Steven.
 

Shame--this is outrageous and would not be permitted by HBS or HLS but it is yet another example of the fact that university hall exerts no control over and lives in fear of its faculty. this is clearly a violation of university rules.
 

I don't see what rule that participation in the "One Day University" could possibly break. Harvard sends its faculty all over the country (and sometimes around the world) to lecture at one-day events. Whether a professor lectures on his own discipline, or gives advice to a company in her area of expertise, I just don't see any difference.
 

Thanks, 8:54. Fixed now.
 

The university (not only FAS) policy (revised a few years ago to deal with internet teaching) probably allows this participation unless it becomes a regular ongoing activity and makes it appear that the teacher is part of the staff of the "one day university" (The fact that it is only one day a week is not sufficient for approval). Here are excerpts from the policy:

Persons holding full-time academic appointments at Harvard should devote their teaching efforts primarily to the education of Harvard students. Faculty members may not hold a regular faculty appointment at another institution, except in connection with a Harvard-sponsored joint program with that institution, or similar arrangement as approved by their Dean. They should not teach a course, or a substantial portion of a course, at or for another institution or organization without the advance permission of their Dean and the Corporation. This policy should be followed regardless of whether the activity is conducted in person or through some form of electronic communication.

These standards reflect the traditional understanding that full-time Harvard faculty members and other academic appointees are expected to concentrate their teaching efforts on students enrolled in Harvard's educational programs. This understanding expresses the reasonable expectation that Harvard students will have special access to an education distinctive to the University they attend, and that teaching efforts of Harvard faculty members will be directed primarily toward the benefit of the University and its members. It also affirms the University’s interest in ensuring that Harvard teachers not be deflected from their primary commitment to educate Harvard students by assuming competing obligations to teach for other institutions, and the University's interest in discouraging other institutions from drawing inappropriately on the University’s reputation and the collective contributions of its members.

In determining the extent to which an activity is appropriate, members of the University should follow this general guideline: the more it reasonably appears that a faculty member is teaching or producing a course or a substantial portion of a course for another institution or organization, the more likely it is that the activity falls outside the range of what is appropriate.
 

10:45, this kind of thing raises other questions, though, don't you think?
 

The rules seem reasonable to me. What other questions do you have in mind, Richard?
 

Richard, please relax! What is the problem with this initiative that allows people to spend a day learning from top professors, some Harvard professors? For the public, it's a way to access knowledge they could not otherwise, as they are not Harvard students. For the professors is a sign of distinction as you can be sure only the very best teachers are invited to do this. I doubt most of them at Harvard do it for the $, it's more an opportunity to get exposure and to engage different audiences. For the company, it's a way to serve a market. None of the Harvard professors participating spend more than a few days a year doing this, far less than most spend lecturing at other campuses, conferences and on book tours. So why is this a problem.

This is the problem with this blog. It sometimes focuses on issues of real significance, and offers valuable insight, and sometimes is just trivia analyzed at the lowest possible level.
 

I think I'm going to make that the new blog slogan: "Trivia analyzed at the lowest level."

Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

Sorry if you feel that way, 7:23, but one can't be highbrow all the time. It's exhausting. And the human mind—or, at least, mine, and I doubt that mine is particularly singular—doesn't work that way.

Couple things: Honestly, the idea that professors do this "to engage different audiences" is pretty funny. Of course they do it for the money. You really think that Harvard professors are going to spend a day traveling to West Hartford to broaden their horizons?

To Judith Ryan's point: Let me say that if I were a Harvard professor and One Day University asked me to do this, and offered to pay me a couple thousand bucks to do it, sure, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

My point was only that, for the university as a whole, this raises some issues about when it's appropriate to market yourself using the Harvard brand and when not.

For example: We talked just the other day about a website that posts Harvard lecture notes, the idea being that part of why people go to Harvard is to get a distinctive education. Doesn't the same issue raise itself in this context, the difference being that here the professors are getting paid?

The countless ways in which Harvard professors use their affiliation to make money outside of teaching undergraduates and performing scholarship are fascinating, and a real issue for the university—it is, it seems to me, one of the reasons undergraduates have such issues with the quality of teaching. (And I'm talking generally here, not just about One Day University.)

Some of these activities are surely intellectually valuable for the professors and thus return dividends to students.

Some...not so much.

It's all a question of balance, of course. At what point is a professor spending more time monetarizing the Harvard brand than teaching and writing? Which outside activities can't really be said to benefit the professor in any real way? Which of these activities cheapen the Harvard brand that allows professors to engage in them in the first place?

I find these questions interesting, and I think that One Day University makes many of them manifest.
 

Yes Richard these are important questions. How to answer them is the real issue.

Would you rather leave the answers to some Politbureau of Harvard bureaucrats, or let Harvard Professors decide for themselves?

Wasn't the concern with the 'Harvard Brand' part of what the Summers-West was all about?

For my money I rather let Professors like Levitsky decide how to spend his time a thousand times over having any Harvard Deanlet, Provost, Associate Provost, Assistant Provost, Deputy Assistant Provost or member of the OGC decide for him.
 

I'm coming to this thread a day late. I don't understand it at all. One of SITD's prime posters, the Herr Professor Richard Thomas, is on this One-Day University hit parade: I've seen his name printed in the Times! R-Brad, how can you not acknowledge that? R-Thom, how can you not pipe in to give us your say?
 

I've been on a Bradley break. Yes, I did one of these a few weeks ago, and very much enjoyed it. I actually can use the money, since my top-selling, two-volume text and commentary on Virgil's Georgics nets me a steady $500 p.a., and I'm in the 8th continuous year of paying college tuition. How about some retroaction on the tuition thing, I say, btw...

The event was held at Babson, which is closer to where I live than Harvard, so the whole thing took c. 3 hours on a Sunday p.m. Since it was the Sunday before the Super Bowl I didn't even need to miss any football. I was one of four (others, I didn't actually meet, from Penn, Brown, and Tufts), and there were around 250 students, generally but not all older, and seemingly very attentive. I got smart questions and enjoyed speaking to a number of them afterwards. I thought the whole organization felt pretty good, and serious in its aims.

I think I do another one in June. Like Judith Ryan above I'm not sure I see the problem.
 

I'd say the world would be better off if Professors did more of these kinds of things as Professor R. Thomas is doing. Don't be ashamed Professor Thomas, no need to feel guilty about this at all.
 

I'd say that more Professors from those schools where enrollments have been steadily declining should get on the program of University for a Day. Maybe it could encourage some of those in attendance to attend. Wouldn't you say Professor Thomas?

The Madhatter.
 

Right on Madhatter. Why do you think applications to Professor Thomas' department are soaring? It couldn't be the sales of his book...

The Queen of Hearts.
 

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Hatter
 

No shame or guilt here, 5:26. I enjoyed it as I said. And as my man Bob put it,

It's a wicked life but what the hell
Everybody's got to eat.
And I'm just the same as anyone else
When it comes to scratchin' for my meat.
 

Ten shillings and six pence I'll give you Richard for your travails. No hatter --ehem pardon I meant matter-- how hungry try to avoid curing hat's felt using mercury.

Theophilus Carter

PS: Have you thought of writing a book as R.B. or H.L. did, rather than blog so often which pays so much less.

PS2: You could also consider giving tango lessons.
 

As the co-founder of One Day University...I must admit it's pretty exciting to see it discussed this way.
 

The magic of the blogosphere, Steven!