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• 1 2019-02-20T02:36:02-05:00 My Time Off From Harvard 1 plain 2019-03-26T08:59:05-04:00 In 2014, I entered Harvard as a freshman. I promptly tried out for club soccer and comped Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business. In the spring I joined a social organization and became the historian of Harvard's Special Olympics. I continued to be an active members of these clubs and was appointed to board positions in several of them. 
  
  
  My junior year of college I had to take a leave of absence and was diagnosed with a life changing illness. When I returned to Harvard, I was no longer as active in my extracurriculars. A year and a half had passed and I had missed elections. Additionally, my health made it impossible to be active at the level I used to be. My blockmates graduated and I decided to move off campus. I thoroughly enjoy my current experience, however it is distinctly different than it was prior to my leave of absence. 
  
  My experience has made me question how other Harvard students have experienced reintegrating into the Harvard community.
   

  My primary research interest is the exploration of how students at Harvard University experience the process of taking a leave of absence and then reintegrating back into university life. The specific research questions for this project are:

  • How does Harvard facilitate the process of reintegration for students who have taken time off due to medical, professional, and/or other reasons?
  • What are the discrepancies between official Harvard policies and how faculty and administrators respond to such leave and reintegration requests?
  • How do Harvard’s policies and support systems compare to that of another private higher education institution?
  • How are students who are reintegrating to Harvard life experiencing the process?