summer 2024 recap

Before the end of the spring 2024 semester, we promised that we’d prioritize SA work this summer to get ahead and build an organization that works better for our 2025 class. Below you’ll find a list of some of our wins, work in-flight, and asks of you:

big wins:

  • We had a strong showing at RC START. Like last year, we created a spreadsheet for RCs to organize BOS101 events. New this year, we organized small group dinners, formalized Section Reveal (fully sponsored by the MBA program), orchestrated a packed house for EC MyTakes in Klarman, and brought back Section Olympics for the first time in 6 years. We also came in way under budget through organizing no cost, high value events (like small group dinners), taking the Section photos at Baker ourselves, finding a sponsor for Section Olympics, and printing on only one side of the new Section t-shirts (it’s the little things). Unused funds will be reinvested in our priorities to drive down ticket costs of future events.

  • We will offer free coffee/tea to students on the first day of every week (while supplies last). It’ll be Mondays (sometimes Tuesdays if it’s a holiday) between 7:30AM – 10:30AM. We chose this time because of RC discussion groups and timing of RC and EC class blocks. The station will be in the back lounge of the Grille, so it’s more communal. We worked with operations all summer to bring this to life – and will adjust as needed to meet demand.

  • We will give all students a $10 printing credit for the year. We worked with IT to collect data on student printing and work on the system logistics for rolling this out. The credit will be applied before your printing bill is posted in January, and any leftover will be applied to your printing bill in May. And for the first time ever, ECs will have free printing during the add/drop period of classes covered by SAS. Our credit will kick in after the add/drop period, so lots of printing perks to our EC class this year. We believe both of these initiatives allow us to honor and maintain our commitment to sustainability as well.

  • We opened our Products Office (Spangler 007) 5 months earlier than last year. This will mean new and revived product offerings, as well as increased revenue, which will help drive down event ticket costs in line with our priorities. We set-up a new relationship with Northeastern University for us to always have full-time, college intern year-round as part of their formal co-op internship program. This will also make the SA’s future more sustainable, as they can stay open in the summer months and have better knowledge transfer between hires.

  • We secured venues and contracts for Holidazzle 2024 and RC/EC Gala 2025. These were finalized in line with our student feedback last year. We sent all of the calendar invitations detailing these event changes before leaving for the summer so that sections and long distance partners could plan ahead. We will share more details on a special guest DJ (think apres) for Holidazzle soon! Our priority remains to lower ticket costs for these events compared to last year while keeping the same quality of event.

work underway:

  • We already have all of the Fall community-wide MyTakes scheduled. We are currently working with those clubs to confirm their dates/presenters and then we will send calendar invitations to the entire student body.

  • We started planning our Harvard-Yale tailgate. We already released game tickets in a separate, reserved HBS section before they went live to the public to avoid confusion like last year. Due to increased costs by HU Athletics, we’re excited to plan an off-campus tailgate combined with a watch party.

  • We started reviving the DEI Leadership Council. We have been working closely with clubs to choose their delegates, as well as Alicia Thomas in SAS, and the entire MBA program to get this off the ground.

  • We are collaborating on new AI products for RC classes. We are setting up a feedback loop with the team designing/rolling out new AI products to RC classes, specifically for FRC and FIN.

  • We are working on flag updates for the RC class with MBA leadership. Once we’re aligned on a proposal, we will seek feedback from student groups. Once we reach consensus, we will communicate an update to the RC class.

our asks:

  • Come to our community-wide MyTakes in Klarman. It was a packed house for MyTakes this year at RC START and we want to keep the momentum going with increased attendance this year. Together, let's build HBS traditions and better support our affinity groups.

  • Use our Products Office for customized section retreat and club merch. We’re a preferred provider for all branded merchandise on campus, which means any items featuring the Harvard or Harvard Business School identity may be obtained through our services. Plus, we get competitive rates from our manufacturer because of our volume and collective bargaining power. You can email saproducts@hbs.edu and we would be happy to help! As a reminder, all revenue will help us drive down event ticket costs in line with our priorities. 

  • Keep in mind that the SA won’t comment or release statements on local, national, or global events. Given that we have students from all different backgrounds who carry different interests, there’s no way our organization can ever fully represent all students. We want to manage those expectations at the beginning of the year.

  • Email us if you want to feature a student or club event on our SA instagram. We are not maintaining a weekly newsletter this year due to the low traffic last year. Please email us a flyer and we are happy to share it on our Instagram story!