Bureaucratas or Veritas?

I loved Harvard for its freedom. In the Math department there were no rules. I could take and do anything I wanted with no fear of arbitrary constraints on grading. My concurrent master’s in statistics required eight courses but said nothing about what they should be. In my first two years, I grew immensely and learned Veritas.

Reaching the end of my journey, I find myself frustrated by the spirit of Bureaucratas in the air. I get an error message trying to add Ec10B—yes, Ec10B—in the second week of class (See it at the end) . Laptops are banned, attendance is mandated, lectures are not recorded , and we have ridiculous conversations about “grade inflation” as if grades matter to a liberal arts education. It’s as if we are back to a 13th century kindergarten ran by a communist. Nonetheless, I suppose Bureaucrats has a point—if you give people freedom to be excellent, they will also be free to make mistakes.

Increasingly, I feel not pride in my degree but shame. The time and tuition I spend feel more like a purchase for visa and social prestige than for education. I love the people I’ve met here, students and faculty. But the institution? Perhaps I am too idiotic to appreciate Bureaucratas.

Error:

Error: The standard deadline for adding this course has passed. If you have been granted permission by your registrar’s office to add it, you will see a Submit Petition button. Otherwise, please look in to your school’s procedures for adding a course after the add deadline.