daily exercise in promoting health (Cancer Causes Control, 1997 Jul;8(4):649-67, Ann Rev. Public Health 2005 Apr 21;26:445-67). Ironically, the LMA is one of the few major academic campuses that lacks an adequate athletic facility that is free for students. Vanderbilt Hall, the HMS dormitory, houses some athletic equipment and space. In total, however, “Vanderbilt gym” is neither large enough nor sufficiently equipped to handle the demands of the entire Longwood student body. While some students have access to athletic facilities on Harvard’s main campus, the distance to these gyms makes their regular use untenable. A private gym is available in the new research building, but students receive only a minimal discount on the expensive membership fee.

Consistent with these concerns, more than 76 percent of survey respondents rated Vanderbilt gym a 1 or 2 on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Furthermore, one third of students expressed specific concerns about basic aspects of the gym, such as cleanliness and ventilation. Roughly two thirds thought that the size of the gym should be expanded and that available equipment should be upgraded.

The Administration’s Response
The initial response to the survey from the administration has been positive, but slightly vague. The survey organizers first presented the results to Dean Peter Ellison of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Dean Ellison expressed full support to address the concerns and said that GSAS would be willing to contribute financially for part of the improvements. This willingness follows from the fact that currently more than 600 PhD candidates, all of whom are registered at GSAS, are carrying out their thesis research on Longwood within the Division of Medical Sciences (DMS).

Ultimately, the goal of this survey was to establish a model for addressing student concerns in the future and to contribute to the productive dialogue between students and administration.

The results were then presented to deans at HMS. Dr. Tom Roberts, dean of DMS, was enthusiastic about the effort behind the survey and expressed full moral support for the improvements. He noted, however, that DMS currently has no funds available for these changes. The survey organizers also met with Dr. Joseph Martin, dean of the Faculty of Medicine. Despite a clear interest in the issues raised, Dr. Martin was unable to offer any financial commitment to address them. He did promise, however, to discuss the issue with other HMS deans and administrators.

The LMA academic programs have often demonstrated willingness to consider and act on student feedback. Ultimately, the goal of this survey was to establish a model for addressing student concerns in the future and to contribute to the productive dialogue between students and the administration. As part of this new dialogue, the survey identified two main issues that Longwood students feel should be addressed. We trust that the administration and students will continue developing ways to work together toward their fulfillment.

—Allan M. Gurtan and Luigi Adamo

The authors are PhD candidates in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences graduate program in the Division of Medical Sciences and executive officers in the Biomedical Graduate Student Organization.

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